New America Media, News Report, Posted: Jan 22, 2012

A different Republican contender has won in each of the first three states in this month's Republican caucuses and primaries, making Mitt Romney's path to the Republican nomination less than a sure thing.

Newt Gingrich won 40 percent of the vote in South Carolina, a state that since 1980 has consistently predicted the final GOP presidential nominee. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney came in second place in the state, with 28 percent of the vote. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum received 17 percent of the vote; and U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas came in fourth, with 13 percent.

Santorum was announced the winner of the Iowa caucuses, after initial reports claimed that Romney had won by eight votes. Romney came in first place in the New Hampshire primary.

The campaigns are now looking to the Jan. 31 primary in Florida, a key battleground state with a large number of Latino voters.

Romney has gotten flak from Latino organizations and media for his stance on illegal immigration, including his pledge to veto the DREAM Act, legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for qualifying undocumented high school graduates who have enrolled in college or the military. Gingrich, meanwhile, who has called for undocumented immigrants to be treated humanely, got a nod from La Opinión in November for "bringing some common sense into the immigration debate" and won the support of the Latino GOP group Somos Republicans last Monday.