WASHINGTON - The tumultuous Republican presidential contest engages voters in the Deep South this week with primary elections in Alabama and Mississippi, states that have taken on new importance in the battle for the nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in November.
The primaries in the overwhelmingly conservative states are seen as must-win contests for Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives who is running third in the four-man race. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holds a commanding lead in delegates apportioned in primary and caucus votes so far; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is running second. Texas congressman Ron Paul is drifting far out of contention at the back of Republican pack.
Polls show a close race in the two upcoming contests, particularly in Alabama, where Romney, Santorum and Gingrich all added to their TV advertising in the closing days.
Gingrich's campaign is struggling to survive and cannot afford a loss in either Mississippi or Alabama, states key to his southern strategy. He has won only two primaries -- in the southern states of South Carolina and Georgia.
Romney, with his political roots in the northeastern state of Massachusetts, will be trying for a Southern breakthrough to show he has the ability to win the support of evangelical Christian and deeply conservative voters.
Santorum hopes to knock Gingrich out of the running, leaving him as Romney's sole challenger from the right.
Speaking Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Santorum said his grass roots campaign has done very well against the better-funded Romney in one-on-one matchups. Still, he didn't call for Gingrich to quit the race.
"I didn't ask Speaker Gingrich to get in, I'm not going to ask him to get out," he said.
A Gingrich aide has said the former House speaker must win both Southern primaries to justify continuing in the campaign. But Gingrich strongly suggested otherwise on Friday as polls showed a tight contest in Alabama.
"I think there's a fair chance we'll win," he told The Associated Press about the contests in Alabama and Mississippi. "But I just want to set this to rest once and for all. We're going to Tampa," site of the Republican national convention this summer.
Tuesday's voting takes place after contests Saturday, when Santorum crushed Romney in the Kansas caucuses but ceded Wyoming to the former Massachusetts governor and multimillionaire one-time venture capitalist.
Final returns in Kansas showed Santorum with 51 per cent of the vote, far outpacing Romney, who had 21 per cent. Newt Gingrich finished with 14 per cent and Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning Texas congressman, trailed with 13 per cent.
Santorum picked up 33 of the state's 40 delegates at stake, cutting slightly into Romney's overwhelming advantage.
In Wyoming, Romney won seven of the 12 delegates up for grabs, Santorum three, Paul one. One delegate was uncommitted.
The contests in Kansas and Wyoming left Romney with 454 delegates in the AP's count, more than all his rivals combined. Santorum had 217, while Gingrich had 107 and Paul had 47.
Romney's totals included 22 that he picked up in the Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
A candidate must win 1,144 to clinch the Republican presidential nomination at the national convention in Tampa next August.
