Mitt Romney has won the New Hampshire primary, according to CNN projections, with 35% of the votes.
The network is reporting that voters turned out in expected record numbers Tuesday in the second contest of the Republican presidential race.
The CNN projection, based on early results and exit poll data, came after final polls closed in the state at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
The news network is also projecting that Texas Rep. Ron Paul will finish in second place with 25% of the votes and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman will finish third with 17%. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum are trailing, each with 10%, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry is in last place, having received only 1% of the votes.
A record 250,000 voters turned out for the GOP primary, Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan told CNN. He said that with no competitive challenger to President Barack Obama on the Democratic side, more “undeclared” voters could weigh in on the Republican race.
Just a week ago, Romney won the Iowa caucus with an eight vote margin over Santorum. The next stop in the primaries is South Carolina on January 21.
Romney has already made a victory speech in Manchester, telling his supporters, “Tonight we made history” and, looking ahead to South Carolina, adding, “Tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow, we go back to work.”
He spent most of the speech criticizing President Barack Obama, mostly over his economic policy, and said, “The president has run out of ideas. Now he’s running out of excuses. Let’s make 2012 the year he runs out of time.”
Romney also criticized Obama’s foreign policy and specifically mentioned Israel when he said, “He criticizes our friends like Israel. I will always stand with our friends.”