Romney's reception at GOP convention likely a 'mixed bag'

Romney's reception at GOP convention likely a 'mixed bag'

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SALT LAKE CITY — Though Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney has already qualified for the primary election ballot, how he fares among delegates might be an intriguing turn at what may be a raucous Utah GOP state convention Saturday.

Utah GOP Chairman Rob Anderson said he intends to keep the focus on nominating candidates at the daylong event set for the Maverik Center in West Valley City despite tensions over control of the party.

"There's absolutely no proposals, no plans to do anything other than what the convention is there for, which is to nominate our elected officials," Anderson said. "After that, as time allows, we'll discuss changes to our governance."

He said Thursday he's already rehearsed tactics for controlling any Republicans attempting "to oppose and delay and frustrate the business of the party" at the convention, which is expected to attract national media because of Romney.

The 2012 GOP presidential nominee is among a dozen candidates, including state Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, and St. George attorney Larry Meyers, looking to be the Republican Party's pick for the seat held by retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

But Romney is the only one who collected signatures to guarantee a spot in a primary.

Some GOP delegates frown on candidates who take the signature-gathering route, which could prevent Romney from winning the nomination outright at the convention.

That would mean he would have to square off against a fellow Republican in June.

Romney's reception at the convention will be a "mixed bag," said Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.

"This is going to be a sign for all of us who watch whether or not the fracture within the Republican Party is going to mend anytime soon," he said.

Perry said delegates who oppose signature gathering and those who don't know if Romney is conservative enough for them might have some things to say. Those voices in the past pushed popular Gov. Gary Herbert into a primary two years ago against a more conservative candidate, Jonathan Johnson.

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Meyers, who has endorsements from Johnson and Ammon Bundy, a leader in the 2016 occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge, appeals to the conservatives.

Kennedy, a conservative state lawmaker who heads the newly formed Utah School Safety Commission, could also pull some of those delegates.

"There is risk for Mitt Romney going to convention almost regardless of who the other potential candidates are just by the way the system works," Perry said.

Romney has enjoyed meeting with delegates in all 29 counties and appreciates their dedication to vetting candidates, his campaign said.

"Delegates have the responsibility to choose the candidate who will best represent Utah in the U.S. Senate and Mitt hopes to receive their support on Saturday," according to the campaign.

Last year, 3rd Congressional District delegates chose former state Rep. Chris Herrod over then Provo Mayor John Curtis, who gathered signatures. Curtis beat Herrod in the primary and went on to win the special election in November.

Herrod is again challenging Curtis, who now has a six-month track record in Congress to rely on. Like Romney, Curtis has already qualified for a primary through signature gathering.

Utah's dual-track system for obtaining a political party's nomination for elected office has caused bitter discord in the state Republican Party for several years. One faction of the party has continued to push a lawsuit that now rests with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.

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Although Anderson doesn't intend to bring up that issue, it continues to hang over the party.

Several proposed changes to Utah GOP constitution and bylaws, particularly those related to party's 180-member State Central Committee, have their roots in the ongoing dispute over the nomination process. The committee earlier this year passed a rule to expel Republican candidates in the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts who gather signatures.

Reducing the central committee's size, limiting the term of service and clarifying how it conducts business are among the proposals conventions delegates will debate.

Anderson said he expects delegates to handle themselves with decorum. He said his goal is to make sure everyone is heard in what he anticipates to be "robust" debate about the party's governing documents.

"There's all sorts of proposals," Anderson said, including one that would allow a handful of members of the central committee to fire him at a future meeting.

Campaigning will be underway early Saturday at the convention, which will start with deciding multi-county legislative races before the full group convenes at 11 a.m. to hear a tribute to Hatch, who was first elected in 1976.

Some delegates are already complaining about a $10 parking charge at the arena, but Anderson said it's West Valley City that's collecting the revenue, not the cash-strapped GOP.

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Dennis Romboy
Dennis Romboy is an editor and reporter for the Deseret News. He has covered a variety of beats over the years, including state and local government, social issues and courts. A Utah native, Romboy earned a degree in journalism from the University of Utah. He enjoys cycling, snowboarding and running.
Lisa Riley Roche

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