Will Santorum surge or sink in Pennsylvania?

US: The election rally here began as most Rick Santorum campaign events do with a prayer.

But barring divine intervention, it will take a change of heart by much of Pennsylvania's diverse electorate to help the religious arch-conservative win his home state and stay in the hunt for the Republican presidential nomination.

Santorum, trailing a distant second in the battle to see who will challenge President Barack Obama in November, will spend most of the next three weeks criss-crossing Pennsylvania after this weekend's Easter break. He readily admits "we have to win here" on April 24 in order to keep going.

If he prevails it would provide momentum into more favorable contests in May, but if he loses it would likely be the end of his candidacy.

"Pennsylvania can be a new starting point for Rick, and it can take him through other states like Texas," state Senator John Eichelberger told AFP at Wednesday's rally in the small town of Hollidaysburg.

"It's going to be much more difficult for him to continue if he doesn't win Pennsylvania." Santorum served 12 years in the US Senate but suffered a crushing defeat in 2006.

Voters were turned off by his aggressive politics and close alignment to unpopular president George W. Bush, and felt betrayed by Santorum's support for a more liberal senator.

"When your core support base sits it out, it's hard to win, because this is a Democrat-majority state, and we need all the help we can get," Eichelberger said.

The question is, will the state's Republican voters embrace Santorum again? Many frustrated with his stance on social issues -- he vehemently opposes abortion and homosexuality -- believed his political career was over. AFP