POLITICAL EYE: Huntsman shakes up Republican race

Looks like we got ourselves a rodeo now.

Jon Huntsman's official entry into the U.S. presidential race this week shakes up the Republican competition in Nevada, particularly for GOP front-runner Mitt Romney.

They're both former governors with business experience: Huntsman of Utah and Romney of Massachusetts. They're both from the more moderate wing of the party. And they're both Mormons, who make up 7.5 percent of Nevada's population and turn out for elections at a higher rate than other groups.

That means Huntsman is battling for the same pool of voters in Nevada as Romney, who has a big head start over the entire GOP field in fundraising and organizing staff and supporters here.

It also means other Republican contenders may be more willing to take on Romney for a share of Nevada delegates at stake in the Feb. 18, 2012, caucus, which will be binding this time around.

Huntsman's White House bid is "bad news for Romney and probably good news for Nevada," said David Damore, political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "I think Huntsman hurts him a lot. And this may cause more people to come in here to compete."

On Tuesday, Huntsman will make it official, launching his presidential campaign by using the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop. The former U.S. ambassador to China will be standing in Liberty State Park, N.J., the first stop of a six-state swing that's scheduled to bring him to Nevada on Friday.

This trip, Huntsman isn't planning to take in the Strip in Las Vegas, where there's a replica of the Statue of Liberty at the New York-New York casino. He's scheduled to hit the Reno Rodeo, where thousands of folks go to watch bull riding and other events. He'll encounter a largely conservative crowd in largely conservative country in Northern Nevada. It'll make a nice outdoor photo op, too.

In contrast, Romney's most recent Nevada visits have been money runs. On Friday, he was at a private, $2,500-per-person fundraiser at Lawry's restaurant, known for its thick prime rib and steaks. Last month, he hosted a national phone bank in Las Vegas that raised more than $10 million in one day.

ROMNEY CO-CHAIRMEN

Last week, Romney also named two top Republican politicians as co-chairmen of his campaign in Nevada. The announcement touting support from Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and Rep. Joe Heck further solidified his standing as the candidate to beat in the Battle Born State. Both Krolicki and Heck were key to helping Romney's effort to win the GOP presidential caucus in Nevada in 2008.

In the nonbinding 2008 GOP caucus, Romney was the runaway winner. Mormons made up 25 percent of participants, according to exit polls, and more than nine out of 10 voted for Romney. U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., skipped the 2008 contest in Nevada but won the GOP nomination.

Damore said Romney may have to campaign more statewide if he's getting competition from Huntsman and others. That's what happened with Democrats in 2008 when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton competed heavily across the state as they fought for rural and urban delegates.

"If Huntsman goes out there, Romney may have to go up to Reno," Damore said. "The Obama strategy was to go out to places like Elko to get more delegates. That may happen again."

Winning Nevada is key to the strategies of both Romney and Huntsman, who also have their eyes on New Hampshire, a must-win state for the former Massachusetts governor. Unlike in 2008, Romney isn't making a big play for Iowa, a social conservative haven that holds the first caucuses.

Huntsman's initial campaign swing this week also skips Iowa, but hits South Carolina, another early voting state. He's also planning to visit delegate-rich Florida, a key state for deciding the ultimate GOP nominee and the place where Huntsman's campaign headquarters will be strategically located.

REPUBLICAN DEBATE

The next big event on the presidential sweepstakes calendar in Nevada is July 10. That's when the leading Republican candidates are scheduled to participate in a debate in Las Vegas at M Resort.

The debate is organized by Americans For Tax Reform, the Grover Norquist group. And it's being held in conjunction with the annual Conservative Leadership Conference on July 9, where most of the GOP contenders are expected to speak.

Last week, Romney was seen as a winner in a New Hampshire debate, the first serious one of the campaign season. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., emerged from the crowd of seven contenders, partly by announcing the tea party favorite was getting into the presidential contest. She also stood out by delivering sharp attacks against President Barack Obama, saying he would be only a one-term president.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who has visited Las Vegas to raise money, lost an opportunity to attack Romney for approving a health care plan as governor that's much like Obama's mandated health insurance reforms, which Republicans have attacked as unconstitutional.

Herman Cain, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO and a popular speaker in conservative GOP circles in Nevada, won lukewarm reviews for not delivering his usual crowd-pumping riffs.

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., also participated in the debate. Huntsman took a pass before announcing.

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