Washington:
The Republican Party chairman in Colorado has declared Rick Santorum the winner in the state's caucuses in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
That's a stinging blow to front-runner Mitt Romney, who earlier in the night was defeated by Santorum in political caucuses in Minnesota and in a non-binding primary in Missouri.
The victories were Santorum's first since his slim win in the Iowa causes early in January. Tuesday's outcome raises fresh questions about Romney's ability to attract conservative voters and undercuts Newt Gingrich's claim that he is the chief alternative to Romney.