Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the Illinois Republican presidential primary, while Rick Santorum placed second. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul did not campaign heavily in Illinois.
His victory speech to supporters as at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois
Before the Illinois and following Romney’s victory in Puerto Rico last week delegate totals placed Romney in the lead:
Mitt Romney … 522
Rick Santorum … 253
New Gingrich … 135
Ron Paul … 50
In February, Santorum won three primaries in a single night, putting him in the lead in national and some state polls. Mitt Romney won the other five primaries, including a close contest in his home state of Michigan at the end of the month