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Romney Arrives in Maine

Tight contest with Ron Paul.

After calling himself the “severely conservative” candidate at Washington’s conservative conference CPAC, Mitt Romney headed to Maine ahead of the state’s final caucusing on Saturday—a contest where he faces an ongoing threat from Ron Paul. Romney held his first town hall in the state on Friday night, where he focused on attacking President Obama’s policy shift regarding religious institutions and health care. Ron Paul, meanwhile, looked to grab his first victory in the 2012 Republican race, with strong organization in the state where Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have not campaigned heavily. Paul, who won 18 percent of Maine’s vote in 2008 and whose support has only grown in the state since then, drew huge crowds Friday—enough of a threat that Romney added two caucus appearances to his schedule on Saturday.