Swift says she backs McCain

Former acting governor Jane Swift endorsed US Senator John McCain for president yesterday, joining the growing list of Massachusetts Republicans who have forsaken the hometown candidate, Mitt Romney, in his bid for the presidency.

Last month, former governor Paul Cellucci rebuffed Romney's overtures and endorsed former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani instead. Longtime Republican political strategist Rob Gray, who worked for Romney in Massachusetts, signed up with McCain last month. And today, three of the state's five Republican state senators are expected to endorse Giuliani.

"I'm going to be looking to support a candidate who I think can draw people, nontraditional Republican voters, to support the ticket," state Senator Richard R. Tisei said yesterday, adding that Massachusetts lost more than 31,000 registered Republican voters during Romney's tenure, despite his efforts to expand the party's reach.

Swift's decision to back another candidate was not surprising.

In 2002, when Romney began flirting with the idea of running for governor, GOP activists quickly abandoned Swift, focusing their fund-raising efforts and their praise on the charismatic savior of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Swift, who had suffered a string of scandals during her tenure, protested that "powerful men" were trying to nudge her aside. But on the day Romney got into the race, she decided to bow out, saying "something had to give."

Swift, the mother of three young children, said she would not be able to wage an ambitious primary campaign against Romney while serving as governor and managing her family.

But yesterday, Swift said that experience did not influence her choice. "I wish Mitt Romney well. This is much more about my support for John McCain," said Swift, who will serve as one of McCain's education advisers. "I was approached and glad to be approached by the McCain camp, and I was thrilled they asked me to play an important role."

Swift spokesman Jason Kauppi said Romney's campaign did reach out to Swift, but she had already committed to McCain. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said he was unaware of any outreach to Swift.

Romney formally kicked off his presidential campaign Tuesday in Michigan, where he was raised and where his father served as governor. Fehrnstrom said Romney is focused on building a national organization, but retains the backing of the GOP establishment in Massachusetts as well.

"We have the majority of the Republican establishment, and they will be on hand at tomorrow night's event where we expect upwards of 1,000 Massachusetts Republicans who will help kick off the governor's campaign," Fehrnstrom said of tonight's fund-raiser in South Boston.

While Romney has the support of former governor William Weld, other prominent Massachusetts Republicans have gone their own way. Tisei, the Senate minority leader from Wakefield, and fellow Republican senators Michael R. Knapik of Westfield and Bruce E. Tarr of Gloucester are expected to endorse Giuliani today and be named his Massachusetts campaign chairmen.

Two members of the state Republican party's executive committee, Brent Andersen and Ed Bertorelli, are also steering clear of Romney, serving instead as vice chairmen of McCain's campaign in Massachusetts. State Representative Paul J. Loscocco is one of three cochairmen.