WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney was projected to win the Florida primary by a wide margin.

Major media outlets handed the state GOP primary race to the former Massachusetts governor as soon as polls closed at 8 p.m. eastern time Tuesday.

With 74 percent of the votes counted, Romney led his closest rival, former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, 47 to 32 percent, although that gap could narrow as the last counties to tally are in the state’s conservative northwest, where Gingrich was favored.

Romney is a relative moderate who has struggled to appeal to the party’s conservative base.

The race was bitter, and the candidates competed hard for the Jewish vote in Florida.

Gingrich in the final days ran a robocall reviving a 2003 story in which Romney as governor vetoed funding for kosher kitchens in homes for the elderly. Romney had not made the original cuts targeting the kitchens, and in any case, the legislature overrode his veto.

Candidates and their surrogates made appearances at Jewish events, and the Obama campaign chose the week prior to the GOP primary to open its Florida operation, with an emphasis on targeting Jewish voters.

Jewish turnout was low in a primary that was closed to all but registered Republicans, but the state GOP believes it can attract disgruntled Jewish independents and Democrats in the general election.

Much of the race focused on the troubled economy in a state where home foreclosures run high.

In his victory speech, Romney said he would repeal the health care reform passed under President Obama, cut spending and balance the budget without raising taxes.

He only alluded to Israel, saying, “I will stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends around the world.”

The two other candidates, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) got 13 and 7 percent of the vote respectively.

The next state to vote is Nevada, which hosts a caucus on Saturday.

So far, in addition to Florida, Romney has won New Hampshire; Gingrich, South Carolina; and Santorum, Iowa.