New Hampshire primary: CBS News projects Mitt Romney win Updated 8:17 p.m. Eastern Time CBS News is projecting that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will win the New Hampshire primary - and that Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman are battling for second place. The projections are based on exit polls and early voting returns, and were announced just after the polls closed in the Granite State at 8:00 p.m. Republican Primary Election Center Romney's victory in New Hampshire, coupled with his victory in the very different state of Iowa, cements his status as the clear frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination - albeit one about whom many Republicans have yet to embrace, as evidenced by national polls showing him unable to win more than 30 percent support. With 52 of 301 precincts reporting, Romney had 35 percent of the vote, followed by Paul with 25 percent and Huntsman with 18 percent. They were followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 11 percent, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum with 10 percent and Texas Gov. Rick Perry with 1 percent. Only 12 delegates are at stake in New Hampshire, but its status as the first-in-the-nation primary gives the state outsize importance in the nominating process. Candidates that exceed expectations often receive a boost in fundraising and momentum, while those that come in below expectations can take a hit that can drive them out of the race. Full New Hampshire primary results The exit polls showed that 45 percent of New Hampshire voters who cited the economy as the most important consideration supported Romney. He also received the most support from voters for whom electability was the top concern, with 60 percent backing Romney. The former Massachusetts governor fared well among conservatives, moderates and Tea Party supporters in New Hampshire, with Romney the favored candidate of all three groups. The exit polls showed Romney winning 39 percent of moderates (followed by Huntsman with 28 percent and Paul with 24 percent), 38 percent of conservatives (followed by Santorum with 17 percent support, Gingrich with 16 percent and Paul with 16 percent) and 37 percent of Tea Party supporters. While the GOP electorate in New Hampshire, which allows independents to vote in the GOP primary, is more moderate than the GOP electorate in Iowa, 54 percent of New Hampshire voters identified as conservative, and 51 percent said they support the Tea Party. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gives a thumbs up as he campaigns on primary day outside a polling station at Webster School in Manchester, N.H., Jan. 10, 2012. One third of New Hampshire Republican primary voters in New Hampshire called themselves moderates, compared to just 15 percent in the Iowa caucuses. Twenty-two percent identified as white evangelicals, compared to 56 percent in the caucuses. New Hampshire evangelicals split between Romney (with 27 percent supporting him) and the man he narrowly defeated in the caucuses, Rick Santorum, who got 25 percent of white evangelical support. Independents made up 47 percent of the New Hampshire GOP primary electorate on Tuesday. They were divided between three candidates: Romney and Paul, who got 29 percent of their support, and Huntsman, who got 25 percent. Romney was the top choice among both men and women, and he dominated among voters making more than $100,000 per year, winning 48 percent of their support. Voters with incomes under $100,000 per year were split between Romney (with 29 percent support), Paul (25 percent) and Huntsman (20 percent.) Paul was the top choice of voters under the age of 30. New Hampshire Exit Poll CBS News is not projecting the margin of victory for Romney, who hails from nearby Massachusetts and was heavily favored to win the state. Romney, the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, entered Tuesday's primary day polling about 20 points ahead of his nearest rivals. If Romney falls short of expectations - say, by winning the state by a single-digit margin - his triumph will be seen as a loss. Romney entered primary day having endured some of the roughest days of his campaign, with his rivals aggressively attacking him over his record at venture capital company Bain Capital. Gingrich, Perry and others characterized Romney as a ruthless corporate raider, the leader of a group of "vultures" who were unconcerned with the layoffs they sometimes instituted after taking over a struggling company. Romney also made a pair of gaffes in recent days that fed into his rivals' portrayal of him, including his comment that he "like[s] being able to fire people" during remarks about the importance of being able to choose between health care providers. For Huntsman, who saw his poll numbers inch up ahead of primary day, anything less than a strong second-place finish could mean the end of his campaign. Huntsman, who has a reputation as a moderate, skipped the Iowa caucuses to focus almost exclusively on New Hampshire in the hope that a strong finish in the state would boost his cash-poor, long shot presidential bid. For Paul, meanwhile, a second-place finish would be helpful - but unlike for Huntsman, it's far from crucial. That's because Paul's antiwar, free-market philosophy has attracted a passionate base of supporters who are poised to stick with him - and offer financial support - as he attempts to build up delegates over the long haul. Gingrich, who initially vowed to run a positive campaign, has turned nasty toward Romney, seemingly in response to the attack ads run by Romney's allies that helped torpedo Gingrich's chances in Iowa. Gingrich's supporters are planning to run millions of dollars to attack Romney in South Carolina, which holds its primary on January 21. Gingrich, Perry and Santorum are poised to battle for the hearts of conservatives in the social-conservative Palmetto state - with the knowledge that if they split the conservative vote and Romney wins yet another early state, he will be poised to effectively wrap up the nomination far earlier than anyone expected.