Sitka Republicans bucked statewide trends yesterday (Tue 3-3-12) and put Rick Santorum on top of their presidential preference poll – by a large margin.

The former senator from Pennsylvania took 42 votes to Mitt Romney’s 28. Trailing Romney by only one vote was Ron Paul with 27 votes. Newt Gingrich came in fourth with 19 votes.

Sitka Republicans cast their ballots in person in Harrigan Centennial Hall. They held their district convention in Harrigan at the same time. The local turnout probably was a major factor in Santorum’s success when the district returns were counted. Republicans in Haines and on Prince of Wales Island – communities which, along with Sitka, comprise the new House District 34 – favored Ron Paul, but not by enough votes to outstrip Santorum.

Ron Paul is the only major candidate to campaign in Alaska. He visited Fairbanks and Anchorage.

The District 34 totals – including Sitka – still favor Santorum, but only by two votes, 57 – 55. Mitt Romney is a close third with 51, and Newt Gingrich has 24.

Local Republican volunteer Lureen Stedman helped staff this year’s presidential preference poll. She tells KCAW news that she didn’t necessarily consider the people who turned out Tuesday to be among the group known as “super-voters” by political analysts. “They all were not the same people you might see at Lincoln Day Dinners,” she said. Republicans in nine other states counted votes on the same day – dubbed “Super Tuesday” – Stedman believes high interest at the national level contributed to participation locally.

Statewide, however, Republicans preferred former Massachusettes governor Mitt Romney for president. 13,219 votes were cast statewide. Of those, 4,285 went to Romney; 3,860 to Santorum; 3,175 to Paul; and 1,865 to Gingrich. That translates into 8, 7, 6, and 3 delegates for each candidate respectively at the national convention. Alaska Republicans allow three outstanding delegates NOT bound by any voting – the party chair, US senator, and US representative.

The Republican National Convention is scheduled for the week of August 27 in Tampa, Florida.

Photo: Gage Skidmore