SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (PNN) - March 17, 2012 - Supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, known widely as The Patriot Congressman, came out on top Saturday after a long and contentious Greene County Republican caucus meeting.

More than 1,000 people showed up at the county caucus, which is the first step of a multi-step process to elect delegates to the Republican National Convention and pick a presidential nominee. Saturday’s caucuses were marked by a series of contentious debates over procedure as attendees attempted to pick their delegates.

The participants opted to send a coalition consisting of 111 delegates backing Paul and Mitt Romney to both the 7th Congressional District convention on April 21 and the state Republican convention on June 2.

The delegate slate was approved after more than seven hours of political wrangling between the Romney-Paul group and people backing Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. The Santorum and Gingrich camps formed a second delegate ticket that was defeated.

Those delegates are not bound to support those candidates at the district convention, meaning they could change their minds and vote for another person.

This is the first time since 1996 that Missouri Republicans have used the caucuses to pick delegates and express a presidential preference.