![Rick Santorum heads into the Michigan and Arizona primaries as one of the top contenders in the GOP presidential race.](https://cdn.govexec.com/media/img/cd/2012/02/27/022712santorumGE/860x394.jpg?1626915229)
Rick Santorum heads into the Michigan and Arizona primaries as one of the top contenders in the GOP presidential race. Eric Gay/AP
Santorum to get Secret Service protection
Gingrich also has put in a request and is waiting to hear if it will be granted.
Rick Santorum will be getting Secret Service protection beginning Tuesday, a campaign aide said on Monday.
Santorum, the former Republican senator from Pennsylvania, heads into Tuesday's contests in Michigan and Arizona as one of the race's top candidates after winning in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri earlier this month.
Santorum would be the second candidate still in the race to get protection. Mitt Romney already has it.
A Newt Gingrich campaign aide who asked not to be named confirmed that the Gingrich campaign requested Secret Service protection last week as well. The campaign was awaiting word on whether the request would be granted. The aide was unable to give more details.
Ron Paul has not requested protection. He has said before that he would not ask for Secret Service protection before he was president because it would be a waste of taxpayer money.