Romney Wins Silver State Caucuses

Mitt Romney won the Nevada Republican caucuses today, the AP reports, his second straight victory. Romney nabbed 51% of the vote with nearly all returns in. In a surprise, Ron Paul (14%) edged past John McCain (13) to take second place. Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee both got 8%, and Rudy Giuliani 5%. Exit polls said 25% of caucusgoers were Mormon, and nine out of 10 chose Romney.

Aside from Paul, who aired TV commercials, the former Massachusetts governor was the only Republican with any significant presence in the Silver State. His main opponents were duking it out instead in South Carolina, which, though it lags Nevada in delegates, has historical appeal: Every Republican since 1980 who has won that state went on to become the GOP presidential nominee. (More Mitt Romney stories.)