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Republicans close amid key primaries
REPUBLICANS Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum go into this week’s primary contests head-to-head, with Gingrich’s political survival riding on votes in Mississippi and Alabama tomorrow.
Gingrich vowed yesterday to push ahead to the Republican convention in Tampa in August even if he loses in the south.
But Gingrich’s struggling presidential bid could be at risk with losses in the two states, which would turn up the pressure for him to step aside and allow Santorum to lead the conservative charge against front-runner Mitt Romney.
The two most recent polls in Alabama showed Gingrich, Santorum and Romney in a virtual dead heat at the top.