Well, it looks like potential GOP candidates for President will be making trips to Houston seeking support. That's no surprise, considering that we are the fourth largest city in America. But they are coming, and coming early.

Whoever wins the 2008 Republican presidential nomination probably has Texas' electoral votes in his pocket, and prospective candidates also are making the rounds pocketing Texas cash.

Already this month, three top-tier candidates are stretching their hands out to Houston.

U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona was in Houston on Monday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is scheduled today, and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani headlined a dinner last week.

Though Romney has lagged behind McCain and Giuliani in fundraising and organizing in Texas, he said he will name a state team of financial and political supporters after meeting with potential backers this evening at the Houston home of L.E. Simmons, the founder of SCF Partners, which invests in energy companies.

Romney said he will draw on ties cultivated in the Lone Star State when he headed Bain Capital, a venture capital firm that did business with energy interests.

"I have a good network in Texas," Romney said in a phone interview with the Houston Chronicle.

Another notable Texan backing Romney is Kevin Rollins, of Austin, who recently left as chief executive officer of Dell Computer.

And given Rudy Giuliani's connection to a local law firm, it won't be any surprise to see him stumping in town either. That makes the three leading candidates very active in our community. And why not -- this will be only the second presidential election since 1980 when the GOP has not had a Houston connection to the national race in the form of someone named George Bush in the thick of things.

Posted by: Greg at 11:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 306 words, total size 2 kb.