Rick Santorum To Campaign in Central Sunday

6 p.m. Sunday at Greenwell Springs

By Woody Jenkins, Editor

CENTRAL — Fresh off Presidential Primary victories in Alabama and Mississippi, former Sen. Rick Santorum will bring his campaign to Central this Sunday.

Santorum will speak at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 18 at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, 19421 Greenwell Springs Rd.  Former Rep. Tony Perkins said the general public is invited to attend and participate in the event.

Santorum will be here to promote his candidacy for the Republican Presidential nomination in the Louisiana Presidential Primary on Saturday, March 24. Registered Republicans will go to their regular voting precincts that day and choose from among Santorum and three other candidates — former Gov. Mitt Romney, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Congressman Ron Paul.  Republicans will also vote on candidates for the Republican State Central Committee and Republican Parish Executive Committee, which govern the state and local parties.

Democratic voters will choose between President Obama and several lesser known candidates.

At 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Santorum will hold a fundraising event in Baton Rouge.  For information on that event, call Lori Cherry at 225-328-1910.

Greenwell Springs Baptist is inviting all four GOP candidates, as well as President Obama, to speak at the church.

The March 24 Louisiana Presidential Primary will be the first stage in Louisiana’s delegate selection process.  Only a few of the delegates will be allocated based on the results of the primary.

The next step in the process will be the election of state convention delegates at caucuses to be held throughout the state on April 21.

The state convention delegates will meet in June to choose Louisiana’s delegates to the Republican National Convention, which will be held in Tampa in late August.

Former State Rep. Tony Perkins of Greenwell Springs is part of a group of Christian leaders who voted to endorse and work for Santorum in January.  One of the leaders of the group is Dr. James Dobson.

Sen. Santorum is currently leading in the CBS poll of likely Republican voters with 34 percent, while Gov. Mitt Romney has 30 percent, former Speaker Newt Gingrich has 13 percent, and Congressman Ron Paul has 8 percent.

In Alabama and Mississippi, Gov. Romney had been expected to win, because of his financial advantage and because Santorum and Gingrich split the conservative vote.  However, Santorum carried Mississippi with 32.8 percent, compared to 31.2 percent for Gingrich and 30.6 percent for Romney.  Ron Paul had 4.4 percent.

In Alabama, Santorum had 35 percent, Gingrich 29.3, Romney 29, and Ron Paul 5.

Santorum served in the United States from 1994 to 2006.  He was known as a strong economic and social conservative.  He was the author and floor manager of the landmark Welfare Reform Act that took millions of people off the welfare rolls and into the job market.

He also authored and passed the Partial Birth Abortion Act, which prohibits the killing of children in these procedures.

He served for eight years on the Senate Armed Services Committee.  Before the 9/11 attack, he fought to modernize the U. S. military to meet modern threats.  He fought to protect Israel and was the author of the Syria Accountability Act.  He wrote the New York Times best seller It Takes a Family.

Santorum and his wife Karen are parents of seven children: Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Sarah Maria, Peter, Patrick and Isabella.

A large crowd is expected Sunday night, and early arrival is advised.