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Washington Republicans vote in precinct caucuses March 3. The winner could gain momentum going into a 10-state vote three days later on Super Tuesday.
State GOP Chairman Kirby Wilbur said the Pennsylvania senator will meet in Olympia about 3 p.m. with Republican legislative leaders, after meeting with Christian conservatives. The first campaign rally comes Monday with Santorum’s 7 p.m. stop at the Washington State History Museum in downtown Tacoma. The event is free and open to the public.
The socially conservative opponent of gay marriage doesn’t plan public events in Olympia but will be in town at about the same time Gov. Chris Gregoire is signing recognition of same-sex marriages into law.
Santorum likely will start to put his Washington campaign organization in place Monday, Wilbur said.
Dan Cathers, the Thurston County Republican Party treasurer and former county chairman, said Santorum seems to have a “strong shot” at winning the nomination.
“If people were getting sick of Romney and Gingrich bludgeoning each other, they may take another look at Santorum,’’ Cathers said.
Washington sends 43 delegates to the national convention, but the precinct caucuses March 3 are just the first step. Attendees vote in a nonbinding straw poll and select delegates to the county conventions, where delegates are selected for the May 30-June 2 state convention. They pick 40 national delegates (three other delegates are party leaders).
“The caucuses may mean something this year in Washington state. I’m kind of excited about that,” Wilbur said. “Romney hasn’t caught fire. He hasn’t closed the deal..”
He said Romney has been setting up his campaign here and will have a paid staff person in the state next week. The former Massachusetts governor plans a Bellevue fundraiser March 1, possibly paired with a public event, Wilbur said.
Wilbur noted other GOP rivals to front-runner Romney have surged and then sputtered out. “Rick is the current non-Romney – and who knows what will happen when he gets the spotlight and gets more attention paid to him.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich recently started building a volunteer presence. Supporters of Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, in contrast, have put in months of work. Paul has paid staff in the state, Wilbur said. Wilbur said he hears both Gingrich and Paul may be planning events.
The man they’re all trying to unseat, President Barack Obama, comes to Bellevue and Medina next Friday to raise money.
Republican Sen. Dan Swecker of Rochester, who has been the Senate’s leading voice against the same-sex marriage bill, said he would support the party’s eventual 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.”
Jordan Schrader: 360-786-1826 jordan.schrader@thenewstribune.com
