Mitt Romney fought to open an unassailable lead over chief rival Rick Santorum in the race for the Republican U.S. presidential nomination on Tuesday, with Ohio the biggest prize among 10 states holding contests.
Romney, the winner of the past five state races, carried momentum into “Super Tuesday,” the biggest day so far in the roller coaster Republican campaign. Some 419 of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the party’s nomination are at stake.
Polls show Romney has effectively erased the more conservative Santorum’s lead in Ohio, a traditional bellwether state that could play an important role in deciding the Republican nominee to challenge Democratic President Barack Obama on November 6.
Read more: Romney, Santorum look to Ohio for Super Tuesday
Live blog: Super Tuesday events
Ann Romney gets it.
She is aware that her husband, Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, has an image problem. Critics say he often seems stiff and reserved on the campaign trail, and has difficulty connecting with voters.
That isn’t a problem for Ann Romney.
She is warm, composed, approachable and careful with her words. The mother of five and grandmother of 16 also has become the behind-the-scenes glue in Mitt Romney’s well-organized campaign — a trusted adviser who keeps a close eye on the news coverage about him and casts him as a personable family man.
And as a worldwide television audience saw Tuesday night when she introduced Mitt Romney at a celebration of his victory in Michigan’s Republican primary, Ann Romney knows how to work a room.
Read more: Ann Romney adds personal touch to Mitt’s campaign
