CONCORD, N.H. — Despite trailing most of the major GOP candidates in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday, Ron Paul is banking that a hefty campaign cash cushion will give him the boost to compete at least through Super Tuesday on Feb. 5.

In this state with a strong libertarian tradition, the congressman from Lake Jackson, who polled about 8 percent of the vote with 48 percent of the returns counted, appealed to independents and disaffected Republicans drawn by his less-government and anti-war messages.

His campaign aides believe the same pitches will bring out new voters when the Houston-area congressman moves on to the next primaries in Michigan, South Carolina and Florida. But Paul's overriding goal is to make it through Super Tuesday, when voters in 21 states, including California and New York, hold their elections.

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Paul suggested Tuesday he has the ability to keep going because his supporters raised nearly $20 million in the last quarter, an amount expected to exceed anything raised by the top GOP candidates.

"We are in pretty good shape to go through Feb. 5," said Paul, who added that he will re-evaluate his position after the Super Tuesday primaries.

Paul's campaign chairman, Kent Snyder, said the candidate has already spent $1.5 million in television and radio commercials in South Carolina, which holds its GOP primary Jan. 19.

Paul also has hired a state coordinator for Florida, which holds its election 10 days later, on Jan. 29. The campaign has also announced that it will begin buying radio spots in eight states including California, Georgia and Florida.

But Paul will face obstacles in some of the upcoming states, particularly California, which, unlike New Hampshire, does not allow independents to vote in the Republican primary and which requires costly advertising to reach voters.

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