Romney takes 6 Super Tuesday states as the race for the GOP candidate continues By Mallory Shelbourne BOSTON-

Mitt Romney pushed forward in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, winning six out of the ten Super Tuesday states. Romney took the victory in the battleground state Ohio, giving him 66 delegates despite Rick Santorums lead after the closing of the polls. Romney also took Alaska, Idaho, Virginia, Vermont and his home state Massachusetts. Santorum saw success in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee, while Newt Gingrich won in his home state Georgia. Both Santorum and Gingrich did not qualify to appear on the ballot in Virginia. Ron Paul did not take any states. Romney addressed his supporters of all ages at a rally in Boston at the Westin Copley Tuesday evening. Tonight, we're doing some counting. We're counting up the delegates for the convention, and it looks good. And we're counting down the days until November, and that looks even better, Romney said. We're going to take your vote, a huge vote tonight in Massachusetts, and take that victory all the way to the White House. Megan Dutra, 20, of Suffolk University, is the Massachusetts Students for Mitt Representative. Dutra came out to show her support for Romney at the election party with a sign in hand. [Its] mostly his business plan. My Dad owns a small business and the taxes to actually start it cost more than what he makes to begin with, Dutra said. Its basically a family thing. Ive just noticed that a lot of the things that Obama has passed, there are jobs being created but at the same time its not the jobs that we need. Romney was greeted by fans screaming, go, Mitt go, as he critiqued President Obama on jobs, the economy and the nations debt. President Obama said he would create jobs. For 36 months, unemployment has been above 8%, Romney said. But, my friends, the truth is this: 8% unemployment is not the best America can do; its just the best this administration can do. When I am President, the American economy will not be lagging behind; it will be leading the world. Santorum, who spoke in Ohio Tuesday night, spent a portion of his speech talking about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly referred to as Obamacare. If it wasnt for one particular issue that to me breaks the camels back with respect to liberty in this country, and that is the issue of Obamacare, Santorum said. Early polls indicated Santorum would win Ohio. However, Romney edged a victory over Santorum by 10,288 votes. Locally, Boston saw sparse voters out at the polls, particularly in the South End. We would hope for it to pick up, said Fernando Villanueva, a poll worker at William McKinley South End Academy. We thought there [were] going to be a lot more people coming today. One South End resident attributed the low turn out to the areas Democratic slant. I think this area is largely Democratic and I would bet a lot of people feel the same way that I do: that Obama is going to be the Democratic candidate, said Andy Fisher. There's probably no reason to vote, that's what I would guess." Those who did come out to the polls expressed interests in the economy.

I know lot of people are unemployed, said Jeffrey Andrade. Jobs are still an issue even if the economy is supposed to be getting better. Another voter explained the importance of going to the polls as a civic duty, in addition to other political issues. [Its] the handling of the economy and foreign relations, civil rights, things like that, said Paul Wright, a South End resident of 45 years. Romney ended the evening with 419 delegates, followed by Santorum with 178, Gingrich with 107 and Paul with 47. While 1,533 delegates remain, only 1,144 are needed to win the presidential nomination. The next key states include Kansas with 40 delegates March 10, Alabama with 49 delegates March 13 and Missouri with 52 delegates March 17. Since Romney, Santorum and Gingrich have all seen victories in southern states and considering the amount of remaining delegates in the GOP party, the nomination is yet to be determined. --30--