Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is headed for a rematch with Rick Santorum in Missouri, locking down Republican support in the Show Me State.
Missouri held a nonbinding primary back on Feb. 7 which Santorum won in a landslide. But, while almost 252,000 Missouri voters hit the polls, not a single delegate was allocated. Santorum won handily with 55 percent followed by Romney with 25 percent, Ron Paul with 12 percent, while 4 percent were uncommitted. Three candidates who had already pulled out of the race by that time -- U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, businessman Herman Cain and Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- all took 1 percent in Missouri.
With Missouri holding county caucuses on March 17 -- as a lead-up to conventions at the congressional level in April and a state convention in June -- with 52 delegates at stake, the Republican hopefuls are starting to look once again at the Show Me State.
While he won three contests on Super Tuesday last week, Santorum is out to show that his win in Missouri was no fluke. On Saturday -- the day that neighboring Kansas holds its own caucus for 40 delegates -- Santorum will be stumping in Missouri instead of Alabama and Mississippi which both hold primaries on Tuesday. Santorum is scheduled to hold a rally in Springfield and attend a Lincoln Day Dinner event in Cape Girardeau on Saturday.
In the meantime, Romney, who remains the front-runner, is looking to do well in Missouri by highlighting his support from the Republican establishment in the state. Romney has been active in recent days, adding to his team in Missouri with the endorsements of two major Republican leaders in the state.
On Thursday, veteran Missouri Republican Kit Bond announced that he was backing Romney. Bond served 10 years as governor of Missouri from 1973 until 1977 and then 1981 from 1987. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 and served there until 2011.
Ive been listening intently to all the candidates in recent months and have come to the conclusion that there is only one who can defeat President Obama, restore conservative principles to the White House, and provide the leadership our country needs, Bond said in his endorsement. That candidate is Mitt Romney and I am proud to support him. Time and again throughout his career, he has shown he can turn troubled enterprises around. That is precisely what we need right now. Unemployment is unacceptably high, home prices have fallen, and the American dream seems to be slipping away. I urge all those who are concerned about the future of this country to stand with me in supporting Mitt Romney.
Bond was not the only high-profile Missouri Republican to back Romney last week. Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced on Monday that he was backing Romney.
Like Bond, Ashcroft has had a political career in Missouri that has spanned decades. Ashcroft served as state auditor and attorney general of the Show Me State before two terms as governor and one as a U.S. senator. Ashcroft considered running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 but decided to run for another term as a senator. After losing that contest, Ashcroft served as attorney general under George W. Bush.
It is an honor to have the support of Attorney General Ashcroft, said Romney in a statement on Monday. After working with him on the 2002 Winter Olympics, I know that he is deeply committed to serving our country and protecting its citizens and I look forward to his counsel over the coming months.
The election in November is as important an election as I can remember, said Ashcroft. At home, we face economic and fiscal peril, and abroad we face uncertainty in volatile regions of the world. Our country needs an iron-willed president of integrity to lead us through these troubled times. No other candidate stands out for his executive leadership experience or ability to accomplish difficult tasks as does Mitt Romney.
As a conservative who served as governor of Missouri during the Reagan revolution, I admire Mitts record of fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and defense of traditional values in a politically difficult state for a Republican, Ashcroft added. I had the opportunity to work with Mitt Romney on issues of national security during the 2002 Winter Olympics and counted him as a trustworthy, effective ally in the fight against terror while he was governor of Massachusetts. I know that the lives and liberties of the American people will be secure with him as president. I am grateful for the opportunity to support him and urge all voters who want to restore America to her pre-eminent place of leadership in values, strength and prosperity to support him now and in November.
Romney is also relying on current officeholders to help him in the Show Me State, including U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Mitt Romney's plan to help put people back to work and rein in out-of-control spending is resonating with voters nationwide. Thanks to his experience as governor and in the private sector, Mitt Romney is clearly the best-prepared candidate to help put America back on a path to economic prosperity, Blunt insisted last week. In a few weeks, Missourians will make their choice during our state caucuses. Im proud to support Governor Romney's bold agenda to jump-start our nation's economy, and I urge my fellow Missourians who are looking for a fiscally responsible leader to support his candidacy for president.
Paul is also looking to improve on his showing in Missouri. The Texas congressman is scheduled to speak at Lindenwood University in St. Charles on Saturday before heading over to Springfield to campaign.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
