It’s the eve of Super Tuesday and all eyes are on the state of Ohio. With 66 delegates, this working-class, swing state is considered to be the biggest prize for the GOP candidates in tomorrow’s big day of primaries. 

For GOP candidate, Rick Santorum, a win in Ohio is necessary to regain lost momentum after his opponent, Mitt Romney, made significant wins in the last three primaries of Michigan, Arizona and Washington. 

Unfortunately, for Santorum, recent Ohio polls are showing Romney gaining popularity in the state. 

Up until the Feb. 28 primaries in Arizona and Michigan, Santorum had maintained a substantial lead in Ohio by appealing to blue-collared Republicans.  But now Romney is gaining momentum in Ohio after winning both Michigan and Arizona. 

As of today, Ohio polls show Santorum is nearly taking the vote at 34 percent, while Romney still holds a strong chance with 32 percent. 

According to the polls, Santorum’s popularity has significantly dropped among middle-class voters, while Romney continues to gain popularity among the middle-class.

Experts wonder whether Santorum’s recent drop in the polls has anything to do with his controversial remarks over the past few weeks. 

Santorum is trying to maintain his lead by contrasting his conservative values and humble background to that of Romney. 

“You have a chance to make a statement, that we want someone who is a conservative in their heart and soul and mind," Santorum said at an Ohio rally Friday. "I’m a conservative across the board. According to the media, I can’t win. I would argue a conservative across the board ... is the only way to win.”

 

For Romney, a win in Ohio will give him a significant lead in national polls and the leverage he needs to capture the presidential nomination from his party. By winning Ohio, Romney would prove he has a good chance of winning the Ohio toss-up in November’s general election against President Barack Obama. 

So far, the race in Ohio is proving to be a heated one and with Ohio still coming out of the recession, the question is whether the economy or conservative values will be on the mind of Ohio voters as they head to the polls tomorrow. 

 

 

------------

 

Reach staff reporter Angela Blakely here.