Mitt Romney beat his closest rival Newt Gingrich with a comfortable margin to win the Florida Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, television networks projected.
With 59 percent of the vote counted, Romney had 47 percent of the vote, with Gingrich in second at 31 percent. Former senator Rick Santorum was in third with 13 percent and Representative Ron Paul in fourth with 7 percent, the networks reported.
Florida is the largest nominating contest so far in the state-by-state battle to pick a Republican to face President Barack Obama in the November 6 election.