The 5PM deadline for Republican presidential campaigns to file their ballot access petitions with the RPV has come and gone. From a press release, we learn that only four members of the Republican field have cleared the first hurdle:
At 5:01 p.m. today, the Republican Party of Virginia received presidential nominating petitions from the State Board of Elections. The following candidates have filed petitions:
* Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney
* Texas Gov. Rick Perry
* Congressman Ron Paul
Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman, then, won’t be on the March 6th primary ballot. Bachmann and Santorum have placed enormous effort into Iowa, the first state to select convention delegates, while Huntsman, who recently made a fundraising trip to Richmond, has put his eggs almost entirely in the New Hampshire basket.
Virginia awards convention delegates on a winner-take-all by congressional district basis.
