Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul and Mitt Romney have seemingly been two steps ahead of their opponents throughout the 2012 presidential campaign season, evidenced by them being the only two candidates on the Virginia primary ballot in March.
While their rival candidates seemingly have tunnel vision on New Hampshire and South Carolina, Mr. Paul and Mr. Romney already have strong campaign strategies established for the Nevada caucus voting in February.
Both candidates have campaign offices set up in Las Vegas and Reno, and each candidate has made several appearances there, with more planned before the February 4th Nevada caucuses.
Today, as Mr. Paul joins the other candidates for a nationally televised debate in New Hampshire, three days before the New Hampshire primary election, his Nevada campaign team is hosting a three hour phone drive event in North Las Vegas for Paul supporters in Nevada. Volunteers will receive call lists, phones and free dinners according to the Texas congressman’s campaign website.
“The Ron Paul campaign is serious about a competitive showing in the February 4th Nevada Caucus,” said Mr. Paul’s Nevada chairman, Carl Bunce. “These events will energize voters and other stakeholders to ensure that our seriousness translates into tangible results.”
Mr. Paul’s campaign team has over 15 voter outreach events scheduled for the months of January and February leading up to the February 4th Nevada caucuses. In contrasts, Mr. Romney is relying on his strong 2008 showing in Nevada and the endorsements he’s already received from several Nevada state officials. Still, four years ago, Mr. Paul placed a distant second in Nevada’s REpublican caucuses, taking 14 percent to Mr. Romney’s 51 percent.
Mr. Romney, for his part, has traveled to the state a number of times of the past year, meeting with key state officials and securing endorsements that may assist him in the coming weeks. The Romney campaign said Friday that they see Nevada as a key primary for the Massachusetts Republican, noting that the state could secure the nomination.
“Governor Romney’s got strong and lasting relationships here,” said Ryan Erwin, a senior advisor for the Romney campaign, in an interview with FOX5 Vegas. “Eight out of ten Republican state senators have endorsed him. I believe he’s been to Nevada more than all the presidential candidates.”
Mr. Paul’s focus on Nevada comes as the Texas Republican congressman has struggled to regain momentum following a third place finish in Iowa. The Texas Republican has sought to increase his profile in New Hampshire, where polls show him trailing Mr. Romney and former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, and in South Carolina, where polls show him far behind the front-runners.
Still, Mr. Paul, who maintains the second largest organization on the campaign trail, will spend the next two weeks in the state, including attending events for “Hispanics for Ron Paul” and an “LDS/Mormon Door to Door Walk,” both in Henderson, Nevada.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal poll of likely Nevada primary voters conducted in mid-December shows Mr. Romney holding a strong lead in the Silver state, as he garnered 33 percent of the votes. Mr. Paul placed 3rd in the poll at 13 percent, behind former House Speaker Newt Gingrich who finished with 29 percent.
