Romney wins New Hampshire

Mitt Romney wins his second straight battle in the race for the Republican U.S. presidential nomination Tuesday but it remains to be seen whether his win will be sizable enough to put to rest doubts about his candidacy.<br/> The key race for second and third place is still too close to call.<br/> Ron Paul, a U.S. congressman known for his libertarian views, and Jon Huntsman, a moderate former U.S. ambassador to China, are in a battle for second place in New Hampshire, the small New England state known for its independent streak and outsized role in presidential campaigns.<br/> Romney, a former investment firm chief, was able to prevail despite his rivals' fierce 11th-hour attacks painting him as a heartless corporate raider who enjoys cutting jobs.<br/> Romney's stint as a relatively moderate governor of neighboring Massachusetts has also caused many conservative Republican voters to view him with skepticism.<br/> The New Hampshire primary is the second contest in the state-by-state battle for the Republican presidential nomination to face Democratic President Barack Obama on Nov. 6.<br/> Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters