Rick Santorum has won Republican primaries in Mississippi and Alabama, a surprising Deep South sweep that signals Santorum is consolidating support among the party's conservatives. Both of the wins were narrow: just a few points separated Santorum from Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in both states. For Santorum, the two close wins were still an enormous boost. The former Pennsylvania senator had piled up victories in the Midwest, but Tuesday's results showed he could also win on Gingrich's home turf. “We did it again,” Santorum told supporters in Lafayette, La., where the GOP will hold a primary March 24. He said he would go on to campaign in Puerto Rico, Missouri and other upcoming states. “We will compete everywhere.”
