Mitt Romney leads in Washington
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney greets NASCAR fans in the garage area prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012.
CNN is projecting Mitt Romney will win Saturday's Republican caucuses in Washington state.
Returns from caucuses in 54 percent of Washington precincts show Romney has 38 percent of the vote, with Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum following behind with 24 percent each, the Associated Press reported.
Early returns show Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives, has 8 percent of the vote, AP said.
Candidates are vying for 40 delegates in Washington, whose caucuses come just days before Super Tuesday when 10 states are scheduled to hold primaries and caucuses.
"All four major GOP presidential candidates campaigned in the state, hoping a strong finish there would carry over to Tuesday," CNN said.
The contest is the last before Super Tuesday.
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