UPDATE: Santorum wins Ala., MIss.

Published March 13, 2012 at 10:28 p.m.
Updated March 13, 2012 at 11:08 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP)

Rick Santorum has won Mississippi's Republican presidential primary - completing a two-state sweep of Deep South contests. Santorum narrowly edged rivals Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney to win Mississippi.

Earlier, Santorum won Alabama's GOP primary with a slightly wider margin.

Evangelicals played a key role in both states. Nearly 4 of 5 voters surveyed in exit polls called themselves born-again or evangelical.