Island territories boost Mitt Romney’s delegate total

Mitt Romney finished a distant second in the Kansas Republican caucuses, but has won nearly a clean sweep of the 27 delegates at stake today in contests in three island territories, according to the Associated Press.

Romney won all nine GOP delegates from the Northern Mariana Islands after a vote at the territorial convention, and nine more from Guam. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, seven of nine delegates will go to Romney, one to Ron Paul, and one will be uncommitted, according to the Associated Press.

Residents of the island territories cannot vote in the presidential election, but both parties allow them to participate in the nominating process. Romney’s son, Matt, campaigned in the Northern Mariana Islands. Paul paid a visit to the Virgin Islands in February.

American Samoa will also award nine delegates after a convention March 13. Twenty-three delegates are at stake in Puerto Rico’s March 18 primary.

Rick Santorum won 33 of the 40 delegates at stake in Kansas’ Republican caucus today, with Romney winning the other seven, according to an Associated Press projection. The Romney campaign noted that they would end the day with the most delegates, en route to the 1,144 needed to clinch the party’s nomination.

“In what was hyped as a big opportunity for Rick Santorum, he again fell short of making a dent in Mitt Romney’s already large delegate lead, much less of winning the 65% of the remaining delegates that is required for him to have a chance at getting 1,144,” the Romney campaign said in a statement.

Romney also picked up delegates in Wyoming after the state’s county conventions; the balance of the 29 delegates from there won’t be awarded until the state GOP convention in April.

Original source: Island territories boost Mitt Romney’s delegate total