Santorum Wins Alabama, Mississippi

Rick Santorum posted surprise primary wins in Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday, handing the social conservative a pair of Deep South victories that are all but certain to amplify calls for Newt Gingrich to drop out of the GOP race.

NBC News called Alabama for the former Pennsylvania senator shortly before 10 p.m. EDT, nearly two hours after the polls closed there and in neighboring Mississippi. Roughly an hour later, CNN and other networks called the Magnolia State for the former senator.

It is still too early to tell whether Gingrich will hold off Mitt Romney for second place in either of the primaries. Regardless, the former House speaker is sure to face a growing chorus urging him to call it quits after he failed to secure a win in either of the contests, both of which his staff had previously marked as must-wins for his campaign.

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