Not surprisingly, most voters in Catoosa and Walker counties followed Georgia’s lead and voted for former House speaker Newt Gingrich in the Republican presidential primary March 6.

Socially conservative candidate Rick Santorum placed second, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney came in third and Libertarian-leaning Ron Paul rounded out the top four in both counties.

Gingrich took 2,652 or 42.92 percent of the vote in Catoosa County, according to the county’s elections website. Santorum received 1,924 votes, or 31.14 percent and Romney received 1,089 votes or 17.62 percent. Paul gleaned 474 votes or 7.67 percent of the vote.

Catoosa totaled 6,179 voters at the polls, a 16 percent voter turnout, according to county elections official Tonya Moore. Moore said this election had a lower voter turnout than in the 2008 presidential primary, when 35 percent of voters showed up at the polls.

In Walker, Gingrich tallied 2,682 votes or 45.41 percent, confirmed county elections supervisor Barbara Berry. Santorum received 1,639 votes or 28 percent and Romney placed third with 1,041 or 18 percent of the vote. Paul drew just 505 votes or 9 percent, Berry said.

Walker experienced a 19.66 percent voter turnout this year, she added. Berry said Walker had a 29.04 percent voter turnout in the 2008 presidential primary.