Rick Santorum surging in polls (Photo courtesy Creative Commons)

Mitt Romney currently leads Santorum 32 percent to 30 percent.  The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points making the race for the GOP nomination a virtual tie, statistically speaking.

A Pew Research Center poll released Monday showed Santorum leading Romney 30 percent to 28 percent, again a statistical tie.

It is just the latest in the topsy-turvy primary election season that has seen Romney, Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich taking turns as the favored candidate.

The GOP contenders get a two week reprieve from voting results, the longest break since the primary season began in January.  The next round of voting will be in Arizona and Michigan on February 28.

A lot can change between now and then and even more can change before March 6, “Super Tuesday,” when voters in 10 states will choose their favorite candidate.

Romney managed the Conservative Political Action Conference’s 2012 straw poll on Saturday, proving he does have some conservative support.  There is no question his campaign is hoping to gain more.

From the Washington Post:

Romney’s aides also are urging his conservative supporters to take a more public role in the campaign. One adviser said his conservative and tea-party-aligned backers in Congress and in the GOP’s grass roots will be more outspoken in their support for Romney, through television and radio appearances and media interviews in targeted markets.

The campaign also may try to mobilize the many conservative talk radio hosts who are backing Romney to help dispel the notion that he has weak backing among conservatives.

Romney is expected to win Arizona and some believe he has an advantage in Michigan having grown up there, but Santorum is campaigning hard there and in Ohio.

CBS News lays out the possible road for a Santorum victory:

Santorum would then have a clear shot at the nomination - he might even be the favorite - but the race would be far from over. Only 755 pledged delegates are at stake through Super Tuesday, and most come in contests where delegates are awarded proportionately; even under the best possible scenario for Santorum, he won't be close to the 1,144 delegates he needs to win the nomination.

Very little has been certain this primary season, but one thing is – the season will be long, hardfought and will cost a lot of money which may give Romney the advantage.