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.

DAYTON, Ohio (Reuters) – Rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum made their final pitch for support in the vital battleground state of Ohio on Monday, the day before 10 states hold Super Tuesday nominating contests that could be pivotal in an unpredictable Republican presidential race.

Romney has been gaining on Santorum in Ohio polls all week, erasing a double-digit lead for the former senator from Pennsylvania. Three new surveys on Monday showed a tight race: one gave Romney a slight edge, one had Santorum with a small lead and the third showed a dead heat.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Mitt Romney closed in on Rick Santorum in Ohio and picked up a crucial endorsement in Virginia on Sunday as he grows in strength ahead of “Super Tuesday,” the biggest day yet in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is tied with Santorum at 32 percent support from likely voters in the Ohio Republican primary, the most important of the 10 state nominating contests on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – 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.

NOVI, Michigan, Feb 29 (Reuters) – Republican
presidential candidate Mitt Romney headed back onto the campaign
trail on Wednesday hoping to re-energize his campaign after
narrowly avoiding a humiliating defeat by rival Rick Santorum in
his home state.

Romney scored an all-important victory over Santorum in
Michigan’s Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, but his
margin of victory was only 3 percentage points in the state
where he grew up and where his father was governor in the 1960s.

NOVI, Michigan (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney avoided a humiliating defeat in the state where he grew up on Tuesday as he edged rival Rick Santorum in a bitterly fought Michigan primary.

Romney also rolled to an easy victory in Arizona, but all eyes were on Michigan, the Rust Belt state that posed a crucial test for the putative Republican front-runner.

DETROIT (Reuters) – Mitt Romney edged ahead of rival Rick Santorum in Michigan’s Republican presidential primary on Tuesday as the former front-runner fought to avoid a humiliating defeat in the Rust Belt State where he grew up.

With 61 percent of precincts reporting, Romney led Santorum by 40 percent to 36 percent. Texas Congressman Ron Paul claimed 12 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had 7 percent.

SOUTHFIELD/GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (Reuters) – Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were neck and neck as votes trickled in from Michigan’s Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, with Romney fighting to avoid a humiliating defeat in the Rust Belt State where he grew up.

With 25 percent of precincts reporting, Romney led Santorum by 41 percent to 38 percent. Texas Congressman Ron Paul claimed 11 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had 7 percent.