NEW PORT RICHEY - President George W. Bush will make a campaign stop in Pasco County on Tuesday to fire up supporters as he heads into the final two weeks of a neck-and-neck race for the White House.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan confirmed Thursday that Bush will speak at a "Florida Victory 2004 rally" on Tuesday in New Port Richey after appearing at a similar rally in St. Petersburg. The president will attend a third rally at the Villages - a sprawling retirement community in Marion, Sumter and Lake counties - before returning to Washington on Tuesday evening.
News of the president's visit electrified local Republicans who are eager to see Pasco County land in Bush's column this time. Then-Vice President Al Gore won the county in 2000 by 982 votes, but Bush eked out a statewide lead of 537 votes that clinched the presidency.
"I think that it's critically important that he come into Pasco County because the momentum is here, and people really want to see him," said Bill Bunting, chairman of the local Republican Party.
The details of the event - including the location and the exact time - have not been announced. State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, expects the president to arrive in Pasco about noon, but he said the time is subject to change.
The president's visit underscores Pasco's importance to anyone seeking state or federal office, Fasano said.
"It's a swing county - it's not a county that goes straight Republican or straight Democrat. It's a county that has a lot of independent voters," Fasano said. "The president, the White House, the Republican Party all agree that Pasco is key to winning the state of Florida."
Registered Republicans enjoy a 106,000 to 99,000 edge over registered Democrats in Pasco County, but another 60,000 voters belong to neither party. That means more than one in five Pasco voters belongs to the loosely defined realm of "independent voters" being heavily courted by both campaigns.
The rally will mark the first Pasco County visit by a sitting president in recent memory.
Ronald Reagan visited the Southgate Shopping Center in New Port Richey during his failed bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 1976, waving to supporters from the back of a pickup truck.
Dan Quayle appeared at a Sims Park rally in 1988 while running for vice president. And Bush spoke to supporters as the GOP nominee four years ago at Pasco-Hernando Community College in New Port Richey.
Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has been invited to a Port Richey rally Saturday, but as of Thursday, organizers had not heard whether he would attend. The Democratic rally will be held at the USA Flea Market at 11721 U.S. 19, with gates opening at 9 a.m. and speeches beginning at 10:30 a.m.
As for the Bush rally, Fasano expects the event to give a boost to other Republican candidates as it whips up the legions of GOP campaign volunteers.
"That's the key for the next 20, 21 days, to energize the base, to get the vote out, to get people out there walking the precincts, knocking (on) doors, making tens of thousands of calls to people," Fasano said. "It's so important that people vote this November. This is truly one of the most important elections we will probably see in our lifetime."
IF YOU WANT TO GO:
Contact the local Republican Party offices at any of the following numbers:
WEST PASCO: (727) 841-7783, (727) 845-3336 or (727) 842-9580
