Several potential GOP presidential contenders are scheduled to be out on the hustings in the early presidential state of New Hampshire this week, looking to test the waters with local Republicans as they gauge support for potential runs.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s two-day public schedule in the Granite State Thursday and Friday starts with a trip to Manchester for a “Politics and Eggs” event at Saint Anselm College.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s political action committee has also released his Friday schedule, which will include a business roundtable in Hudson and a House party in Dover hosted by former New Hampshire Republican state Committee Chairman Fergus Cullen.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is scheduled to speak Saturday at a workshop hosted by the state Republican party, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was scheduled to appear at a Grafton County Republican dinner Sunday and appear at “Politics and Eggs” on Monday.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was to be in the state next week as well, on a trip scheduled to include an appearance at Carroll County Republicans’ annual Lincoln Day Dinner on March 20.
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is also exploring a bid, was also in the state this week, and touted a fix to immigration that would include both border security and finding a pathway to legal status for illegal immigrants currently in the country.
Mr. Graham was a co-sponsor of a comprehensive bill passed by the Senate in 2013 that would beef up border security and create an eventual pathway to citizenship for most of the approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.
Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican and another co-sponsor of the bill, has since backed away from the legislation and stressed a need for border security to come first. And Mr. Walker, who as Milwaukee County Executive in 2006 signed a resolution calling on Congress to pass an immigration bill that critics labeled amnesty, said recently that his view on the issue has changed and that he opposes amnesty.
But Mr. Graham said Republicans aren’t going to get the support to secure the border and fix the system if they don’t consider creating legal status for illegal immigrants, according to the AP.
“All I can say is that we need to fix immigration — it’s a national security issue, it’s a cultural issue and it’s an economic issue,” Mr. Graham told reporters. “I am not going to give an inch on the idea.”
Mr. Graham was also scheduled to be back in the state March 17 for an event in Nashua.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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