NV Caucus Results 2012: Winners & Losers In The Silver State

GOP voters in Nevada congregated around the state on Saturday to caucus and play their part in deciding the Republican presidential primary.

As expected, Mitt Romney ran away with the contest, leading throughout the day and eventually winning by more than 10 points. The real competition played out between Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, who jockeyed for the runner-up spot hoping to come away with much-needed delegates. Nevada allocates its 28 delegates proportionally, meaning that Romney extended his lead over the rest of the pack, while Gingrich and Paul also made modest pick-ups.

The caucusing process didn't go over as smoothly as state GOP officials might have hoped, as caucus-goers at some precincts were turned away after showing up late due to confusion about the schedule. This doesn't reflect well on the Nevada GOP, especially considering ongoing calls for the to return to a primary system like it used before a switch in the 2000 election. In primaries, voters cast ballots without the preliminary discussion period used in caucuses.

Despite some hiccups, many of Nevada's 500,000-plus registered Republicans showed up to vote, around 25 percent of them Mormons who overwhelmingly supported Romney -- who is also Mormon -- over his rivals.

All of this took place in a state that leads the nation in unemployment, foreclosure filings and homes with underwater mortgages. While candidates campaigned on their typical pro-jobs platforms, they managed to largely skip over the housing crisis all together.

Below is a list of winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses. Make your pick for the biggest in each category.