EXETER, New Hampshire (AFP) ― Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney, leaving little to chance ahead of the New Hampshire primary, brought out the party’s big guns on Sunday to help him woo voters.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of the party’s brightest stars, home-state favorite Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty all turned out to rally support for Romney before Tuesday’s vote.

“He actually knows how our economy works,” Ayotte said of the millionaire venture capitalist at the first of the day’s two rallies ― at the ornate, velvet-curtained opera house in the small town of Rochester.

At least 100 people mobbed the former Massachusetts governor, pleading for autographs and handshakes, as he slowly squeezed through the rambunctious crowd to his campaign bus.

Romney warned that “the soul of America” will be at stake in the November general election, and accused Democratic President Barack Obama of wanting to turn the United States into a “European-style welfare state.”

“I need your vote!” Romney said.

Christie, speaking at the second event, said the country needs an optimistic president like Romney, calling Obama “the most pessimistic man I’ve ever seen in the Oval Office.”

But Romney ― who pollsters say still has a wide lead over his rivals in the Granite State ― met resistance from dozens of protesters linked to the Occupy Wall Street movement at the second rally.

“Mitt kills jobs,” demonstrators chanted before being removed by police.

Romney has faced charges that his venture capital firm destroyed companies and jobs. He, however, says his company created new companies and turned around failing businesses, in the end creating a net 100,000 jobs.

“Romney destroyed thousands of jobs. And he created businesses that pay low wages,” charged Rose Bookbinder, a 28-year-old union organizer who was among those ejected from the venue.

As expectations are so high that he will score a big win here, Romney has to be careful not to underperform, which could lead pundits to say he in effect ‘lost’ the state.

A new tracking poll by Suffolk University/7News suggests he has slipped to 35 percent support while his second-place rival ― Texas Congressman Ron Paul ― is gaining ground at 20 percent, in part by attracting young voters.

“I’m not worried. I’m happy,” Romney responded when a reporter asked whether he was concerned some supporters might not vote because they think he has Tuesday’s primary all locked up.

Romney eked out a win in last week’s Iowa caucuses by just eight votes over former senator Rick Santorum. A big win in New Hampshire would give him huge momentum going into South Carolina, where two new polls show him in the lead.

South Carolina is the first contest for the Republican nomination in the South, where Romney faces pushback from conservatives who think he is a moderate flip-flopper and from evangelical Christians wary of his Mormon faith.

Linda Fowler, a politics expert at Dartmouth College, attributes part of Romney’s big push to his memory of 2008, when he led in polls in New Hampshire but lost the primary to Sen. John McCain, the party’s eventual nominee.

“He’s been burned in this state,” said Fowler.

“Romney is a thorough person and will do what it takes to make sure he’s not disappointed again.”