Mitt Romney, Outspending Rick Santorum in Illinois, Looks Set For Big Primary Win

The only thing more chaotic than the weather in Chicago this weekend was the tight two-man race between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum in the increasingly dead-locked Illinois Republican primary. Beginning on Friday, both candidates visited a select few campaign venues in the suburbs of Chicago, ending with Romney’s visit to an over-crowded Vernon Hills gymnasium, at which he re-iterated his mission to unseat President Obama in November, jabbing the president on a number of issues including the economy. Santorum spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at a religious academy and a high school in the west suburbs on Friday, solidifying suburban support.

It is very clear that Romney is outspending Santorum thus far, with attack ads running hourly on local stations, continuing to portray Santorum as a “big spender” and “Washington insider,” while aligning Romney’s vision with the boldness of the Reagan Revolution. Both candidates did save their most stinging campaign blows for Obama, who each portrayed as weak on the economy. Illinois feels like an early gauge of what could be the race to the nomination in the months ahead, in which Santorum continues to gain on his opponent in what seems like its Romney’s race to lose.

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore