Newt Gingrich: Delaware or bust?

The struggling candidate suggests that he might drop out of the presidential race if he is defeated by Mitt Romney in the First State

He's not out of the race yet, and new polls suggest Newt Gingrich could take the small but mighty state of Delaware and rattle the Romney camp's confidence.
(Image credit: John W. Adkisson/Getty Images)

Even though Mitt Romney has all but secured his nomination as the GOP's presidential candidate, and is planning to kick off his general election campaign Tuesday night in New Hampshire, his struggling opponent Newt Gingrich is still hanging on. The two will square off against each other in five states on Tuesday, and Gingrich has a decent chance of winning Delaware. While most have already discounted the former Speaker of the House, Gingrich actually just received another $5 million campaign injection from the wife of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, and has pledged to "reassess" his campaign only if he loses Delaware. Could a Gingrich win in the First State be a game changer?

It would highlight one of Romney's weaknesses: Delaware is a "tiny" state, but "dangerous," says Ginger Gibson at Politico. While a Gingrich victory won't "turn the tide of momentum away from Romney," it could underscore Romney's continued struggles with the GOP base. Gingrich will certainly advertise a win in Delaware as "him rallying the state's conservatives to pull off an upset victory over the more moderate candidate."

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