Mitt Romney was on pace for his third win of the GOP primary season Saturday, as Nevada Republicans headed to caucus sites for the first-in-the-west presidential contest.

Two polls showed Romney with a commanding lead in Nevada, with both a Las Vegas Review-Journal survey and a Public Policy Polling survey putting him within striking distance of a voting majority and giving Romney a wide, double-digit lead over second-place candidate Newt Gingrich.

If Romney wins in Nevada tonight, his status as the front-runner in the contest to challenge President Barack Obama in the fall will be further cemented, while conservatives hoping to put forward an alternative GOP candidate will have to seek other opportunities down the calendar to do so. While Gingrich routed Romney in South Carolina, his campaign was disorganized in Nevada and isn’t as prepared for several other upcoming states.

But the unpredictable nature of the caucus process, which is heavily dependent on organization and voter enthusiasm, means that the exact standings in Nevada could differ widely from public polls, which show Ron Paul in third place and Rick Santorum coming in last.

Romney on Saturday addressed a crowd of about 1,000 people at a metal fabrication factory in Colorado Springs, offering his usual themes on loving America and the perceived failures of the Obama administration. He allowed surrogates, including Sen. John Thune, to make the pleas for support in the Colorado caucus Tuesday.

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