Santorum wins Louisiana primary - The Washington Post Santorum, meanwhile, can again claim momentum based on a strong showing in a heavily conservative state. He has won seven contests for the Republican presidential nomination this month, including five in the South. Nonetheless, Romney's other victories, especially a big win Tuesday in the Illinois primary , appear to have cemented his status as the likely nominee. After taking several large, industrial states in the Midwest, Romney has enjoyed a new level of acclaim from Republican leaders in recent days, including the endorsement of former Florida governor Jeb Bush, as Santorum and Newt Gingrich have struggled to clear a path to the nomination. The results in Louisiana illustrated Romney's chief remaining weakness: his standing among the most conservative voters. Outside a polling place in Covington, La., voters had sharp words for the GOP front-runner. "I think he's going to be another Obama," Bobby Massa, 47, a warehouse worker, said of Romney. I just get the sick feeling that he'll continue what Obama's been doing. Massa said he voted for Gingrich but would "most likely" support Romney in November if he were the GOP nominee. "Gingrich is a straight shooter, and Romney just works around the truth till he gets what he wants," Massa said. Covington is the seat of St. Tammany Parish, where more than 75 percent of voters favored Republican Sen. John McCain in 2008. Many voters said the nomination fight had gone on too long. "I think these guys need to put their egos in the closet and get out," said Catherine Farrish, 60, a naturopath. Farrish said she considered voting for Romney so the race would end quicker. Instead, she said, she supported Santorum because "he scares me the least." "I'm not in love with any of them," she said. Jules Richard, 67, an accountant, used a backhanded compliment to describe his feelings about Romney. "I think he's the best politician in the race," Richard said. He gives people what they want to hear. Richard said voted for Santorum but would have no problem supporting Romney in the general election. "I voted for Santorum just to annoy Romney, really," he said. Judy Boone, 58, an X-ray technician who voted at an elementary school in the suburb of Metairie on Saturday morning, said she would grudgingly vote for Romney if he wins the nomination - even though she objects to the health care policy he spearheaded as governor of Massachusetts, which has been compared to President Obama's health care act. Boone, 58, said such legislation threatens to make the United States "like Canada." Linda Gibson, 66, a retired nurse from Shreveport and, like Santorum, a Catholic, expressed a similar sentiment. She was voting for Santorum, even if it was a losing cause in the overall race.