Politics

Gingrich Wins Georgia, Hopes to Keep Momentum

March 6th, 2012

Claiming about 48% of the votes cast in Georgia’s Republican primary Tuesday, Newt Gingrich easily won his home state.

At Gingrich’s victory party at the Renaissance Waverly hotel in Cobb County, a quiet crowd became animated when Newt Gingrich took the stage– just minutes after major news outlets declared him the winner in Georgia.

Gingrich took the opportunity to thank his home state for the victory.

“I hope the analysts in Washington and New York, who spent June and July explaining our campaign was dead, will watch this tonight and learn a little bit from this crowd,” he said.

The former US House speaker said his victory in Georgia reflects his validity in the race, and that his promise of $2.50 a gallon gas is bringing him new support.

Jane Turner drove down from Fanning County in North Georgia to see Gingrich here. She said she’s behind him until the end.

“You know, he’s been the underdog, and hasn’t gotten a lot of good publicity,” Turner said. ”But he’s got the fighting spirit!”

Noting that “fighting spirit,” daughter Jackie Gingrich said the momentum that carried her father in Georgia has to spread.

“We have to have voter turnout in the fall for Republicans to win,” she told a small crowd of reporters following her father’s speech. ”There is no other way for Republicans to win. We must energize the base. And he can do that.”

Gingrich now turns his attention to Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi where he hopes to gain further momentum.