January 22, 2012 05:23 AM UTC

Gingrich Dominates South Carolina GOP Primary

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• by: Colorado Pols

CNN:

Newt Gingrich has won Saturday’s South Carolina GOP presidential primary, marking a stunning turnaround for a candidate who finished fourth in Iowa and New Hampshire and whose campaign had been left for dead — again — by observers just weeks ago.

With about 70% of polling places reporting, Gingrich had 40% of the vote, with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney getting 27% and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum getting 18%. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas had 13%. Based on early returns and exit polls, CNN projected Gingrich the winner.

“Thank you South Carolina!” Gingrich’s campaign posted to Twitter after polls closed at 7 p.m. ET, adding a link to his campaign donation website. “Help me deliver the knockout punch in Florida.”

Politico:

Even the electability argument is no longer solely Romney’s: among voters who named defeating Obama as the main factor in their vote today – a whopping 45 percent of the total electorate here – Gingrich won with 48 percent. Romney came in nine points behind, at 39 percent, followed by Santorum with 8 percent and Paul with 5 percent.

Despite the recently aired interview with Newt Gingrich’s ex-wife and the former speaker’s traditionally poor showing among women voters, exit polls from tonight’s primary show that Gingrich won the demographic.