Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney narrowly beat out Texas Congressman Ron Paul to win Lincoln County’s Republican caucuses Feb. 4, the Maine Republican Party revealed Feb. 11.
While slightly higher statewide, turnout was some 25-percent lower in Lincoln County than in 2008, despite a hotly contested race.
Romney won Lincoln County with only 78 votes, or 38 percent. Paul came in a close second with 72 votes, or 35 percent. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum edged out former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich for third place, 16 percent to 10 percent.
While Romney earned less than half the votes he won in 2008, Paul increased his support over three-fold.
Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor were the sites of Romney’s largest margin of victory. Waldoboro and Wiscasset, the towns with the largest turnout, sided heavily for Paul.
Lincoln County’s results mirrored the voting picture statewide. With 84 percent of Maine towns reporting, Romney won the caucuses statewide with 39 percent of the vote. Paul came in second with just under 36 percent.