Ron Paul calls Maine caucuses a virtual tie

(The Blaze/AP) -- Republican presidential contender Ron Paul says he wishes all the Maine caucuses would have met on Saturday.

The Maine GOP chairman declared rival Mitt Romney the victor in Maine even though several places in the state won't hold their caucuses until next weekend.

Paul is addressing his supporters in Maine and telling them not to be discouraged. He says the momentum behind his candidacy will continue and he's pledging not to go away. He also says -- in his words -- that the revolution continues.

The Texas congressman is calling the outcome a virtual tie, noting that he lost by a narrow margin and some caucuses weren't included in the count.

Final vote count from Maine GOP: Mitt Romney has 39.2 percent of the vote with 2190 votes, Ron Paul has 35.7 percent with 1996 votes, Rick Santorum has 17.7percent with 989 votes, and Newt Gingrich has 6.25 percent with 349 votes.