Rick Santorum stays in GOP race, heads to Florida

GlobalPost

Rick Santorum said it is a "wide open race" for the GOP nomination, after finishing third in Saturday's South Carolina primary and vowed to continue on to Florida, the Associated Press reported.

"Three states. Three different winners. What a great country," Santorum said. Speaking on CNN, the former Pennsylvania senator said the race was far from over. 

"The great narrative in this is that three days ago there was an inevitability in this race, Mitt Romney was 2-0 and soon to be 3-0," said Santorum. "I took Iowa and Newt took South Carolina. And it’s game on again.. We are going to have it go on for a long time."

In South Carolina, Santorum reacted to the primary results. “Congrats to Newt, he staked his flag here in South Carolina... and he kicked butt and I give him a lot of credit." Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich finished first in the South Carolina primary, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

More from GlobalPost: Newt Gingrich wins South Carolina Republican primary (VIDEO)

Despite the third place finish, the GOP contestant said “this is a long race and this is one of the things people have to understand, as a result of what happened here tonight, this race isn’t going to be over next week or the week after."

He said the long race is the best thing that could happen to future Republican nominee because they would be ready to take on President Barack Obama in the presidential race.

Santorum has said he is the most consistent conservative of the GOP candidates and, thus, the best alternative to Obama in November.

More from GlobalPost: SC primary voters say Mitt Romney ran most unfair campaign: poll

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