Romney visits Las Vegas, meets with GOP backers, business

Given the friendly audiences, it was all hearts and flowers on Monday for the former Massachusetts governor.

Former first lady Dema Guinn was among about 40 Republicans who lunched privately with Romney at the popular Mexican restaurant Lindo Michoacan. The group included Guinn, her sister-in-law Shirley Blair, local Republican women’s leader Betty Rumford and others who helped Romney in Nevada when he ran for president in 2008.

"There were a lot of people who supported him last time," Guinn said. "We were all big supporters then and we are now. I would like to see him run again."

The lunch was not a fund-raiser. Guinn said Romney didn’t make any announcements, although he’s widely expected to formally launch his presidential campaign this spring.

Guinn said she and her late husband, former Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn, met Romney when the men were both governors. They worked together as leaders of the Republican Governors Association.

In 2008, thanks mostly to the strong Mormon vote, Romney won the GOP caucus in Nevada, although it wasn’t heavily contested. John McCain, who skipped Nevada, won the Republican nomination.

This time around, Romney is the front-runner again in Nevada, according to a recent poll.

Nevada will hold its early GOP caucus next February after Iowa and New Hampshire vote first, putting the western state in the presidential spotlight. The Nevada GOP caucus will be binding in 2012, meaning whichever candidate wins delegates gets to take them all the way to the Republican convention.

Romney also is leading the expected wide GOP field of candidates in other states — largely because of his name recognition.

A new poll out in Utah shows Romney ahead in that state, which also has a high Mormon population.

And a new survey in New Hampshire has Romney in the lead at this point before the race truly begins. Romney finished ahead of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and 2008 candidate Ron Paul among others.

Over the weekend, Paul won a straw poll at CPAC, a major conservative confab in Washington, but Romney finishd second.

Guinn said she hopes Romney doesn’t announce he’s formally in the race too soon since he’s already a big target due to his early front-runner status.

"I think that’s the smart thing to do — to wait a little while to announce," Guinn said.

While in Las Vegas, Romney also met privately with small business leaders, according to a spokesman.

Before his smaller meetings, Romney delivered the keynote address to 2,700 executives attending the International Franchise Association convention at the MGM in Las Vegas.

The event was closed to press coverage. But the franchise organization said Romney spent most of his 40-minute speech addressing taxes and the new health care law that, the group said in a press release, "hinder the ability for franchise businesses to grow and create jobs."

It quoted Romney as saying, "Growing small businesses are what get us out of economic downturns. Instead of creating policies in Washington that help small businesses grow, we have seen the most anti-business agenda in a lifetime."

Romney, like other potential GOP candidates, has strongly criticized President Barack Obama’s economic policies as well as the health care law that requires Americans to purchase insurance. Romney, however, has been on the defensive as well since as governor he also reformed health care laws to mandate coverage.