It was no surprise that Mitt Romney, who has close ties to New Hampshire, won Tuesday's primary there. The former Massachusetts governor got 39 percent of the vote. He was followed by Texas Congressman Ron Paul, with 23 percent; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman with 17 percent; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum with 9 percent each; and Texas Gov. Rick Perry with 1 percent.
The win and Romney's razor-thin margin of victory in the Iowa caucuses make him the front-runner.
But his stiffest test may be the Jan. 21 South Carolina primary. If he succeeds there and in Florida, he likely will get the GOP nod. Then the head-to-head contest with President Barack Obama, whose replacement is long overdue, will begin.