Sweater Vest Nation must be happy today.

Rick Santorum’s stunning sweep of the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and the nonbinding Missouri primary vaults him back into contention for the GOP presidential nomination.

It was Santorum’s first wins since the leadoff Iowa caucus.

He and Mitt Romney now could be locked in a two-way race for the right to face Barack Obama in the fall. Then again, anything could happen in what’s been a roller coaster ride thus far.

What do you think? Is Romney in trouble? Who’s going to win?

– John Guerriero

Cathedral Preparatory School and Villa Maria Academy are mourning the loss of longtime math teacher Joann Mullen. But she had quite a presence in Millcreek Township, too, where she lived.

The contributions of Mullen, a fixture at Prep for 45 years and the school’s first female principal, were recognized at today’s supervisors’ meeting.

Mullen was the chairwoman of the Millcreek Township Study Commission, a seven-member panel that is considering whether to recommend changes in Millcreek’s government. She led the balloting for the unpaid job in the Nov. 8 election.

But in a self-effacing way, she chalked up her success in the election to Prep parents and alumni recognizing her name at the ballot box.

“She was so involved in the township. She will be greatly missed,”  Supervisor Joseph Kujawa said.

Mullen, 72, lost a battle with leukemia.

If you had dealings with Mullen, what will you remember most about her?

– John Guerriero

On the campaign trail, you’ll hardly ever find presidential candidate Rick Santorum without his trademark sweater vests.

Now Santorum will visit the factory that makes the sweater vests he popularized during his successful win in the Iowa caucus.

Santorum is scheduled to tour Bemidji Woolen Mills in Bemidji, Minn., on Sunday afternoon.

The factory is the manufacturer of the “Official Rick Santorum for President Sweater Vest,” the campaign said.

That’s right. For a donation of $100 or more to the campaign, you can get a grey sweater vest, like the ones worn by the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.

Santorum’s campaign website says, “Don’t let sleeves slow you down.”

– John Guerriero

Mentions include the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Gov. Tom Corbett and Joe Scarnati.
Check it out here. Have a great weekend.
–Kevin Flowers

Tim Burns, a GOP candidate for U.S. Senate from Washington County, announced today that he is dropping out of the race.

One of Burns’ opponents, Chester County entrepreneur Steve Welch, received the endorsement Saturday from the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee.

That’s what prompted Burns to drop out.

“When I began this process I put a premium on getting the endorsement of the Republican Party. … Those leaders spoke on Saturday, and while it may not have been the outcome I hoped for, I have always known it would be difficult to carry on without their support,” he said in a statement.

Burns campaigned in Erie in December, while Welch did the same in October.

The winner of the April 24 primary likely will square off against Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey.

– John Guerriero

Former nine-term state House member Sam Rohrer has picked up the endorsement of Congressman Glenn Thompson, R-5th Dist., of Howard Township, Centre County.

Rohrer, who campaigned in Erie on Jan. 24, announced the endorsement.

“The time has come to find a conservative candidate to win the United States Senate seat in 2012,” Thompson said in a statement. “My choice is Sam Rohrer.”

The Berks County resident, who lives just south of Reading, served nine terms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He ran for governor in 2010.

Rohrer is seeking the Republican nomination in a seven-person field for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. The winner of the GOP primary on April 24 likely will face incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, in the Nov. 6 election.

– John Guerriero

Mitt Romney may have restored his big lead in the Florida primary.

A Suffolk University/7 News poll of likely Republican voters in Florida shows that Romney has opened a 20 percentage point lead over Newt Gingrich.

The poll taken in the final days leading to Tuesday’s primary shows Romney with 47 percent, Gingrich with 27 percent, Rick Santorum with 12 percent and Ron Paul with 9 percent. Five percent of the respondents were undecided.

Romney had a big lead, early on, and then the race tightened before the latest poll numbers came out.

– John Guerriero

Republican Janet Anderson, of Fairview, is making plans to join the race for state Senate in the 49th District, which takes in most of Erie County.

Anderson said that her effort to get more than 500 signatures on petitions begins today. She plans to get at least 750 signatures and as many as 1,000, to be on the safe side, in the event of challenges.

She is holding off on making an official announcement until she gets the signatures.

The race is wide open after state Sen. Jane Earll, of Fairview, R-49th Dist., announced she would not seek re-election to a fifth term.

“If I enter the race, I’m in it to win it,” said Anderson, who formerly worked in Earll’s office and just resigned as executive director of the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission.

Another possible GOP candidate, lawyer Jason Owen, said he has not decided yet whether to enter the race.

Four Democrats have announced their plans to run, including former state Sen. Anthony “Buzz” Andrezeski, a lawyer. The others are: Terry Scutella, a Millcreek School Board member; Sean Wiley, director of foundation at Saint Vincent Health System; and Brian Pitzer, former director of public relations at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Wiley has the support of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.

– John Guerriero

While four Democrats have announced their plans to run for state Senate in the 49th District, which includes

U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-5th Dist., of Howard Township, Centre County, is reaching out to Harborcreek Township for tonight’s State of the Union address.

Thompson’s guest for the address is Harborcreek Supervisor Dean Pepicello.

If Thompson wins re-election this year, his new district would stretch into parts of Erie County and include Harborcreek.

The invitation is “an act of good will as far as the new district,” said Thompson’s spokesman, Parish Braden.

– John Guerriero

Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman Jim Burn was in town today, and he said Erie County Democrats will be “very critical” to the party in 2012.
“I just came to Erie today to congratulate (Erie County Democratic Party Chairman) Bill Cole and the Erie Democrats for all the good work that they have been doing,” said Burn, who was at the new Barack Obama/Democratic Party headquarters, 1305 State St.
Burn said he expects to return to Erie frequently through the presidential election. ”
All of Western Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania in general, will be important,” Burn said.
–Kevin Flowers