Santorum begins 4-city Ohio tour tonight

CINCINNATI (AP) — Surging GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum is heating up attendance for a couple of annual county Republican dinners in southern Ohio.

With the state’s primary March 6, Santorum begins a four-city swing this evening in Mason in southwest Oho and Georgetown in southern Appalachian Ohio.

Brown County GOP chairman Paul Hall says this Lincoln Day dinner will likely set county party sales records — nearly 800 tickets at $35 each so far. Organizers moved the event from an Eagles hall to the Georgetown Elementary School as sales zoomed after Santorum confirmed.

In Warren County, where tickets start at $60, sales have jumped from 300 past 500 since the party announced Sunday Santorum’s commitment for a reception at the Manor House in Mason. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is the dinner speaker.