The Pennsylvania Republican Presidential Primary is still three weeks away but Rick Santorum is starting what's expected to be a concentrated campaign effort in his native state.
While results come in from today's primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia, the former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator will be holding a rally this evening at the Four Points Sheraton in Marshall Township. The April 24 Pennsylvania Primary is considered to be critical to Santorum if he has any chance of halting former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's march toward 1,144 delegates and the GOP nomination.
Three recent polls indicate that Santorum's lead over Romney in Pennsylvania has shrunk. A survey released today by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute shows Santorum with a 41%-35% edge over Romney, down from a nearly 14-point margin in Quinnipiac's March 20 poll.
A survey released today by Mercyhurst College also has Santorum with a six point lead over Romney. A poll last week by Franklin and Marshall College showed Santorum with a 30% to 28% edge among Republican voters in the commonwealth. A similar poll conducted a month ago had Santorum ahead of Romney by nearly 30 points.
The latest Franklin and Marshall survey, which had a 4.2% margin of error, showed Santorum's strongest support in western and central Pennsylvania and Romney doing better among voters in the northeast and southeast portions of the state.
While Santorum is revving up his campaign in Pennsylvania tonight, Romney will be holding a primary night party in Milwaukee.
