Santorum seeking immigration hard-liners' support in Arizona

Rick Santorum is seeking support from anti-illegal immigration hard-liners in Arizona, reaching out to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former state Sen. Russell Pearce, the architect of Arizona's controversial immigration law.

Santorum will appear with both men at a Phoenix-area luncheon Tuesday and, according to a note Arpaio wrote on his Facebook page, will host a private meeting with the sheriff. Arpaio had originally backed Gov. Rick Perry (Texas) for president but is now a free agent, while Pearce has not endorsed a candidate. But because Pearce now works for the state GOP, he is unlikely to endorse.

The former Pennsylvania senator's push comes as a new poll shows him within 3 points of Mitt Romney in Arizona. The same poll showed that Arpaio's endorsement would be a major win for any GOP candidate in the state.

Romney's Arizona campaign recently lost one of its top border-hawk surrogates. Sheriff Paul Babeu, a co-chairman of Romney's Arizona campaign, left his position after a former boyfriend accused Babeu of threatening him with deportation if he publicly discussed their relationship.

The accusation publicly outed Babeu and compromised him as a spokesman for Romney with just one week to go before the primary.

Romney has successfully positioned himself as a more conservative GOP candidate on immigration than Perry or Newt Gingrich, but Santorum hasn't shown weakness on the issue among conservatives.

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