Romney captures Wyoming Republican caucuses
Associated Press

January 5, 2008 at 4:29 PM EST

CASPER, Wyo. — Mitt Romney's attention to Wyoming paid off as he won most of the 12 presidential delegates at stake in the state's Republican county conventions today.

The former Massachusetts governor gained the first four delegates and six of the first eight to be selected today. Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter, who both also visited Wyoming, won the other two that had been decided, meaning no other candidate could beat Mr. Romney.

Coming two days after the Iowa caucuses and three days before the New Hampshire primary, the early date of the Wyoming Republican county conventions was intended to draw candidates' attention to the state, but has had only modest results.

Mr. Romney, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Thompson and Ron Paul all stopped by the state — visits they probably wouldn't have made except for this year's early conventions — and candidates have sent Wyoming's Republican voters a flood of campaign mail.

However, the traditional leadoff nomination contests in Iowa and New Hampshire have dominated the attention of both candidates and the national media in recent months, and no candidates have visited Wyoming in the four weeks leading up to the caucuses.

Mr. Hunter was the last to visit the state on Dec. 4.

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