Rick Santorum has won the Mississippi GOP presidential primary, according to an Associated Press projection, following his earlier triumph in neighboring Alabama on Tuesday.

The dual victories are a major boost to the former Pennsylvania senator's campaign at a time when the primary calendar favors him. He's spending tonight in Louisiana, another deeply conservative state which holds a March 24 primary.

Speaking at his campaign headquarters there, Santorum rallied his supporters with what he portrayed as another against-the-odds turn in his underdog campaign.