Mitt Romney Coming To Hartford On Wednesday; GOP Primary Is April 24

Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney is coming to downtown Hartford on Wednesday – less than two weeks before the Connecticut Republican primary.

Romney is scheduled to speak at Alpha Graphics on Main Street in downtown Hartford, near the old G. Fox building, the Marriott Residence Inn, and Pratt Street, according to his campaign.

Romney is then scheduled to hold a town hall meeting for small businesses later in the day at a hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island.

As the former governor of Massachusetts, Romney has extensive ties to next door Connecticut. He also has a small army of fundraisers that include the top echelon of GOP money-raisers in Connecticut, including state Sen. L. Scott Frantz and former gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley of Greenwich. In the 2008 race, the fundraisers were essentially split up as some were raising money Romney and others for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was a leading contender at one point, and Sen. John McCain, who eventually won the nomination.

Romney has made several swings through Connecticut to attend fundraisers but Wednesday’s stop may be his first campaign visit.

The Courant’s Daniela Altimari notes that none of the other Republican candidates have come to the state seeking votes, although former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum was here in September. He delivered the keynote speech at the Family Institute of Connecticut’s annual awards banquet.