Wyoming GOP launches lengthy caucus process

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney picked up four delegates in the first round of Wyoming's Republican presidential caucuses — a county-run affair that runs through this week.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul won the fifth delegate up for grabs on Tuesday. Seven more delegates to the Republican National Convention will be chosen at county caucuses on Wednesday and on Saturday.

Romney won 56 percent of Tuesday's caucus vote in six counties. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won 30 percent, Paul 2 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 0 percent. Eleven percent of the 528 caucus votes were uncommitted, according to unofficial results.

In Laramie County, Wyoming's most populous, Romney edged Santorum by just two votes to pick up his first Wyoming delegate.

"I just think right now Romney is going to end up with the nomination because he has the money backing him," said Romney supporter Kristi Vasko of Pine Bluffs, a town of about 1,600 people on the Nebraska border.

Her husband, Scott Vasko, backed Santorum. "A little more Reagan-era is kind of what I'm looking for, I guess. Strong leadership, conservative principles."

Big Horn, Natrona and Washakie counties also went for Romney. Republicans in Weston County in the state's northeastern corner pledged their delegate to Paul.

Eastern Wyoming's Niobrara County holds its Republican caucus on Wednesday evening.

Tuesday's voting launched a long state GOP process that will choose 29 delegates by the time it's over at the Republican state convention in April.

Wyoming has more Republican delegates than such states as Connecticut, Nevada and Oregon. Wyoming has a Republican governor, all-Republican congressional delegation and Republican majorities in its Legislature, all of which grant it additional delegates under Republican National Committee rules.

Still, no candidate has campaigned or run major advertising in the Cowboy State. Wyoming is geographically isolated from the other Super Tuesday states except Idaho, making it a costly and time-consuming place to campaign.

In 2008, Romney won eight of 12 delegates in the Wyoming caucuses, which were held in January in a bid to increase their influence. The national party docked Wyoming half of its 28 national convention votes that year because it broke party rules by moving up its caucus date.

Even then, Wyoming's caucuses — sandwiched between Iowa and New Hampshire — drew little attention, and none of the major candidates visited.

In February, Romney won a straw poll of registered Republicans at precinct caucuses and Santorum was a close second. The straw poll was nonbinding, however, and didn't involve the same Republicans who vote for national delegates.

This week's voters are party insiders chosen at the precinct caucuses.

Republicans in Carbon, Lincoln, Johnson, Park, Platte and Sublette counties choose six delegates at county caucuses scheduled Saturday.

Wyoming's 11 other counties will send alternates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., in August. Fourteen at-large delegates will be chosen at the state convention, while Wyoming's two Republican National Committee members and the state party chair are automatic national delegates.