Mitt Romney is far ahead in New Hampshire, but the former Massachusetts governor and the other Republican presidential candidates are facing two debates that could help define the contest.

In a race driven largely driven by 13 previous sparring matches, Romney has emerged largely unscathed by the six or seven opponents who have flanked his debate position on center stage.

That could change with Saturday night's debate at St. Anselm College in Manchester or the one scheduled Sunday morning at Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord as rivals Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum seek to stop Romney's march to the nomination.

In particular, Gingrich is looking to keep his candidacy afloat while Santorum hopes to capitalize on his neck-and-neck performance against Romney in Iowa's caucuses.

Romney Warns NH Supporters Not To Ease Off

Mitt Romney
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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is warning his supporters not to rest just because polls show he has a commanding lead among those planning to vote in New Hampshire's primary next week.

Romney tells supporters in Tilton, N.H., that polls can disappear overnight and compared a poll and a vote to going on a date and getting married. Romney has led in New Hampshire polls for months, and two separate surveys out Friday show him up 20 percentage points or more over his closest rival, congressman Ron Paul of Texas.

Governor Chris Christie will campaign for Romney on Sunday at a rally in Exeter, NH.

Santorum's Income Has Soared Since He Left Senate

Rick Santorum
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Losing his Senate seat might have been the best thing that ever happened to Rick Santorum's bank account.

In 2006, the Republican presidential hopeful earned about $200,000 from his Senate salary and book royalties. From January 2010 to August 2011, he earned at least $1.3 million as he cashed in on his 16 years in Congress by working as a corporate consultant, political pundit and board member.

The financial disclosure report Santorum filed last August shows how his income has changed. Many voters are taking their first hard look at the former congressman and two-term senator from Pennsylvania following his near-win in Iowa's caucuses.

His resume contrasts with campaign rhetoric that casts him as an outsider who would shake up Washington and a candidate with hardscrabble roots.

 

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

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