Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, left, shakes hands with supporters Saturday, March 17, 2012 during a campaign appearance at Herrin High School in Herrin, Ill. Santorum visited several Illinois towns Saturday to help build momentum before Tuesday's primary. (AP Photo/Alan Rogers, The Southern The Southern)
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, left, shakes hands with supporters Saturday, March 17, 2012 during a campaign appearance at Herrin High School in Herrin, Ill. Santorum visited several Illinois towns Saturday to help build momentum before Tuesday's primary. (AP Photo/Alan Rogers, The Southern The Southern)
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney talks to members of the audience during a campaign stop Saturday, March 17, 2012, in Collinsville, Ill. Romney wrapped up a shortened campaign trip to Puerto Rico on Saturday in favor of spending more time in Illinois, where polls have shown him slightly ahead of chief rival Rick Santorum. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks at a campaign rally Saturday, March 17, 2012 in Effingham, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney pauses during a campaign stop on Saturday, March 17, 2012 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum waves as he leaves after speaking to supporters at Westminster Christian Academy Saturday, March 17, 2012, in Town and Country, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) ? Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are campaigning in next-up primary states of Illinois and Louisiana, while Puerto Ricans get their say in picking the GOP's presidential nominee.
Puerto Rico's residents cannot vote in general elections, but are set to award 20 delegates in their Sunday Republican primary.
Meanwhile, Romney was hoping to cement his lead in Illinois ahead of Tuesday's primary, with chief rival Santorum in Louisiana ahead of that state's vote on March 24.
The former Massachusetts governor and former Pennsylvania senator both campaigned in Puerto Rico ahead of the voting.
But Romney dramatically curtailed his trip to the U.S. territory Saturday in favor of spending more time in Illinois, where polls have shown him slightly ahead of Santorum.
Romney will also appear on "Fox News Sunday," in a rare showing on an in-depth Sunday interview show. Santorum is to appear on ABC's "This Week" in addition to four campaign stops in Louisiana.
At issue in Puerto Rico's primary is the island's political status ? statehood, independence or no change. Puerto Ricans will vote on that in November.
Romney has support from much of the establishment here, including Puerto Rican Gov. Luis Fortuno, who supports making the island the 51st state. Romney is confident about his prospects for winning many of the island's delegates.
Santorum has said he would support statehood if the November vote were decisive. He also has spent days explaining his comment that English would have to become the island's main language for Puerto Rico to realize statehood. Only a fraction of Puerto Rico's residents speak English fluently.
Puerto Rico's delegates will be split proportionally among the candidates, though if someone wins more than 50 percent of the vote they'll receive all the delegates.
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