Candidate on a roll

Coming into this week’s contests, Mitt Romney had more delegates than his rivals combined, and is amassing them at a rate that puts him on track to clinch control of nomination before the Republican convention opens in late August.

The latest tally shows him with 495 of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination. Mr Santorum has 252, Mr Gingrich 131 and Ron Paul 48.

Mr Romney continues to be the overwhelming favourite, both on paper and in the minds of Republican voters across the nation. A whopping 74 per cent of likely voters think Mr Romney will capture the nomination, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted late last week.