Romney Crushes Gingrich

ROMNEY CEMENTS FRONT-RUNNER STATUS IN CRUSHING DEFEAT OF GINGRICH

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney cruised to victory in the crucial Florida primary, crushing his main rival Newt Gingrich and re-establishing himself as the party's frontrunner to take on Barack Obama in November.

Romney bounced back from his defeat at the hands of Gingrich in South Carolina just 10 days ago, winning a huge double-digit victory that reverses the momentum Gingrich had coming out of the previous primary.

With 98% of the votes counted, Romney took a massive 46.4% to Gingrich's 31.9%. The social conservative Rick Santorum came third with 13.3%, and Texas congressman Ron Paul fourth on 7%.

In his victory speech in Tampa, Romney suggested that Democrats should not take comfort from the way Republicans have been attacking each other over the last few weeks.

"Primary contests are not easy – and they're not supposed to be. As this primary unfolds, our opponents in the other party have been watching. They like to comfort themselves with the thought that a competitive campaign will leave us divided and weak," he said.

"But I've got some news for them: a competitive primary does not divide us; it prepares us. And when we gather here in Tampa seven months from now for our convention, ours will be a united party with a winning ticket for America."

The Republican convention in Tampa in August will formally annoint the party's presidential nominee.