Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Mitt Romney, responding to a growing challenge from primary rival Newt Gingrich, said he is ready to draw distinctions with Gingrich as he makes "closing arguments" to Republican voters resisting his candidacy.
The former Massachusetts governor, who has spent most of the year at or near the top of primary polls yet has been unable to lock up a majority, said he doesn't expect to secure the nomination quickly and is signaling a more aggressive media and retail politicking offensive beginning this month.
"We're making our closing arguments -- you'll see me campaigning aggressively," Romney told reporters in Paradise Valley, Arizona, yesterday where he stopped for the endorsement of former Vice President Dan Quayle and attended a fundraiser. "This will probably take longer than a week or two to sort out. My expectation is that this is going to be a campaign that's going to go on for a while, and I expect to win it."
Romney's push comes as Gingrich surges in polls just four weeks from the first primary contest. A Washington Post-ABC News poll run Nov. 30 to Dec. 4 showed Gingrich, a former U.S. House speaker, with a comfortable lead in Iowa, where caucuses start the nominating process on Jan. 3.
Gingrich, whose campaign was near collapse a few months ago, drew 33 percent of the voters in the poll, compared with 18 percent for both Romney and Texas Representative Ron Paul.
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