Romney looks to seal the deal

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush endorsed Mitt Romney after Romney’s lopsided win in Illinois Tuesday night. The former Florida Governor – a Republican heavyweight – called on members of the party to coalesce behind Romney.
“Congratulations to Governor Mitt Romney on his win last night and to all the candidates for a hard fought, thoughtful debate and primary season,” said Bush in a statement. “Primary elections have been held in thirty-four states, and now is the time for Republicans to unite behind Governor Romney and take our message of fiscal conservatism and job creation to all voters this fall.  I am endorsing Mitt Romney for our Party’s nomination.  We face huge challenges, and we need a leader who understands the economy, recognizes more government regulation is not the answer, believes in entrepreneurial capitalism and works to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed.”


The Illinois victory appeared to follow established patterns so far in the Republican race, with Romney doing well in urban and suburban areas while top conservative rival Rick Santorum ran strong in rural areas.
In Chicago, Romney had 55% of the total with 99% of precincts reporting, while Santorum notched 25%, according to the city's election website. In Lake County, one of the surrounding counties near Chicago, Romney had 56% with all precincts reporting, according to the clerk's office website, and Santorum had 28%.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Gingrich, who is battling Santorum for conservative support against the more moderate Romney, trailed well back, according to unofficial results from local clerks and election boards.
"We thank the people of Illinois for this extraordinary victory," Romney told supporters in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg Tuesday night. "Elections are about choices. Today, hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois joined millions of people in this country in this cause."
The results gave Romney at least 41 of the 54 delegates up for grabs in the state, increasing his total to 562, according to CNN's estimate. Santorum is second with 249, Gingrich third with 137 and Paul last with 69.