CNN is projecting that Mitt Romney will win all three of Tuesday's Republican presidential primaries, in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
The three wins put Romney past the halfway mark to the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination and add to a wide delegate lead that he holds over the other major GOP presidential candidates, according to CNN estimates.
According to the projection, the former Massachusetts governor is expected to take the majority of Wisconsin's 42 delegates and Maryland's 37 delegates, with some designated solely for the winner and the rest to be awarded proportionally. He will take all 16 delegates at stake in the District of Columbia.
With 15 percent of the vote reported in Wisconsin, according to CNN, Romney had 41 percent and Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, had 39 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas had 11 percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had 6 percent.
In Maryland, with 19 percent of the vote reported, Romney had 49 percent. Santorum had 30 percent, Gingrich had 11 percent and Paul had 9 percent.
In the District of Columbia, with 11 percent of the vote reported, Romney had 68 percent. Paul had 15 percent and Gingrich had 12 percent. Santorum was not on the D.C. ballot.
CNN noted that Wisconsin's primary is open to any registered voter in the state, regardless of party. Exit polls showed that 58 percent of voters described themselves as Republicans, 30 percent said they were independent and 12 percent said they were Democrats.
According to CNN’s estimates, Romney had 571 delegates before Tuesday's primaries, more than twice the 264 delegates Santorum held. Gingrich and Paul trailed well back.