Santorum plans to chase Romney

LITTLE CHUTE - During one of five Monday stops in Wisconsin, Rick Santorum said it's full steam ahead for his Presidential campaign.

“Sewing up this nomination, what was it a week or two weeks before the Democratic Convention that Hilary Clinton finally conceded she wasn't going to win?” said Santorum. “Did that hurt them? No. It didn't hurt them at all.”

Santorum says winning Wisconsin would be a huge victory.

However, political science professor Scott Furlong says it is already an uphill battle for the former Pennsylvania Senator.

“In some ways, I think it would be very difficult for anyone to catch Mitt Romney at this point, just because of the amount of lead he has,” said Furlong.

Mitt Romney is currently at the halfway point to the amount of delegates needed to win the Republican nomination.

“I don't think anything in politics is inevitable,” said Romney. “I know I've got a lead at this stage.”

Romney's 572 delegates, more than double Santorum's 272. Newt Gingrich, 135 delegates, and Ron Paul, 51 delegates, also remain in the race.

“I think this primary, the longer it goes, the better it is for the party,” said Santorum.

Not everyone agrees. Republican Representative Paul Ryan from Janesville recently endorsed Romeny. Ryan says one of his reasons is to start rallying the party behind one candidate.

“I think we're entering that phase in this election where it comes counter-productive because if we as Republicans drag this thing into the summer, it's going to make it that much harder to beat President Obama in the fall,” said Ryan.

Santorum says his continued presence in the race shouldn't prevent a Republican from beating President Obama. Santorum says if he thought it would, he would drop out.

Wisconsin has 42 delegates up for grabs. 18 will go to the overall winner in the state. Outcomes in the state's eight congressional districts will decide the other 24 delegates.