Mississippi governor explores presidential bid in Nevada

CARSON CITY -- If ever there was a question whether Republican presidential candidates would compete to win Nevada, Gov. Haley Barbour answered it Tuesday.

The man from Mississippi became the first potential White House hopeful to visit the state to declare outright that he would do all he could to win here in 2012 if he enters the race this spring.

"I'm here because I'm thinking about running for president," Barbour said bluntly at a hotel news conference in the capital. "If I run, I will compete to win the Nevada caucus and the general election."

Barbour's daylong visit to Reno and Carson City was aimed at wooing GOP insiders he would need by his side to win when Nevada holds its Republican caucus on Feb. 18, 2012.

Upping the ante, Nevada will be the first state to vote in the West following the traditional first-up Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary.

Barbour met separately with GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval and Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev. He also held private 30-minute talks with GOP operatives, lobbyists and lawmakers. And he addressed a gathering of more than 100 activists. He said he would decide in April whether to launch his White House bid, yet made it clear he is running.

"Barbour is the first guy to make a real tire-kicking trip to Nevada," said Mark Amodei, chairman of the Nevada Republican Party who introduced the governor to the packed room of GOP loyalists. "What we're now seeing are the campaigns coming out of the blocks. And it's pretty clear that Nevada's going to get a lot of traction. Now we'll just have to see who runs the best race."

Barbour is among at least half a dozen possible GOP contenders who have been coming to Nevada in recent months to make contacts and raise their profiles. His visit marked a new stage as candidates begin launching campaigns in Nevada and forming teams on the ground.

President Barack Obama won Nevada by 12 points in 2008, suggesting he will have the definite edge here in 2012, too.

Barbour said he wasn't asking for endorsements on Tuesday. He said it would be wise for top GOP officials such as Sandoval to "keep his powder dry" until closer to the GOP caucus and after the full Republican field emerges.

Barbour said he got to know Sandoval because the Mississippi leader chairs the Republican Governors Association.

"I think he's a real shining star," Barbour said of Sandoval.

Sandoval and Heller low-key

Sandoval played it cool and kept out of the spotlight.

"It was a courtesy meeting between two governors, and it lasted less than a half hour," said his spokeswoman, Mary-Sarah Kinner.

Heller's office also was low-key, saying it was "just a meeting" to chat.

Freshman Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., didn't meet with Barbour. Heck is backing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, as he did in 2008, according to his office. Romney traveled to Nevada several times in 2010 to campaign for Heck.

In 2008, all the hot competition and national focus surrounded the Nevada caucus on the Democratic side. Obama and Hillary Clinton visited the state frequently and in the end split the delegates in a battle to the finish.

The 2012 GOP caucus is shaping up as a similar contest, with Nevada Republicans likely taking opposite sides.

"I think Barbour does have what it takes to compete here if he shows the dedication to Nevada that he did today," said Robert Uithoven, one of the GOP operatives who talked with Barbour.

Uithoven noted Barbour has deep GOP ties, thanks to his leadership of the Republican National Committee in the late 1990s when the RNC had many election successes and was on a healthy financial footing.

Inside the room, Barbour showed off his Southern charm and delivered a little dig at the buttoned-down Romney.

"I guess Nevada will have a choice between a man from Mississippi and a man from Boston," he told the group.

yucca mountain support

Still, some of the Southern governor's positions might not play well in Nevada. That includes his unabashed support to build a repository at Yucca Mountain to bury nuclear waste. The state's congressional delegation has successfully fought that for years.

Barbour said the recent nuclear disaster caused by an earthquake and tsunami in Japan didn't change his mind.

"Yes, I'd continue to fund it" if he were president, Barbour said when asked about Yucca Mountain, adding taxpayers have spent millions on it. "The American people should get their money's worth."

On Libya, Barbour said he generally supports Obama's decision to have the U.S. military help enforce a no-fly zone, although he criticized the president for "dithering too long." But he said such decisions are better made directly by the U.S. government and not through the United Nations or NATO. Barbour also worried that the United States would get pulled deeper into the conflict.

"We have to be careful we don't get involved in some kind of nation-building scheme," he said.

Romney, who is expected to run again and announce fairly soon, won the Nevada GOP caucus in 2008 when it wasn't binding or competitive. The GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain, skipped it.

Romney's ties and ability to revive his Nevada team quickly would make him the automatic front-runner to beat in Nevada, according to recent polls and GOP insiders.

Barbour dismissed the notion that Romney or any potential candidate would be a sure thing in Nevada or any state.

"Obviously, I don't think there's a lock for anybody," Barbour said.

Also, the GOP changed the rules so Nevada isn't a winner-take-all state; those who don't finish first can still win delegates.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently visited Nevada in a low-key stop with Republicans to promote his book. On Monday, Pawlenty became the first major candidate to form an exploratory committee to raise money for a bid.

Other Republicans who have made Nevada a frequent stop include former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Hermain Cain, a conservative talk show host who once ran Godfather's Pizza.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.