Paul, a Texas Republican with a fierce libertarian streak, has polled low nationally but he has been able to pick up delegates thanks to scattered successes in states, like Missouri, using the caucus system.

Most of Missouri's 142 caucus gatherings were held March 17, but St. Louis and Jackson County, which includes Kansas City, were given special permission to hold them this weekend, so as not to interfere with last week's St. Patrick's Day's events. Official results will not be known until next month.

In some caucuses around Missouri, Paul’s numbers were so commanding that supporters of Romney, the frontrunner for the nomination, sided with Paul to keep delegates from Santorum.

Even so, Paul faced little competition in St. Louis on Saturday, which, as a Democratic city, does not have much sway in the Republican nominating contest. While St. Louis is the second-largest city in the state, delegate allocation is based on the number of Republican votes in the last presidential election — giving St. Louis about the same standing in the caucus process as Franklin County.

Paul's supporters won about two-thirds of Jackson County's 179 delegates. The remaining Jackson County delegates support Romney.

-Jake Wagman of the Post-Dispatch and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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