Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum scored a startling double win Tuesday in the Deep South, boosting his claim to be the true conservative alternative to frontrunner Mitt Romney.
Santorum's dramatic come-from-behind victories in Alabama and Mississippi gave his bid for the nomination to take on President Barack Obama in November elections a huge shot in the arm and were a stinging rebuke for Romney.
The results were also bad defeats for former House speaker and southern native Newt Gingrich, as the two states were seen as must-wins for his flagging campaign.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Santorum, a former US senator, was ahead in Alabama with 35 percent of the vote, with Gingrich and Romney tied for second place on 29 percent, according to CNN figures.
In neighboring Mississippi the race came down to the wire, with Santorum on 33 percent, Gingrich at 31 and Romney at 30, with 99 percent of votes counted.
Hours after the double defeat Romney however, secured consolation wins in the island state of Hawaii -- Obama's birthplace -- and in American Samoa, according to media reports.
Romney had earlier issued a statement congratulating Santorum on his double victory, but insisted he remained best placed to win the nomination.
But experts said Santorum's win may open up the race to be the White House nominee.
And Gingrich, who faces calls to quit and allow conservatives to coalesce around Santorum, said he would fight all the way to the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida in August.
Santorum's dramatic come-from-behind victories in Alabama and Mississippi gave his bid for the nomination to take on President Barack Obama in November elections a huge shot in the arm and were a stinging rebuke for Romney.
The results were also bad defeats for former House speaker and southern native Newt Gingrich, as the two states were seen as must-wins for his flagging campaign.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Santorum, a former US senator, was ahead in Alabama with 35 percent of the vote, with Gingrich and Romney tied for second place on 29 percent, according to CNN figures.
In neighboring Mississippi the race came down to the wire, with Santorum on 33 percent, Gingrich at 31 and Romney at 30, with 99 percent of votes counted.
Hours after the double defeat Romney however, secured consolation wins in the island state of Hawaii -- Obama's birthplace -- and in American Samoa, according to media reports.
Romney had earlier issued a statement congratulating Santorum on his double victory, but insisted he remained best placed to win the nomination.
But experts said Santorum's win may open up the race to be the White House nominee.
And Gingrich, who faces calls to quit and allow conservatives to coalesce around Santorum, said he would fight all the way to the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida in August.
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