And Mr. Gramm has continued to outspend his rivals without making much headway in the early-voting states.

The Northeast was considered most likely safe for McKinley after the early-voting states of Maine and Vermont supported him in September.

Like Mr Romney, Dr Paul has built a nationwide campaign structure and has the money to stay in the race well beyond the early-voting states.

More significant than his national standing is his strength in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

Senator Edwards led the Democrats in raising money last time, and polls have shown him trailing his opponents in crucial early-voting states.

The Democrats, on the other hand, shared crowded stages in Iowa and New Hampshire, small but early-voting states.

Polls in influential early-voting states like Iowa are particularly unreliable.

It discusses health care for children and is being broadcast in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

He stayed away from early-voting states, preferring to attend events at which he would sign his motivational tome: "This is Herman Cain!"

In Gingrich's case, the reassessment coincided with his surge in the polls in Iowa, Florida, and other early-voting states.