Santorum adviser: 'We're not even at halftime yet'

GETTYSBURG, PA -- A senior adviser to Rick Santorum's presidential campaign said on Tuesday that the primary season had not yet reached halftime and and sought to downplay the importance of tonight's Illinois primary.

John Brabender, Santorum's senior strategist, deflected questions about the former Pennsylvania senator's performance in the Land of Lincoln, instead focusing on recent electoral successes.

"We had a pretty good last week where we won Kansas and Alabama and Mississippi. And now we'll see if Mitt Romney can finally win one that's in the heart of America, if you will," he said. "He's had a little trouble doing that in the last few weeks."

Brabender -- who made these comments before the networks called Illinois for Romney -- acknowledged that they do not feel like they have a shot at competing with Romney to win the state. He said, "Whoever wins the state doesn't matter as much as who wins the different congressional delegates, so that's how we'll be keeping score tonight."

But the longtime Santorum adviser also made clear that a loss would not slow down the campaign.

"We're not even at halftime yet. I think we have to have two more states to get to the half-way point roughly," said Brabender. "And so, you know, we'll get through tonight."