For starters, it’s next on a calendar that isn’t particularly friendly to Santorum these next few weeks. After Louisiana votes this weekend, Maryland, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia (where Santorum isn’t even on the ballot) are up next, and will be tough for Santorum to break through in.
Illinois also happens to be a large state, awarding 69 convention delegates, in a region Santorum is claiming as his own. He said over the weekend that he’s “won every state in the Midwest” – not even close to technically true, since he lost Ohio and Michigan – but he has fared well in Iowa and in Missouri’s non-binding primary.
But it’s mostly what Illinois is not that makes it a potential breakthrough moment for Santorum. It’s not a Southern state with a large share of evangelicals voting in the GOP primary. It’s also not a caucus state, the kind of lower-turnout affair that has fueled Santorum’s momentum in previous contests.
Plus, voting in Illinois takes place as Santorum has something to prove.
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