Courted by Candidates, Minnesota GOP Voters Study Up

ST. PAUL  (AP) - Normally overlooked, Minnesota Republicans are reveling in a chance to sway a party presidential nominating contest.

Tuesday night's caucuses were on the radar of all the major contenders.

Party faithful prepared to register their preferences in a straw ballot that won't bind any of the 40 national convention delegates. But it offered plenty of symbolic importance. Coming off back-to-back wins, front-runner Mitt Romney hoped contests in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado would add more distance from a chase pack of Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul.

The foursome gave Minnesota voters personal attention with a host of visits in the last week. Signs were pointing to a closer margin than Romney's 2008 runaway win in Minnesota over eventual GOP nominee John McCain.

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