Gingrich triumphs over Romney in South Carolina's primary Sunday, 22 January 2012 10:34

WASHINGTON: Former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich has convincingly beaten Mitt Romney in South Carolina's primary election, the latest leg in the battle to be the Republican candidate in November's US presidential poll.

With 95 percent of the vote counted, Gingrich had 41 percent to Romney's 27 percent.

Romney was widely seen as the frontrunner, but the latest outcome is set to turn the race into a long, hard-fought campaign.

The South Carolina victor has won the nomination in each election since 1980.

Other Republican hopefuls, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and Texas representative Ron Paul are trailing badly, with 17 percent and 13 percent respectively.

Shortly after the vote, Gingrich wrote on Twitter: "Thank you South Carolina! Help me deliver the knockout punch in Florida," referring to the next primary on 31 January.

The contest for that state is now seen as crucial, being a major battleground state in the US general election, with a diverse electorate and where a lot of money will be spent campaigning.

Several hours later, Gingrich appeared at his campaign headquarters in the state capital Columbia - to wild cheers from his supporters.

"We don't have the kind of money that at least one of the candidates has, but we do have ideas and we do have people and we have proved here in South Carolina that people power with the right ideas beat big money and with your help we are going to prove it again in Florida," he said.

Earlier, Romney told his supporters they were "three contests into a long primary season" and vowed to fight for every vote in every state.

The story of the Republican race for months has been the search for an anti-Mitt, a non-Romney, a single candidate who conservatives could unite around.

It is now possible, but by no means inevitable, that Gingrich has the momentum to become that candidate.

Primaries and caucuses will be held in every US state over the next few months to pick a Republican nominee before the eventual winner is anointed at the party convention in August to take on Democratic President Barack Obama in November. (QNA)