Santorum now will be able to make the case that he is the conservative best positioned to challenge Romney for the nomination in a party that has moved steadily to the right over the last 30 years and draws much of its energy from the tea-party revolt against government spending.
But strategists say the underfunded Santorum faces a challenge to raise money and quickly build a campaign structure able to outlast the Romney machine in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida over the next three weeks.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian warhorse, ran just behind Romney and Santorum, drawing younger voters and independents, according to polls of voters entering the caucus sites. He told supporters late Tuesday that "the enthusiasm has been unbelievable. . . . We have had a fantastic showing."
However close the vote, there would be no recount. The caucuses begin the process of selecting GOP convention delegates and results are not binding, so there is no legal requirement for one.
The contenders for the GOP nomination had little time to pause before the next showdown, in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday. Even as they celebrated - or put the best spin on - returns at caucus-night rallies in hotel ballrooms here, most were preparing to fly east and battle on in a reshaped race. One, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, was reassessing his campaign.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who finished fourth with about 13 percent of the vote after an onslaught of negative ads, vowed to continue, taking particular aim at Romney.
"Do we want a Reagan conservative who changed Washington, or do we want a Massachusetts moderate who will be pretty good at managing the decay?" Gingrich said, congratulating Santorum for running a "positive campaign."
