At the California Republican Convention late last month, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney won a poll of preferred GOP candidates for president in 2012.
After eight rounds of voting, Romney came out on top, besting former House speaker Newt Gingrich (who garnered the second-highest amount of votes) and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton. Big names like former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin were knocked out in early rounds of voting.
Romney, a Mormon, is seen as a flip-flopper on LGBT issues, supporting gay rights in his 1994 Senate campaign but severely changing tack in his 2008 presidential campaign.
The California poll involved 55 delegates and attendees of the state’s GOP convention in Sacramento.
Jared A. at MittRomneyCentral.com had this to say about the poll:
California is a crucial state for anyone hoping to become the next President of the United States since it carries a whopping 55 electoral votes.
In the summer of 2008, Mitt Romney purchased a home in coastal LaJolla, CA to enjoy “the waves” and be nearer to one of his sons who lives in nearby San Diego. Romney is known among the locals as a paper-plates-plastic-utensils down-to-earth guy.
When his book, “No Apology: The Case for American Greatness” was first published, Romney made three stops in California during his book tour.
Along with endorsing a number of CA candidates during the 2010 Primaries, Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC contributed to their campaigns. His endorsements included: Meg Whitman, Tony Strickland, Van Thai Tran, Carly Fiorina, and other political candidates.
In March 2010, Mitt Romney won the Magellan early 2012 Presidential Preference poll. He was also found to be the top Republican contender in California in a Public Policy Poll taken in November 2010. He also came out on top in the Public Policy Poll taken in February 2011:
