Rick Santorum Crushing Mitt Romney in Ohio

Ohio ranks as one of the chief states Republicans want to pick up from President Barack Obama in November -- and a poll released on Thursday finds Rick Santorum is heading for a major victory in the March 6 primary.

Santorum, who hails from neighboring Pennsylvania, takes 42 percent in a poll of likely primary voters released by Rasmussen Reports on Thursday. Mitt Romney places second with 24 percent followed by Newt Gingrich with 13 percent and Ron Paul with 10 percent. Three percent of those surveyed back other candidates, while 8 percent are undecided.

The poll of 750 likely Ohio Republican primary voters was taken on Feb. 15 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.