It was an easy night for Mitt Romney, who finally got to enjoy a Tuesday primary night for the first time in weeks, as he cruised to victory in Illinois over Rick Santorum, wining by over 11 percent.
Romney built a big lead in Chicago and the rest of Cook County, and ended up with an over 100,000 vote victory in the Land of Lincoln, even though Santorum won twice as many counties in the state.
It was a familiar election night formula - Romney won larger cities and suburban areas, while Santorum held the edge in more rural and smaller cities, especially in southern Illinois as you can see from this map of the state:
Once again, Romney tried to use a Tuesday night speech to pivot towards the general election in November, as he put the focus squarely on President Obama, arguing his time in office has not helped the U.S. economy or the American people.
"I'm running for President because I have the experience and the vision to get us out of this mess," Romney said.
Romney bolstered his delegate lead with last night's outcome in Illinois, though he may not enjoy the momentum for long, as Santorum will be the favorite in Louisiana this Saturday.
A new poll out in the Bayou State last night showed Santorum with a strong lead. Romney was second, with Newt Gingrich in third.
While Santorum and Gingrich stump for votes in Louisiana today, Romney will be in the Washington-Baltimore area, making a stop in Maryland, which votes on April 3.
Maryland is a state that should favor Romney, but it's an interesting strategy choice that Romney decided to come straight to the Free State, and not drop by Louisiana first.
