Entrance polls in Nevada showed that was a persuasive argument, with the economy ranking as the top issue and Romney winning over nearly two-thirds of the voters who listed it as their top concern.

Romney hopes Nevada will kick off a February winning streak that could position him for a knockout blow to Gingrich during the 10 "Super Tuesday" contests on March 6 - or sooner.

But his main rival Gingrich, who came in second place, vowed to fight all the way to August for his party's nomination, which he insists he can still win.

The caucuses were held at 125 sites around the state, with voters breaking up into small groups by precinct to tout their candidates and debate their choices. Several Romney supporters said they were backing him because he could win in November.

At least 1,114 delegates are needed to secure the nomination in August. Nevada will award 28 delegates and split them proportionally based on the vote total.

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