The Republican race is not over yet! This has been the leading political news story after the Super Tuesday big election night. And according to Washington Post blogger, Chris Cillizza, we are in its infant stages. Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia all had primaries or caucuses March 6^th.  These states don't have a winner takes all system, so this was the big day for Republican candidates to grab as many delegates as they could.

Of course all eyes were on the race in Ohio. Ohio surveys showed a statistical tie between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. Mitt Romney edged by with a narrow victory by about one percent. The Ohio primary proved to be the tightest battle since the first 2012 Republican nomination fight in Iowa January 3^rd.

MSNBC reports, “According to the exit polls in Ohio, Santorum easily won among very conservatives (48%-30%) and overall conservatives (41%-35%), while Romney won the other ideological subgroups (somewhat conservatives, moderates/liberals). Santorum won Tea Party supporters (39%-36%), while Romney won Tea Party detractors (45%-30%). And Santorum ran up the score with evangelicals (47%-30%).” In any case, Rick Santorum is ineligible to win 9 delegates in Ohio because he failed to file delegate slates in three of the state’s districts.

Mitt Romney won six of the ten state contests. He has received delegates from all ten. Fox News Channel estimates the delegate count for Mitt Romney at 407 (more than a third away from 1,114 to secure the nomination), Rick Santorum at 169, Newt Gingrich at 102, and Ron Paul at 4. The GOP race now moves to Kansas (March 10); Alabama, Hawaii, and Mississippi (March 13); Illinois (March 20); and Louisiana (March 24). Polls show the best numbers for Mitt Romney in Illinois and Hawaii; nevertheless, he continues to have the ad-spending advantage in all of these states, except for Hawaii and Kansas.

In November 2011 it was reported Republican front-runner Mitt Romney would recommend “deep reductions” to the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. No specific numbers have been released from his campaign as of yet. But, as we move closer to the presidential election we as arts advocates must have a clear understanding of where all candidates stand on arts funding – not just in healthcare, defense, and energy. Never forget the non-profit arts sector returns money to our economy in significant ways. Join the Action Fund today and let your mighty voice heard! There is also time to register for Arts Advocacy Day, The 2012 National Arts Action Summit this April 16-17 for your chance to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts.

  Video still of Washington Post's Chris Cillizza from The Fix: What's at stake on Super Tuesday?