South Carolina has 47 pledged candidates, but party penalties will cut the number to 24.

Florida: Jan. 29

Once Giuliani country, Florida now is up for grabs.

Huckabee is quickly gaining on the former New York mayor in a state that's home to many retired New Yorkers.

Huckabee's rapid ascent in polls has prompted Giuliani to start running TV ads here with a commercial that invokes the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Romney has a seemingly endless supply of money and the backing of several allies of the popular former governor, Jeb Bush.

One unknown — whether the current governor, Charlie Crist, will endorse before the state votes.

Because the state shifted to an earlier primary date, 114 pledged delegates; Republican Party penalties will cut the number of Florida's pledged delegates from 114 to 57

Mega Tuesday: Feb. 5

No one knows how the creation of what essentially is a national primary day — with 995 delegates up for grabs — will affect the outcome of the race.

Romney, McCain, Thompson and Huckabee believe the rapid-fire primary calendar will make earlier contests more important.

Giuliani argues that he can emerge the nominee after winning states like California, New York and Illinois that are clustered on Feb. 5 and offer huge numbers of delegates. Utah will hold its primary on that day as well.

Giuliani's strategy requires big money to compete in extraordinarily expensive media markets in multiple states — and he doesn't have the seemingly limitless amounts of cash that Romney does.