>> this is truly amazing. science doesn't lie. >> all that and more, right here, right now on cnn. hello, everyone, i'm don lemon. thank you for joining us. i would like to welcome our viewers from around the world tonight. we're starting with breaking political news. the republican race for the white house. cnn projects rick santorum has won the louisiana presidential primary, giving the former pennsylvania senator another victory in the south. our tom forman is in washington. joe johns is in new orleans. crystal wright is in d.c. and monitoring rick santorum in green bay, wisconsin, to see if he speaks live in a moment. let's get straight to tom forman, who has been tracking the data all evening for us. tom, what can you have tell us about rick santorum's win? you have been monitoring all the metrics here. we've seen you standing at the magic walls. so we want to get to tom forman, as well as tell you again, we are monitoring again green bay, wisconsin. rick santorum is standing by. tom, what do you know? >> reporter: well, we know that one of the things that made a difference tonight was the religious vote. if we look at the turnout here, you look at the voters who came out, those who are born again or evangelical christian, 60% and went heavily for rick santorum, 56% to 21%. but look at the ones who weren't born again or evangelical, 41% to 36% for santorum. so romney edged him out. but not by a big margin. in the next category, look at this, mitt romney wins here among those who say that doesn't matter much, 38% to 31%. but look at the numbers. that's a small group, 14% compared to 42%. 31% who say it matters a great deal or somewhat, and rick santorum handily wins that. the simple truth is, this was natural territory for rick santorum. you always hear people talk about the bible belt. this is a map of evangelicals in the united states. the dark brown are most of them. when they talk about the bible belt, that's what they are talking about, that area right there. if we take it in closer on louisiana, you can see why this is rick santorum territory. this section down here is where you'll get the bigger part of the catholic part of the state, if you visit new orleans or something like that, you may have the impression that catholics dominate the state. they are the largest christian group in the state. if you add up all the protestants, they come close to being at the same level. the simple truth is, by having this going, rick santorum was able to get a very important state here and you know why it's important? because this bridges him to may. in april, he will be going to a series of state where is the religious influence will not be as good. new york, rhode island, delaware, connecticut, places like that where religion doesn't play in voter's minds the same as it does in louisiana. but if you can get through may into april, then he gets places like arkansas and kentucky, he gets other states where he may be able to play texas with his religious support a lot and might bring him some support as it did in louisiana. >> he moves beyond the bible belt now. if we can go to green bay, wisconsin, we're monitoring rick santorum who will speak there very shortly. he's doing some introductions now. we'll listen in, in just a moment. but first to joe johns who has been covering the louisiana primary all week. joe, as we see rick santorum getting ready, what can you tell us about voter turnout down there? >> reporter: well, voter turnout was thought to be not very strong and that's probably because people didn't have the time to establish a connection with the candidates. but don, i want to read you part of a statement that the santorum campaign has just put out. they call this a vindication of rick santorum. this is from hogan giddily, the national communications director. he says there's no other way to interrupt the results but as a vindication of rick santorum's conservative message of strengthening the nation based on founding principles. the entire santorum campaign, the conservative movement, it says, is excited by tonight's results that stand in the face of the media's and the establishment's declaration that they have to fall in line with a moderate from massachusetts. they thank the voters of louisiana and are looking forward to bringing their message on. so they're crowing about this, of course, this vote in louisiana. it is, if nothing else, bragging rights. and rick santorum can point at it and call it a momentum builder. again, the question is how many delegates you get, because delegates is the bottom line. and the most any candidate could get is 20 delegates. >> another southern state victory for him, but in the big picture how big a win is this? >> reporter: yeah. that's the thing. you talk about momentum and something that helps you build going forward. the next big test are places like pennsylvania, his home state. tonight, he's actually out in wisconsin. that is a huge test for rick santorum out there. and interestingly enough, he was leading in the polls up until about the last week and then there was one poll, some say it's an outlier, came out suggesting that he was down by double digits to mitt romney. so perhaps something was happening out there. i also have to point out in wisconsin, newt gingrich has some high hopes for wisconsin, too. because his wife, calista gingrich, is from wisconsin. so that's going to be a very interesting race, especially to see if rick santorum can build on the momentum we assume he's gotten coming out of louisiana. >> joe, introductions are over. joe johns on the ground in louisiana. let's listen in to rick santorum. >> i want to thank you. [ applause ] i have spent the day up here in wisconsin. i'm extremely excited to be up here, the next battleground on this race. we've had a great day. we were just down the road at lambeau field, walking the field of champions, and throwing a little football around there. we were down in cheboygan bowling with the folks in wisconsin. i don't want to brag, but i did roll three strikes in a row. [ applause ] this has been a pretty strong day on the campaign. here in wisconsin, we've been having a great time with the people here and we're going to enjoy it. we're here to fight and we're here to say that if you're looking for someone who can match up and defeat barack obama in this election, someone who can take it to the president, make him the issue in this campaign. stand