Newt Gingrich at the 2012 CPAC (photo courtesy of Creative Commons).

Gingrich still comes ahead of his competitors in a recent poll by Real Clear Politics, holding 32.3 percent with Rick Santorum trailing 7 percentage points behind at 25.3 percent.

A former Georgia Congressman, Gingrich will sweep through the state, making a strong campaign effort to secure Georgia and shore up his presidential bid.

“I can’t imagine how he continues, has any realistic chance of winning the nomination ... if he can’t carry Georgia,” Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory University, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “If he can’t win here, where can he win?”

But Gingrich isn’t the only one with his sights set on Georgia. The super PAC backing Mitt Romney spent $1.1 million on air time for an anti-Gingrich ad in Georgia, according to Reuters. The pro-Gingrich super PAC has responded in kind, announcing its plan to air television spots for a week before Super Tuesday.

The Georgia primary is also significant in as is the largest collection of delegates so far at 76, and it will be the biggest offering on Super Tuesday. The delegates will be awarded proportionally.

In general, Georgia is a conservative state, which has allowed Santorum to gain some traction with the numerous evangelical Republicans. Even so, it seems that Gingrich has the advantage based on various polls, but it will still be a fairly close race.

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Reach staff reporter Karla Robinson here.