That’s where Indiana’s delegation to the Republican National Convention is staying this week, including most of the 22-member state Republican central committee that will select a candidate to replace Gov. Mike Pence on the November ballot.
All three of the top contenders to replace Pence — Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb and U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks and Todd Rokita — also are staying at the hotel. And with the committee scheduled to make a decision on July 26, the candidates can’t afford to wait to make their cases.
Delegates say pitches are being made over breakfast buffets and in the hotel lobby, as well as on the convention floor at Quicken Loans Arena in Downtown Cleveland.
Rokita’s team even slipped a flier beneath the hotel room doors of delegates highlighting his strengths. In an indication of just how hurried the process has become, Rokita’s name is misspelled at the bottom of the flier.
“If you don’t think that race is going on behind the scenes, you got two-thirds of the state committee here and they’re all being bombarded,” said Mike McDaniel, a former state party chairman and delegate. “I’ve had two of them ask me to call on their behalf.”
Craig Dunn, a central committee member and Howard County GOP chairman, said a “big chunk” of the campaign is happening in Cleveland.
“Candidates have reached out. Their surrogates have reached out. Some overtly. Others through stealth surrogates,” he said. “Conversations start out asking about the weather, the Cubs, then morph into, hey, who do you like in the governor’s race?”
All three candidates acknowledge they’re taking full advantage of having so many committee members in one place at one time. And each seems to have a well-honed, 30-second elevator pitch ready to go.
