(CNN) -- Rick Santorum marches forward to the next GOP primary battle with wins in Alabama and Mississippi, throwing cold water on rival Mitt Romney's prediction that his campaign was reaching a "desperate end." Romney, rejected again by Southern conservatives in the Tuesday primaries, was battling for second place with Newt Gingrich. The latter had staked his campaign on a Southern strategy after winning South Carolina and Georgia. In Alabama, Santorum won 35% of the vote. Gingrich and Romney both had 29% -- although Gingrich was about 2,000 votes ahead with 99% of the vote counted -- and Ron Paul had 5%.
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NEW: CNN projects Mitt Romney will win Hawaii
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CNN projects Rick Santorum wins Alabama, Mississippi primaries
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With proportional awards, Santorum hasn't dented Romney's delegate lead
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Newt Gingrich says he'll continue, saying conservative voters not picking Romney
Hawaii
Still, because Alabama's 47 delegates and Mississippi's 37 delegates will be awarded proportionally, Romney appeared to maintain his delegate lead and may add to it after more moderate @placeholder's 17 delegates are distributed.
Rick Santorum
Santorum
Rick Santorum
Santorum
A CNN delegate estimate early Wednesday showed Romney with a 489-234 lead over @placeholder, giving him a 255-delegate margin.
Mississippi
Mississippi
Exit polls from Alabama and @placeholder show that Romney still has some ground to make up to win over conservatives: In Alabama, 55% of those polled said Romney's position on the issues wasn't conservative enough; in Mississippi, the number was 49%.
Mitt Romney
Romney
Romney
Mitt Romney
Romney
Romney
Exit polls from Alabama and Mississippi show that @placeholder still has some ground to make up to win over conservatives: In Alabama, 55% of those polled said Romney's position on the issues wasn't conservative enough; in Mississippi, the number was 49%.
Mississippi
Mississippi
Exit polls from Alabama and Mississippi show that Romney still has some ground to make up to win over conservatives: In Alabama, 55% of those polled said Romney's position on the issues wasn't conservative enough; in @placeholder, the number was 49%.
Rick Santorum
Santorum
Rick Santorum
Santorum
@placeholder and Romney are expected to split the next few contests on the calendar.
Mitt Romney
Romney
Romney
Mitt Romney
Romney
Romney
Santorum and @placeholder are expected to split the next few contests on the calendar.