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Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney swept to a big win in his party's primary in Puerto Rico.

With 60 percent of the ballots counted, Romney had about 83 percent of the vote.

Rick Santorum was in second place with just under eight percent.

With more than a majority of the vote, Romney looks likely to win all 20 of the delegates up for grabs.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY SAYING:

"The voters in Puerto Rico, by the way, just looked at the different candidates on our side of the aisle to decide which would perhaps most represent their feelings about the leadership of our party and the leadership for our nation. And there are only 20 percent of the votes in and yet CNN has called it for me. Apparently the reason they were able to make the call was that, with only 20 percent in, 83 percent of the people of Puerto Rico, those who voted, voted for me. So that's a pretty good start. So I intend to become our nominee and I intend to get Latino voters to vote Republican and take back the White House. We're going to get that job done."

Romney has a big lead in support from party delegates, whose backing is needed to win the nomination.

But he faces a growing challenge from Santorum in Illinois, which will hold its primary contest on Tuesday.

Sophia Soo, Reuters.