State GOP still seeks convention date

CARSON CITY -- Ron Paul advocates say a Reno hotel-casino room big enough for nearly 1,400 Nevada Republicans is available June 7 for completion of a state GOP convention that ended in chaos April 26, but a party official says that won't work.

The state party plans to reconvene somewhere in Reno in the coming weeks to complete the event shut down prior to final votes on what was turning into a Nevada delegation to a national convention with more backers for Paul than presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain.

Zac Moyle, the state party's executive director, said Tuesday that the idea is "to maximize participation, not to pick a random date," and various dates and locations remain under consideration with that goal in mind.

Jeff Greenspan, southwest regional coordinator for the Paul campaign, said an anonymous Republican donor in the Reno area told the state GOP that a large room at the Grand Sierra Resort had been booked to complete the convention on June 7.

Greenspan said the Paul campaign wasn't responsible for the donation and saw it as "a great opportunity" to wrap up the convention.

However, Moyle said the party is doing its own legwork and doesn't intend to use the Grand Sierra Resort.

Moyle has said that completing the convention by mid-June would be good, but the goal of a big turnout is more important even if it means the event can't occur until some time in July.

Ron Paul backers were upset by the recess at the April 26 convention and expressed concern about getting fair treatment when it resumes. Party leaders have insisted that Paul supporters won't be disenfranchised.