Santorum fights back and Romney widens the gap after Super Tuesday’s primaries.

Nine states held Republican primary elections Tuesday, with seven states hosting primary votes, and two holding caucus votes.

410 total delegates for the Republican National Convention were pledged based on the outcome of these nine elections. The delegates were awarded based on the percentage of the vote a candidate received.

The following states have awarded delegates based on Super Tuesday’s results: Georgia (76), Idaho (32), Massachusetts (41), North Dakota (28), Ohio (66), Oklahoma (43), Tennessee (58), Vermont (17), and Virginia (49), according to politico.com.

Super Tuesdays have had various numbers of states participating, with Feb. 5, 2008 being the single largest primary election in U.S. history, according to CNN online.

2008 saw 24 states and one territory hold some form of primary election on Super Tuesday, accounting for 52 percent of the total Democratic delegates and 41 percent of the total Republican delegates awarded, according to national election results posted on the Washington Post website.

Some feel that Super Tuesday’s importance is often overstated by the media however, such as Dr. Artemus Ward, professor of political science.

“The day holds a lot of importance in the media, and can build momentum for candidates,” Ward said. “There are a lot of delegates at stake, however, it is never truly decisive, especially in proportional distribution primaries.”

Instead of focusing on winners and losers, Americans should focus on delegate counts, Ward said.

“Perception can often be more deadly than the delegate counts for candidates. It makes it difficult for a campaign to continue when the country views that candidate as a loser, even when they may have won half of the delegates for that state.”

Having primaries all condensed to one major day can also be taxing on campaigns hurting for funding and support. Some campaigns have trouble successfully spreading their message to all the Super Tuesday states, while others can barely afford travel between the states in such a short amount of time, Ward said.

“Having primaries spread out allows for candidates without big bank accounts to get their message out to voters. I’d much rather just see a series of ‘regular Tuesdays.’”

Others feel that Super Tuesday acts as a solid proving ground for candidates.

“The candidates face the widest audience of voters that they will face until the general election in November,” said Kelsey Shockey, senior corporate communications major. “It is not particularly tailored to any one demographic, which means the candidates will have to really hone their message into something special.”

Shockey said that Super Tuesday can be hard on a candidate’s wallet, but feels that political prowess can overcome economic deficits.

“Of course it helps to have money, but that doesn’t transcend message. There are plenty examples of a candidate losing a primary, even after outspending his opponents in that state,” Shockey said.

Having a chosen nominee early can also be important for America, said Dr. Christopher Jones, vice-provost of university honors.

“Having a large primary event such as Super Tuesday increases the chances of a narrower field of candidates,” Jones said. “It moves us closer to a nominee, which allows for a more focused conversation of who is better for leading America.”