Republican presidential hopeful Mitt¹ Romney has taken another stride towards his party's nomination² after a solid victory in New Hampshire's primary.

美国共和党总统候选人米特·罗姆尼在新罕普什尔州的初选中大获全胜，向共和党候选人提名迈进一大步。

The former Massachusetts governor was home and dry（安然无恙，达到目标） on nearly 40% of the vote, with most results counted.

Texas Congressman³ Ron Paul was second on about 23% and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman third on almost 17%.

The eventual⁴ Republican nominee⁵ will take on President Barack Obama for the White House in November's elections.

Primaries and caucuses⁶（党团会议） will be held in every US state over the next few months to vote on a Republican candidate before the eventual winner is crowned at the party convention in August.

Nearly-complete results from Tuesday's New Hampshire vote showed Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich tussling（打斗，扭打） for fourth place with less than 10% each, while Rick Perry had under 1% of the vote.

All six contenders have vowed⁷ to fight on to the primary in South Carolina on 21 January.

But it is Mr Romney, narrowly declared the winner of Iowa's caucuses last week, who is viewed as having the strongest momentum⁸ heading into the next battleground state.

Within 20 minutes of polls closing, he took to the stage to declare victory and attack President Obama's economic record.

"The president has run out of ideas," he told supporters. "Now, he's running out of excuses.

"And tonight, we are asking the good people of South Carolina to join the citizens of New Hampshire and make 2012 the year he runs out of time."

Ron Paul, who finished third in last week's Iowa caucuses, celebrated⁹ his latest result by telling cheering supporters: "I sort of have to chuckle¹⁰（轻笑，窃笑） when they describe you and me as dangerous. They're telling the truth because we are dangerous - to the status quo."

Mr Paul's younger following admires his small-government message, but his calls for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and legalising drugs have put him outside the mainstream¹¹ of his party.

Mr Huntsman, who was President Obama's first ambassador to China, had pinned his hopes on an upset in New Hampshire to boost a candidacy that has failed to excite many Republicans nationally.