Nevada GOP leaders back McCain
The three Nevada Republican leaders who are automatic delegates to the Republican National Convention conferred Wednesday and agreed to announce their support for likely presidential nominee John McCain.
Nevada GOP Chairwoman Sue Lowden and Republican National Committee members Joe Brown and Beverly Willard held a teleconference, where they discussed their desire to unite the party around its near-certain standard-bearer, according to the party's executive director, Zac Moyle.
The idea is to rally the Republican faithful around the Arizona senator, even though the majority of Republicans who attended Nevada's Jan. 19 caucuses supported Mitt Romney.
"They hope the other delegates will come along and join them," Moyle said.
The party plans to announce the move today.
Romney was more or less the only candidate to make a serious play for Nevada and attracted a devoted following here, especially among fellow members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He dropped out last week after winning a few Super Tuesday states but severely lagging behind McCain in the delegate count.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who totally ignored Nevada, remains in the race although it is mathematically impossible for him to win enough delegates to secure the nomination.
Although he is a fellow Westerner, a lack of campaign cash led McCain to mostly forgo the Nevada contest.
Republican caucus-goers selected delegates who were not bound to a candidate, then held a vote to gauge candidates' support in the state. Romney took 51 percent; Texas Rep. Ron Paul was second with 13 percent and McCain a close third, less than 200 votes behind Paul.
Of the 44,000 Republican caucus-goers, 5,610 voted for McCain.
Nevada will be sending 34 delegates to the September convention in St. Paul, Minn. Other than the three automatic delegates, the rest are elected at the state Republican convention, scheduled for April 26 in Reno.
Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2919.
