Originally published February 18, 2012 at 5:21 PM | Page modified February 18, 2012 at 5:22 PM

Romney still winner in Maine caucus after bad-weather delay

EAST MACHIAS, Maine — Ron Paul gained 83 votes on Mitt Romney after a Republican presidential caucus in eastern Maine, where voting last week had been postponed due to bad weather. Romney still holds a 156-vote lead over Paul in statewide totals.

Paul received 163 votes in Saturday's Washington County caucus, where Republicans from more than two dozen towns gathered to cast their votes. Romney received 80 votes. Rick Santorum got 57 votes and Newt Gingrich received four votes.

The Maine Republican Party last week declared Romney the winner of the state's GOP caucuses, but Washington County Republicans were angered their votes weren't counted after their caucus was postponed last Saturday because of a snowstorm.

Long expecting to face Mitt Romney in the fall, President Obama's campaign team has shifted gears in recent days to consider the possibility his GOP opponent will instead be Rick Santorum.

Campaign officials confirm Obama's Chicago-based organization has begun combing through the former Pennsylvania senator's background looking for possible lines of attack. It also emailed Obama's Pennsylvania supporters this past week asking for material that could be used against Santorum in upcoming speeches and ads.

The move reflects Santorum's sudden surge in nationwide opinion polls and a spate of recent primary-season victories over Romney.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, still leads the delegate race with 123, compared with 72 pledged to Santorum and 32 to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, according to the most recent AP tally.

Times news services

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