Romney, Santorum neck and neck in Ohio

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were tied in Ohio heading into Super Tuesday's Republican presidential primaries and caucuses in 10 states, polls indicated. Romney led Santorum 34 percent to 31 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday of likely Republican primary voters -- but the difference was within the poll's 3.6 percentage-point margin of error. The same survey had Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania, leading Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, 36 percent to 29 percent a week ago. A second poll released Monday by Suffolk University showed Santorum at 37 percent in Ohio to Romney's 33 percent, but again within the margin of error, which in this case was 4.4 points. Ohio, which has 63 delegates at stake, is widely viewed as a bellwether for how the Rust Belt might vote in the November election. Analysts say what happens Tuesday could signal whether Santorum's appeal is growing or fading. Other Super Tuesday primaries include Georgia, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Caucuses are held in Idaho, North Dakota and Alaska. The total number of delegates at stake is 437. Unlike previous Republican campaigns, when a primary winner would usually win an entire state's delegates, delegates this year are generally allotted to reflect the popular vote. Romney currently has 203 delegates, Santorum has 92, Gingrich 33 and Paul 25. A candidate needs 1,144 delegates to win the nomination at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., the week of Aug. 27. Georgia, which has more delegates, at 76, than any other Super Tuesday state, is a must-win for Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker said. He told CNN Monday losing Georgia, his political home state, could end his campaign -- and acknowledged for the first time winning only Georgia and no other states Tuesday "puts me in a more difficult position." Romney's campaign said it was not counting on Georgia or Tennessee -- another Southern state where Gingrich could do well -- but at least wants to win delegates from congressional districts around Atlanta and Knoxville, Tenn., a Romney adviser told The Wall Street Journal. Similarly, the campaign hopes to push its winning tally in Vermont to 50 percent, a threshold that would trigger a larger haul of delegates. "We measure a good day by whether we win the most delegates," the Romney adviser told the newspaper. Ahead of the balloting, Santorum looks strong in Oklahoma, and Gingrich holds a large lead in polls of Georgia. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is aiming at gains in Alaska and other states that hold caucuses, his campaign said. Libertarian-leaning Paul campaigned in deeply conservative Alaska over the weekend. The New York Times said he might see its rugged individualism as a plus in his hopes at winning a state Tuesday. Paul may also have a chance to win the North Dakota caucus Tuesday, analysts said. "Of the Super Tuesday states, we have been focusing on Idaho, Alaska and North Dakota, which are all caucus states where we have the highest likelihood of gaining a lot of delegates," Gary Howard, Paul's campaign spokesman, told U.S. News and World Report. Massachusetts is widely seen as a slam-dunk for Romney, who was the state's governor and remains well liked. Romney is also expected to do well in Massachusetts neighbor Vermont. Virginia is seen as the ultimate swing state -- a state in which no single candidate or party has overwhelming support -- but Santorum and Gingrich failed to qualify for the ballot. So it's a two-man race, with Paul campaigning but polls giving Romney a commanding lead.