Feeling’s mutual for Romney, N.H. GOP - Aiding ‘06 races could bring him returns in ‘08
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[Analysis]
I know that the poll numbers haven’t been great for Romney lately i.e. McCain is ahead in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. But, polls are about as reliable as weather forecasts. I think that Mitt is doing a great job at laying foundations right now. He’s made several trips to key battleground states that he will need to win the nomination. If he can get the New Hampshire governorship into the red column in 2006, it will bode very well for him come 2008. Next month he heads to Michigan for a major republican get together, and I strongly believe that Michigan can go red in 2008 if the nominee is Mitt Romney. Time will tell and that we have a lot of.
By Scott S. Greenberger, Globe Staff | August 17, 2005
Dispirited by their loss of the governor’s mansion last year, New Hampshire Republicans have finally found a champion they hope will help them retake the top job in the Granite State in 2006: Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
In June, Romney worked the crowd at a Republican women’s dinner in Manchester, and last weekend he discussed the upcoming New Hampshire governor’s race with GOP leaders at his summer home on Lake Winnipesaukee. At the end of this month, he will attend a fund-raising picnic in Nashua, and next month he’ll raise more campaign cash by hosting 300 GOP activists at his house in Wolfeboro.
Romney’s aides say he is fulfilling his role as vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association, which is to help elect and reelect GOP governors. But as Romney helps his fellow Republicans up north, he is sowing good will that could yield political fruit if he runs for president in 2008.
”The fact that we’ve got someone who seems to resonate with a broad spectrum of Republicans, and to have him next door? Gee whiz, we’d be happy if he was up here quite a bit,” said Warren Henderson, who chairs the New Hampshire party. ”He’s among those who is in a particularly good position to do us some good, and we’re grateful for the time he can give to us.”
At least one prospective presidential candidate, US Senate majority leader Bill Frist, has appeared at more New Hampshire GOP events than Romney; in the spring, Frist made five appearances on three separate trips. But Tom Rath, the state’s national committeeman, said that Romney and his staff have been especially receptive to requests for help. Rath noted that Romney’s spokeswoman, Julie Teer, has extensive campaign experience in New Hampshire and knows all the key players in the state.
”He’s a good draw. People like him, they’re interested in him. And there’s a familiarity with him because of his frequent appearances on television in the southern part of the state,” Rath said yesterday. ”The word of mouth that follows an event he does is uniformly positive.”
Rath said most New Hampshire Republicans are focused not on the 2008 presidential race but rather on denying Democratic Governor John Lynch another two-year term in 2006. But he said Romney is wise to burnish his reputation in the state, since it may prevent some activists from committing to other candidates.
”I think very few people, despite some of the things you hear, have really made up their minds” on whether to run for president in 2008, Rath said.
Romney, who says he will announce in the fall whether he is running for reelection as governor, insists he still hasn’t decided whether he will seek the White House. Romney has said his announcement this fall is not likely to include his presidential plans. In a televised interview this week, he acknowledged that Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona may be the early favorite for the GOP nomination.
Teer said Romney’s New Hampshire forays have nothing to do with a possible presidential bid.
Senator John Sununu, Republican of New Hampshire, ”recently helped the Massachusetts Republican Party raise money, and Governor Romney is simply returning the favor by helping to raise money for the New Hampshire Republican Party,” she said. ”As vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Governor Romney is helping energize New Hampshire Republicans for a competitive gubernatorial race in 2006.”
Scott Greenberger can be reached at greenberger@globe.com.
© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.
