Rick Santorum wins Mo. GOP presidential primary

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Rick Santorum won the Missouri Republican primary, a nonbinding election that carries bragging rights but does not award any delegates in the race for the presidential nomination.

The election won't count for delegates but could give Santorum a momentum boost.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting,, Santorum had 55 percent of the vote over Mitt Romney's 25 percent. Ron Paul scored 12%.

Newt Gingrich is not on the Missouri ballot. But almost four percent of votes marked "uncommitted". Those could be Gingrich voters, or just people who hadn't made up their minds.

President Barack Obama, running uncontested in the Democratic presidential primary, is expected to receive all the state's delegates, although some voters voted "uncommitted".

Missouri will pick its Republican delegates at caucuses next month. Santorum's win sends a strong message to those who will attend the caucus. In some counties, Santorum racked up big percentages. For example, in Cass County he beat Romney 63 percent to 22 percent.

The real contests Tuesday night were in GOP caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado, where Santorum also win, pulling off a three-state sweep ..

Santorum's fans were cheering Tuesday at his election watch party in St. Charles, Mo. He is the only candidate who invested time campaigning in the state.

The Associated Press Contributed to This Report