Romney says NM voters swinging to McCain, Pearce

Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he’s confident that undecided New Mexico voters are swinging toward John McCain and Steve Pearce in the final days before the election.

“The question is whether we can move them enough that we can win,” Romney said today in a phone interview.

The former Massachusetts governor was speaking from Farmington, where he held a rally this morning attended by Pearce, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate, and about 250 people. Romney said the energy at the event was good, and he’s becoming increasingly confident about the possibility that McCain and Pearce will win.

Romney has spent a great deal of time helping Pearce this year. He stood in for Pearce at a campaign fundraiser at the Republican Party’s presidential nominating convention in Minnesota after Pearce’s father died and he had to skip the event. Romney was also in Albuquerque and Santa Fe several weeks ago to campaign with Pearce.

Polls have shown Pearce way behind Democratic opponent Tom Udall in the Senate race, but Romney said Udall isn’t in line with New Mexico voters.

“I just don’t think of New Mexico as a really liberal state,” Romney said.

As for the presidential race, Romney said McCain’s internal polling has the GOP candidate within the margin of error. The actions of the McCain campaign reflect that: Sarah Palin was here two weekends ago, McCain was here last weekend, Rudy Giuliani is also in the state this weekend and McCain will be back here on Monday.

“I think we’ve got a real shot here,” Romney said. “Two weeks ago it looked impossible, but the polls that we’re seeing now, the people we’re speaking with, the sentiment we’re seeing, suggests that this is winnable.”

He said it’s telling that Barack Obama is drawing huge crowds at rallies and has outspent McCain three to one, and yet, “somehow, they haven’t sealed the deal.”

“People are saying they’re not going to let this election get bought,” Romney said.