up for the principles that made this country great. the people of louisiana sent a loud and clear message, this race is long and far from over and the people of wisconsin, i just say with you, let's get it done. thank you. [ applause ] >> rick santorum, green bay, wisconsin. louisiana he said, he's a winner. three strikes in a row he bowlinged today up in cheboygan. being a man of the people there, a strong day according to him. let's get some more insight. crystal wright joins me from washington. she's a d.c. delegate for newt gingrich. so crystal, what do you think of rick santorum's win? is it a big deal, is it another strike, as he said? did he hit a strike tonight? >> you know, all i can do is laugh at rick santorum's win in louisiana and joe johns pointed out that it's only 20 delegates at stake. the delegates are awarded proportionately. so while mr. santorum would like to believe that this is a game changer for him, he was expected to win in louisiana, and he continues to win among evangelical christians, but that is not going to be enough for him to take this ball and run with it and make a strike and become the nominee. the math is not there, and the voters are not there for him across all groups. >> what our mark preston said is that it's mathematically possible but not probable for rick santorum. let's talk about romney now. he's still having trouble winning votes among southerners and religious conservatives. could this be a big problem if he wins the nomination? he'll need those votes badly in november in the general. >> well, what we see is in illinois recently that romney is winning among catholic voters. so romney is actually more and more sealing the deal, winning across more groups than rick santorum. women, men, working class vote he got in illinois. he's really proven that, i believe, republicans, conservatives, tea party folks, he won those groups in illinois, and the latest gallup poll shows that 40% of conservatives are now rallying behind romney and only 20% are going for rick santorum. that's because rick santorum is fixated on wedge social issues. i think we heard from ann romney before when she did the interview with piers morgan that when she's on the road, women come up to her and say ann, it's the economy, stupid. that's what i'm worried about. this is real. i think rick santorum is living in an illusion. >> that plays well down south in the bible belt, as our tom forman pointed out. but i said you're a delegate for newt gingrich, right? >> i am. >> do you see him staying in the race much longer? and listen, be honest, because you're saying -- you have said to me it is mathematically, according to you, not there for rick santorum. so i would imagine that it's mathematically even more not there for newt gingrich. how much longer can he stay in this race, honestly, delegate for newt gingrich? >> don, i'm always honest. just because i'm a newt delegate does not mean that i'm not a realist. newt has only won 2 of the 28 contests now, almost 30. so he has proven that he's a one-trick pony in the south. he won south carolina and georgia and that does not a gop make. i'm frustrated. i think newt is the best candidate. he's talking about the right things, getting the economy back on track. but organization and fund-raising does matter and he's fallen woefully short. >> we have to run. but as a newt delegate, do you think he should get out right now that he's hurting the real nominee's chance? >> i think newt, more and more pressure will be put on newt to step aside. >> don't avoid my question. what do you think? >> i think more pressure will be put on newt. i can't speak for when the speaker feels it's the right time to step out. >> do you think he should, you personally? >> i think at a certain point, and it's going to be in the near term, rather than the long-term, that newt gingrich is going to have to step aside, because he's only won two contests. the delegates aren't there for him and he's going to go down looking like a spoiler. >> thank you very much, crystal wright. we appreciate you joining us. former vice president dick cheney says he'll be forever grateful for the heart donation keeping him alive. he received a heart transplant today. he has a long history of cardiovascular issues and has survived five heart attacks. mark, what do we know right now about his condition? >> reporter: today he had that heart transplant and in fact, is recovering right now in the suburban washington, d.c. hospital after undergoing it. he is in intensive care, which should be no surprise and he's had a history of heart problems, dating back to when he was 37 years old. 1978 he had his first heart attack. he had four more after that. so right now, he's recovering in a suburban washington, d.c. hospital. >> was the public even aware that he was waiting for a transplant? >> you know, there had been a lot of speculation about whether the former vice president would be on the transplant list. a lot of talk about that. we have learned from his office tonight that he has been on the list, on the cardiac list for more than 20 months. so he's been on the list and they felt that he was up for it and he had that surgery. >> an anonymous donor, correct? >> anonymous donor and the family says they don't know who the donor is, but they are very grateful as one would expect, that in fact he has received this heart for this transplant. >> mark preston, thank you very much. more to cover on cnn. a story that's on so many minds, the killing of trayvon martin, and the intensifying anger it's sparked across the nation. now there's outrage over a bounty being offered. >> we want justice! we want justice! >> we're going to go live to florida to hear from members of that community and speak with african-american mothers concerned about their son. back after a very quick break. . you can part a crowd, without saying a word. you have yet to master the quiet sneeze. you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts. well, muddlers, muddle no more. