Superdelegates Increasingly Rally Around Romney

Republican National Committee members who will be part of the convention this summer and can back any candidate they choose are increasingly throwing their support behind Mitt Romney. The Associated Press polled 114 of the 120 superdelegates and notes Romney has 35 endorsements, compared to Santorum’s two and Gingrich’s four. Although that may not seem like much, it’s a number that continues growing. Even those who support other candidates say the delegate math can’t work for anyone besides Romney.

Meanwhile, Rick Santorum made it clear he’s not going anywhere. The former senator is taking time off for Easter but had released no campaign schedule and made no big media buys, leading the Boston Globe (subscription) to write a piece talking about how the “campaign trail is rife with rumors that Santorum, famously stubborn, will soon … leave the race,” according to Politico. Yet on Saturday, Santorum’s staff said the former senator “will be criss-crossing Pennsylvania next week,” reports the New York Daily News.

For now it seems Santorum has concluded it makes sense for him to stay in the race. Even as he risks alienating some in the party who want the primary to be over, the increasing pressure for him to withdraw only gives him more reasons to keep fighting, notes CNN. The pressure not only allows Santorum to remain in the spotlight, it also makes it easier for him to continue claiming he’s the “the lone conservative battling the GOP establishment's desire for the more moderate Mitt Romney.”