LITTLE ROCK — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has won Arkansas’ six electoral votes.
The former Massachusetts governor won the majority of the vote in the presidential election in Arkansas. He had been widely expected to win the state, where President Barack Obama remains deeply unpopular.
Obama lost Arkansas by 20 points in the 2008 election and has not visited Arkansas since 2006.
Many of the state’s top Republicans backed Romney’s White House bid long before he won the nomination earlier this year. Romney has also mostly stayed clear of the state, though he held a private fundraiser in downtown Little Rock in August.
Republicans have made gains in Arkansas after tying Democrats to Obama and other unpopular national party leaders.
The crowd at the Republican watch party at the Embassy Suites hotel in Little Rock erupted in applause when TV announced Romney had won Arkansas.
U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, chair of Romney's campaign in Arkansas, said the win was in line with expectations but still good news in what is expected to be a tight national race.
"That is consistent with what we thought," he said. "We're really excited about it."
Sylvia Malek of Little Rock, who watched results come in from the Democrat watch party at Cotham's in Little Rock, said "It just shows how behind Arkansas is when it comes to liberal issues."
Read more in tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Click here to see totals and news for all the races throughout the state and across the nation.