BISMARCK -- North Dakota Republicans and Democrats alike hope the announcement that Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign will soon open a state office and name a committee is the beginning of a trend.
They'd like to see all the candidates follow his lead and begin cultivating support and building organizations for the state's presidential caucuses Feb. 5.
The former New York mayor, who usually polls at or near the top of the pack of GOP presidential hopefuls, sent his national political director, Mark Campbell, here this week for three days of meetings with reporters and supporters in Fargo and Bismarck.
Campbell said a statewide chairman and committee will soon be named, all the way down to the local level, with county chairmen.
"North Dakota is a targeted state," Campbell said. "We are excited about North Dakota. We think North Dakota is America and America is North Dakota."
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State Republican Chairman Gary Emineth and Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer said Giuliani's early efforts here give him a real leg up in building support in the state. Giuliani's campaign hired away the state party's executive director, Jason Stverak, and is opening a state office in Fargo.
"None of the other campaigns have even visited," Emineth said Thursday, noting that Campbell's visit here was the second excursion the former mayor's campaign has made through the state.
"Putting Jason on the ground is a big investment," Cramer said. "Putting a staff person on the ground tells me he realizes the Midwest isn't an area he's (Giuliani) familiar with."
He said North Dakota Republicans who may not have started out with Giuliani as their favored candidate will appreciate that he is neither taking their November 2008 vote for granted nor dismissing them outright.
Other candidates may soon join Giuliani's efforts.
"(Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt) Romney's people are coming next week," Emineth said.
Emineth said now that Minnesota Republicans have set their caucuses for Feb. 5, that will make it more likely the candidates themselves will swing through North Dakota.
Jamie Selzler, executive director for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL, welcomed the buzz that the Giuliani campaign's work can create in generating activity by other campaigns.
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"I think it's good for the state," he said. "We're in touch with all the (Democrats') campaigns on a regular basis."
Selzler has talked to the Democratic campaigns about names of local activists and campaign workers who could be hired for their eventual state campaign offices and committees.
"I imagine we'll see that by the end of the summer or in September," he said.
Cole works for Forum
Communications Co., which owns The Jamestown Sun
