Santorum stays in presidential race despite sagging poll numbers

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum met with conservative leaders in Virginia on Thursday to talk about how to win and not whether to stay in the race, according to reports.

The Washington Post reported those leaders were discussing the fading candidacy of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and how to rally voters around Santorum and away from front-runner Mitt Romney.

So far, Gingrich said he's staying in the race until the Republican National Convention in August.

Santorum's campaign said they're aiming to win the April 24 primary in Pennsylvania, where he served as a U.S. senator from 1995 to 2007.

But a Public Policy Polling survey released Thursday has Santorum trailing Romney, 42% to 37%.

"Mitt Romney has a great chance to deliver a final crushing blow to [Santorum's campaign]," said Dean Debnam, the polling firm's president.

New York's presidential primary is also April 24, and a new Quinnipiac Poll also puts Romney ahead of Santorum - 54% to 21% among likely GOP voters.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, in recent days has gone from attacking his Republican challengers to focusing on President Barack Obama.

As a signal that the party's establishment as a whole may back Romney, his campaign said Thursday that former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie will serve as an adviser.

"The people of Pennsylvania ... will vote for me and give me the support I need to become the next president," Romney told supporters at one of his headquarters in the Keystone State.

(with Reuters)