WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Blown out in Illinois, Rick Santorum now has a far tougher path to the Republican presidential nomination and looks more like he is reduced to playing the role of spoiler against rival Mitt Romney.

The former Pennsylvania senator could have upended Romney’s up-and-down campaign with a surprise upset in Illinois. Instead, Santorum will face important questions about he can possibly overtake Romney’s lead in the race for the 1,144 delegates needed for the nomination.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pressure is mounting on Republican Mitt Romney to win next Tuesday’s presidential primary in Illinois, a state considered friendly territory as he seeks to fend off a growing challenge from conservative rival Rick Santorum.

Romney and Santorum have added campaign events in Illinois over the next few days to try to get a leg up in the state, where a Chicago Tribune poll last week gave Romney a narrow lead of 35 percent to Santorum’s 31 percent.

JACKSON, Mississippi (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is laying it on as thick as a syrupy Southern drawl as he tries to court the South, a region that has been unkind to him in the past and may soon turn its back on him again.

“Morning, y’all,” Romney told a campaign rally on Friday in Jackson, Mississippi. “I got started this morning right with a biscuit and some cheesy grits,” he joked.

JACKSON, Mississippi (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is laying it on as thick as a syrupy Southern drawl as he tries to break through in the South, a region that has been unkind to him in the past and may soon turn its back on him again.

“Morning, ya’ll,” Romney told a campaign rally on Friday in Jackson, Mississippi. “I got started this morning right with a biscuit and some cheesy grits.”

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – With victories in the Bible Belt and the Great Plains on “Super Tuesday,” Rick Santorum continues to bedevil Mitt Romney.

Santorum’s ability to attract blue-collar and evangelical conservatives was evident again on Tuesday – and led the former senator from Pennsylvania to within a whisker of Romney in Ohio, the most coveted prize among 10 state contests for Republican presidential candidates.

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) – Mitt Romney secured a close victory in Ohio but failed to land a knockout blow against rival Rick Santorum on “Super Tuesday,” raising the odds of a drawn-out battle for the Republican presidential nomination between the party’s establishment and its grassroots conservatives.

Romney won five of the 10 state contests on Tuesday but his margin of victory was uncomfortably slim in Ohio, the night’s biggest prize. Ohio is a politically divided state sure to be hotly contested in the November 6 election between the eventual Republican nominee and President Barack Obama.

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) – Mitt Romney notched early wins as he fought to establish his dominance in the race for the Republican U.S. presidential nomination on Tuesday but looked unlikely to score a knockout blow that would force any of his rivals from the contest.

Rick Santorum scored convincing wins in Oklahoma and Tennessee, while Ohio, the biggest prize of the night, was too close to call.

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) – Mitt Romney notched early wins as he fought to establish his dominance in the race for the Republican U.S. presidential nomination on Tuesday but Ohio, the biggest prize of the evening, was too close to call.

Romney won as expected in Virginia, Vermont and his home state of Massachusetts, while rival Rick Santorum captured Oklahoma and Newt Gingrich won Georgia, according to network projections. Results from the five other states holding contests on “Super Tuesday,” the biggest day so far in the roller coaster Republican campaign, were expected in the coming hours. More than 400 of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the party’s nomination are at stake.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) – Mitt Romney could take a big step toward polishing off chief rival Rick Santorum and seize command of 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 last five state contests, carried momentum into “Super Tuesday.” Polls show he has effectively erased Santorum’s lead in Ohio, a traditional bellwether state that could play an important role in deciding the Republican nominee to challenge President Barack Obama on November 6.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) – Mitt Romney can take a big step toward finishing off chief rival Rick Santorum and seizing command of the Republican presidential race on Tuesday as 10 states hold contests with Ohio at ground zero.

Romney, already the winner of the last five contests, carried momentum into “Super Tuesday.” Polls showed he had erased a double-digit lead to Santorum in Ohio and is now running roughly even with him.