Mitt Romney doesn’t need to pick a female running mate — as he did with former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey when he ran for governor in the Bay State — to woo women voters in his bid to oust President Obama from office, local supporters said yesterday.
“Having a female as his vice president isn’t necessary to win over women voters,” said Karyn Polito, a former state representative who worked on Romney’s 2002 gubernatorial campaign. “As a female candidate I always felt that women care about the same issues that men do: homes, children, saving for the future. He worked on those issues when he was running his gubernatorial campaign, and he still does today.”
The Herald reported yesterday that Romney, who is on track to clinch the GOP presidential bid, is likely looking at an array of possible running mates. They include U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, both from states rich with electoral votes, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin who boast a conservative street cred.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez also made the short list because they would put a woman’s face on the GOP ticket. Several recent polls, including a USA Today/Gallup poll released this week, have shown that more women voters are supporting Obama over Romney.
Back in 2002, many speculated that Romney picked Healey to placate women after he all but chased Acting Gov. Jane Swift out of the race. Romney, who was running against then-state Treasurer Shannon O’Brien, backed Healey, giving her a boost to beat establishment favorite Jim Rappaport in the primary.
Healey did not return calls seeking comment. But Romney’s grass-roots organizer Jennifer Horn brushed off talk that Romney needs a female running mate, saying, “I think that gender politics are beginning to fall flat. The American voters and people recognize that the same issues are important to all of us.”
Horn said voters simply want a seasoned, vetted vice presidential nominee. “Women and men will look for Romney to choose a VP who is highly qualified. There are certainly ample strong women candidates, just as there are ample strong men candidates. It’s more important to women voters that he chooses the most qualified candidate.”
Christine Morabito, executive director of the Greater Boston Tea Party, said Romney should fill out the ticket with someone who will ignite the party’s conservative base.
“He needs someone exciting that conservatives can really get behind. I think if he had that, any issues with women would resolve themselves,” Morabito said. “Romney has the experience. He needs the excitement factor. I don’t know if I would be too concerned with the women’s vote.”