LEG UP

Religious Leaders Back Santorum

In effort to halt Romney's momentum.

The race might not be over after all: 75 percent of 150 social conservatives and evangelical leaders meeting in Texas on Saturday threw their support behind the former Pennsylvania senator, according to meeting spokesman Tony Perkins, in an effort to stop Mitt Romney from winning the Republican presidential nomination. The strong vote for Santorum is a blow for Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, who have both competed with him for the conservative religious vote. The three-ballot process was a slap in the face for Texas's own Perry, who didn't even make it past the first ballot. The crucial vote comes a week before the next primary in South Carolina, where social conservatives have clout.