Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton Win Nevada Caucuses

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mitt Romney is the winner of today’s Republican caucuses in Nevada, while Hillary Clinton has narrowly defeated Barack Obama on the Democratic side.

The victory for the former Massachusetts governor is his second straight, following a win in the Michigan primary earlier in the week.

Romney had made seven campaign trips to Nevada, and polls had shown him leading there. He campaigned on a pledge to help restore the state’s economy, much as he did before winning Michigan.

Most of the Republican candidates have been focusing on South Carolina, which is holding its Republican primary today. The winner of that primary has gone on to become the Republican presidential nominee ever since 1980.

Meanwhile, the victory in Nevada is a second-straight triumph for Clinton, after her upset victory over Obama in last week’s New Hampshire primary.  Early returns show the former first lady gaining roughly half the vote, with Obama at about 45 percent and John Edwards placing a distant third.