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. zyrtec®. love the air. quaker oats. in every way, a super grain. ♪ super for the fiber that helps fill us up. super for the energy it gives to get us going. super for the oats that are so good for our hearts. ♪ super for how it makes us... super. quaker oats. energy. fiber. heart health. super people eat super grains. it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. at meineke i have options... like oil changes starting at $19.95. my money. my choice. my meineke. now to the story that's captured america. he was 17. his whole life ahead of him. but a gunshot ended everything in a blink. now the family of trayvon martin is planning a civil lawsuit in the case. their attorney says they will sue the homeowner's association in the neighborhood where george zimmerman says he shot martin in self-defense. zimmerman's part of the neighborhood watch there in sanford, florida. martin's attorney says bringing federal hate crime charges could be tough but he's more optimistic about state charges. police haven't even arrested zimmerman. fury is building over the killing of trayvon martin. but at what point does the outrage tip over into vigilante justice? >> we want justice! we want justice! >> members of the radical new black panther party are offering a $10,000 bounty for the capture of martin's shooter, george zimmerman. zimmerman is not on the run. a national spokesman for the panthers denies this is a call to violence. >> george zimmerman should have followed the police instructions and stayed in his car and he shouldn't have took trayvon's life. >> do you feel that you're inciting violence by doing this and that may be a possibility from your actions? >> no, we're not. we're doing what american citizens have been doing for many years, we're doing a citizen's arrest. >> the new black panthers bring a volatile presence to an already explosive situation. take a look at this wanted poster on the group's website. nationwide, the new panthers claim to have thousands of members but offer no exact numbers. they're a black separatist group that believes black america should have their own nation. some believe they are a hate group. the original black panthers who were active in the '60s and '70s reject them and their ideas. >> no justice, no peace! >> arrest zimmerman now. >> anger over the trayvon martin killing in cities across the nation. protesters are demanding the arrest of george zimmerman. this demonstration in los angeles is one of many from coast to coast. the reverend al sharpton also led a rally in new york city. zimmerman told police he acted in self-defense. but trayvon martin wasn't armed. when zimmerman saw him walking around, he started following him. moments later, martin was dead. there's been a lot of talk about florida's stand your ground law in this case. it allows someone to use deadly force any time they have a reasonable fear that an assailant could harm them or someone else. the man who signed that law, former governor jeb bush, doesn't think it applies in this case. zimmerman's lawyer agrees. he says it's a matter of self-defense. the community is in the national spotlight, not a comfortable place for them to be. we wanted to give people there a chance to share their thoughts about the trayvon martin case in their own words. our george howell is standing by with people who live and work in sanford. george, what are they saying? >> reporter: the fact that george zimmerman was not arrested on that night sparked a nerve across the country. specifically here in sanford, with the african-american community, many say there's a long history of distrust -- or mistrust rather with the police department. just a few hours ago, we had a few people here, people who came together, many who were at the rallies here. you were all at the rally yourself. i want to start with laura booker. you were in the news here in orlando, specifically because of something that happened to you when you got on an empty bus here, because of bullying with your daughter. what happened? >> i got on an empty school bus to speak with the driver about my daughter being bullied and i was arrested fortress passing on school grounds. >> but you say you beat the case? >> yes. but 4 to 5 officers took me to the ground and took me to jail. what i don't understand is how you can arrest a mother protecting her mother from being bullied but you can't arrest george zimmerman for murdering a child. >> caleb, you're brave enough to be here. mark, i wanted to ask you, as well. what are your thoughts and the police department here, do you feel that there is mistrust here? >> i mean, i think there can be some mistrust there. but it goes beyond that in reference of mistrust and the situation. i think that it's definitely dealing with how they handled the case itself, knowing some of the facts that we know now. maybe there's more facts to it. but from the facts we have gained so far think there should have been an arrest. and if you look at the cry from the citizens of sanford, that's what it's for, it's for an arrest in this case. again, we are coming together as families, just to, you know, honor the death of trayvon, as well as the support of their family. i know as a dad myself, and living in a gated community, this is the last thing i would like to see happen for our family. you know, i just give my support to trayvon's family. >> reporter: thank you for chatting with us. really from the panel that we had, don, just a few hours ago, that seemed to be the resounding message, that there needs to be an improved trust between the police department and the community, don. >> george zimmerman, sanford, florida -- excuse me, george howell in sanford, florida. forgive me for that. next up, what are african-american mothers telling their sons so that they can avoid a similar fate? you'll hear from a couple of those moms right after this break. purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals. you know who you are. you can part a crowd, without saying a word. you have yet to master the quiet sneeze. you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts. well, muddlers, muddle no more. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. zyrtec®. love the air. being a mom already a pretty tough job, but imagine the difficult conversations black mothers are having with their sons in the wake of the death of trayvon martin. joining me here in the studio are natalie brown and her son, nicholas. and mom, dewetta west. thank you all for joining us, as well. we appreciate you coming back. miss brown, what did you say to your son when you heard about trayvon's death? >> well, we talked about it. i told him this is something that shouldn't have happened. he said, why is someone attacking him? i said we don't know the full story but