With another victory under his belt, this time in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney writes his name in the history books as the first non-incumbent candidate ever to take both Iowa and New Hampshire during the primary election process.
After his meager eight-vote win in Iowa just last week, Romney defied all odds by earning the GOP nomination for both the highly conservative Hawkeye state and the more centrist Granite state. No candidate other than an incumbent president has ever earned both.
The recent attacks from his fellow candidates were clearly not enough to keep Romney from coming in first. At this rate, it would seem Romney's success could quickly propel him through the primaries to earn him the Republican presidential nomination later this year.
'Tonight we made history,' Romney said in a speech given after polls closed in New Hampshire late Tuesday night. 'The Granite state moment we've just enjoyed is one we will always remember. Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we go back to work.'
It's not over yet, though. According to an article by NPR, every Republican candidate to take South Carolina has gone on to receive the presidential nomination, an accomplishment Romney clearly has his eye on — and he's out to win.
'This country is too important to hand over to President Obama for a second term,' Romney continued through cheering crowds. 'The president has run out of ideas — now he's running out of excuses. Tonight we're asking the good people of South Carolina to join the citizens of New Hampshire to make 2012 the year he runs out of time.'
At presstime, with returns from 69 percent of New Hampshire precincts in, Romney led with 38 percent of the vote, followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 24 percent, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman with 17 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum with 10 percent each.