JACKSON (AP) — Rick Santorum narrowly defeated Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in Mississippi’s Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, as conservative voters in the state sought out the strongest challenger to face Democratic President Obama in November.

The three candidates made several appearances in Mississippi in the past week to strengthen their ties with Republican voters. Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, courted Christian conservatives in a state where evangelicals make up a significant part of the Republican electorate.

Santorum ran strong in northern Mississippi, including in the Republican stronghold of DeSoto County, just south of Memphis, Tenn.

Susan Delcambre, 58, a computer analyst who lives near Pearl, said she voted for Santorum.

“He has fought so hard to safeguard children,” she said. “He’s a strong family man, a God-fearing man.”

At a precinct at a library in Jackson, James Cooper, who said he would vote for Obama in November, said he voted for Santorum in an effort to weaken Romney.

“I want to keep the insanity going,” Cooper said. “It feels kinda dirty to vote for Santorum, but you have to play the game.”

Former House Speaker Gingrich, who represented Georgia in Congress for 20 years, pitched himself as a candidate who understands the Deep South and former Massachusetts Gov. Romney said he learned to say “y’all” and had a newfound appreciation for grits.

Ron Paul, a congressman from Texas, did not actively campaign in Mississippi.

Mississippi has 40 Republican delegates, 37 of which are awarded proportionally in the primary. The other three are party officials who may choose which candidate to support. Two of the three already were committed to Romney, and one was uncommitted.

Gingrich carried a swath of southern counties in and around Hattiesburg.

Romney, who was endorsed by Gov. Phil Bryant and many other Republican statewide elected officials, won in the metro Jackson area and in coastal Harrison and Jackson counties. He also carried Lafayette County, which is home to the University of Mississippi, and Oktibbeha County, home of Mississippi State University.

Don Wynne, 65, and his wife, Beth Wynne, 64, both voted for Gingrich at the Liberty Baptist Church precinct in the Jackson suburb of Flowood. The Wynnes, who own two barbecue restaurants, said they’ll vote for Romney in November if he is the nominee, but they’re not enthusiastic about him.

“He’s just a polished politician,” Don Wynne said of Romney.

The Wynnes said they voted for Gingrich on Tuesday because they think he’s a straight talker. Still, they weren’t enchanted with any of the candidates.

“I’ve been a Republican for a long time,” Don Wynne said. “What baffles me is why we can’t seem to come up with better candidates.”

Mary Ann Murphy, 46, who teaches special-needs high school students, said she voted for Romney because she sees him as a good businessman and she believes he can defeat Obama.

“I find it ironic that people get upset when somebody is successful,” Murphy said after she voted at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church near Flowood. “We should look for someone who knows how to succeed.”

Iraq war veteran Jason Seal, 37, said he voted for Paul.

“I totally agree with everything he says on foreign policy,” Seal said after voting at the Rankin Baptist Association building.

At the Madison United Methodist Church precinct, John Powell of Madison said he was “just looking for change” so he voted for Romney. But he said he wasn’t thrilled with his choices.

“I wasn’t really jumping for joy,” he said. “I like his views a little more than the other candidates.”

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Associated Press writers Laura Tillman and Jeff Amy contributed to this report.