After three wins this week in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado, Santorum’s campaign is making a play for support in Washington, where Republicans hold precinct caucuses on Saturday, March 3. Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are battling for the support of conservative Republicans as they try to catch up to Mitt Romney, the GOP frontrunner, and the former Pennsylvania senator is the first to plan a visit to Washington.
“I haven’t heard a word about it,’’ said Republican Sen. Dan Swecker of Rochester, who has been the Senate’s leading voice against the same-sex marriage bill. “That would be great - absolutely!’’
Swecker said he will support the eventual Republican nominee but Santorum is “the one I tend to support more than the others. … I think Santorum’s values are more similar to mine than any of the others.’’
News of Santorum’s appearance was reported earlier by Jim Brunner in this The Seattle Times post. The visit is to include a 3 p.m. meeting with House and Senate Republicans in Olympia. He also is meeting “values” voters at an as-yet-undisclosed church.
Santorum is not the only candidate coming this way. President Barack Obama is in Seattle Friday, Feb. 17, and the News Tribune reports:
Kirby also confirmed that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will raise money March 1 in Bellevue and is likely to have a public event as well. He has heard there is a possibility that other GOP candidates Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich will campaign before the March 3 precinct caucuses.
Innes also said the Pierce County GOP will hold its annual Lincoln Day event Saturday beginning at 11:15 at the La Quinta Inn in Tacoma. Likely Republican nominee for governor Rob McKenna and Wilbur will headline the event.
After Santorum’s three-state win Tuesday, Olympia voter Eric Bailey called The Olympian looking for information on how to participate in the coming caucuses. Bailey said he was a Democrat in the 1970s but has changed parties – and he prefers Santorum. He said Romney is an establishment candidate, he thinks Gingrich is doing a good job of beating up Obama but can’t win, and Ron Paul’s isolationism on foreign policy “just scares” him.
By contrast, Santorum “seems like a genuine walking, talking human being, which is not something I see from Mitt Romney,” Bailey, a retiree, said.
It is not yet clear who is the local organizer or contact for Santorum's visit.
