With Double-Digit Lead, Romney Sails to Victory in Nevada

(Newsroom America) -- Leading GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney swept to a victory in Nevada's primary Saturday, leading rivals Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul by double digits as the latter candidates vy for a distant second-place finish.

With nearly 50 percent of the votes counted, Romney was leading with 43 percent, according to polling results. Gingrich commanded about 25 percent of the votes, followed by Paul, a Texas congressman, with 19 percent. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum had 12 percent, CNN reported.

Bringing to mind his victory in the state in 2008, Romney told campaign staff in Las Vegas Saturday night, "This isn't the first time you gave me your vote of confidence, but this time I'm going to take it to the White House."

Romney then turned his attention to President Obama, saying his policies had not done nearly enough to reverse the state's home mortgage crisis, or unemployment nationwide.

"This president began his presidency by apologizing for America. He should now be apologizing to America," Romney told cheering supporters.

In a post-election news conference, Gingrich accused the Romney campaign of spreading rumors that he would drop out of the race if he lost, calling it their "greatest fantasy."

"We will continue all the way to Tampa," Gingrich promised, referencing the city where the Republican National Convention will be held.

Gingrich decried negative ads by the other campaigns, saying he wanted to avoid them.

"I stayed relentlessly positive in Iowa, and I lost by 22 points," he said. "I think it's terrible the American system is reduced to negative ads, some of them false.

"But it's a fact, if you're not willing to stand and fight, you have to get out of the race," he said, predicting that in a few more weeks, he would be ahead in the polls.

Romney supporters in Nevada were calling on Gingrich to drop out of the race, fearful that his continued candidacy would divide the party.

"I hope he takes the message that it's time to withdraw gracefully and not continue to divide the party," Nevada Rep. Joe Heck, who has been in the Romney camp since 2008, told reporters.

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