Guardian: The Republican establishment favourite, Mitt Romney, secured a surprise victory over the American right's grassroots choice Sarah Palin at the weekend in an early test of who will challenge Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential race. Romney, the multi-millionaire businessman and former Massachusetts governor, won 24% (439 votes) to Palin's 18% (330 votes) among delegates at the Southern Republican leadership conference, a traditional showcase for presidential hopefuls.