Wash. Republicans gather to select delegates
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - Washington state Republicans gathered Friday to begin electing delegates to the party's national convention, with supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas indicating that they are unwilling to coalesce behind nominee Mitt Romney.
Roughly 2,300 convention attendees at the Tacoma Convention Center listened to several speakers Friday morning, including Attorney General Rob McKenna, who is running for governor against former congressman Jay Inslee, state Sen. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane, who's running against U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, and former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who spoke via a taped message. Supporters of Ron Paul booed some speakers if they endorsed or asked for support of Romney.
Romney has already secured enough delegates to win the nomination, though Paul continues to campaign. Paul's state chair, Matt Dubin, said the campaign wants to maximize the number of delegates at the GOP convention in hopes that it would be able to influence the party's platform toward Paul's strict message of limited government.
"The Republican Party needs to be shaken up," he said. He also encouraged fellow Republicans to embrace Paul supporters and their ideas.
The state will send 43 delegates to the national convention in Tampa, Fla. While Romney won the state's caucus straw poll in March, the caucuses were just the first in a multistep process to officially allocate 40 of those delegates to a candidate.
Thirty delegates are elected on Friday during the congressional district caucuses, and 10 are elected Saturday. Three additional are automatic delegates, and include the state party chairman.
Also Friday, Washington state Democrats open their weekend convention. Newark Mayor Cory Booker will speak Friday night, and the remaining 45 delegates to Democrats' national convention will be elected Sunday. Nearly 70 have already been elected at earlier congressional district caucuses.
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Associated Press writer Mike Baker contributed to this report.
Roughly 2,300 convention attendees at the Tacoma Convention Center listened to several speakers Friday morning, including Attorney General Rob McKenna, who is running for governor against former congressman Jay Inslee, state Sen. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane, who's running against U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, and former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who spoke via a taped message. Supporters of Ron Paul booed some speakers if they endorsed or asked for support of Romney.
Romney has already secured enough delegates to win the nomination, though Paul continues to campaign. Paul's state chair, Matt Dubin, said the campaign wants to maximize the number of delegates at the GOP convention in hopes that it would be able to influence the party's platform toward Paul's strict message of limited government.
"The Republican Party needs to be shaken up," he said. He also encouraged fellow Republicans to embrace Paul supporters and their ideas.
The state will send 43 delegates to the national convention in Tampa, Fla. While Romney won the state's caucus straw poll in March, the caucuses were just the first in a multistep process to officially allocate 40 of those delegates to a candidate.
Thirty delegates are elected on Friday during the congressional district caucuses, and 10 are elected Saturday. Three additional are automatic delegates, and include the state party chairman.
Also Friday, Washington state Democrats open their weekend convention. Newark Mayor Cory Booker will speak Friday night, and the remaining 45 delegates to Democrats' national convention will be elected Sunday. Nearly 70 have already been elected at earlier congressional district caucuses.
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Associated Press writer Mike Baker contributed to this report.
