PEORIA, Ill. ( AP) — As they await an Illinois primary vote whose outcome is hardly assured, Mitt Romney is betting his message of economic proficiency will resonate with Republican voters more than Rick Santorum’s sharply honed conservatism.

Both men were competing for the 54 delegates at stake today in Illinois. They were looking to score a victory in a state that was not only home to President Barack Obama but is also one of the last major battlegrounds before a three-week lull in April.

Romney’s confidence was on display Monday, while Santorum was forced on the defensive for first declaring that the economy was not a top issue in the campaign and then stating that “the campaign doesn’t hinge on unemployment rates.”

By day’s end, Santorum had conceded that the economy and unemployment were important but said they were symptoms of what he described as broader ills: government intrusion and eroding freedom.