For all the rumors emerging in the Washington punditocracy’s dinner party circuit this week that Newt Gingrich would abandon the presidential race after an anticipated loss in Wisconsin tonight, his national campaign chairman today told us—in no uncertain terms: “No way.”
“Newt’s not getting out—no way,” said former Rep. Bob Walker (R-Pa.), national chairman of Gingrich’s presidential campaign. In an exclusive interview with Human Events this afternoon, conservative stalwart Walker told us, “Newt had a meeting with the staff at headquarters [in Arlington, Virginia] last night. And while we are cutting back on staff and prioritizing states, we are definitely in the race through Tampa [site of the Republican National Convention this summer].”
Walker went on to spell out his candidate’s specific strategy over the next two months. The former House speaker would, he told us, “definitely compete in Pennsylvania and Delaware, both of which are holding primaries the same day [April 24]. And in May, Newt will be in [the primaries in] North Carolina and West Virginia.
“We are going to compete in states where we don’t have to expend great amounts of money.”
As further evidence that Gingrich was not getting out of the race anytime soon, Walker pointed out to us that his candidate would join the other GOP presidential hopefuls April 17 at a Republican dinner in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania—the hub of the district Walker represented in Congress from 1976-96.
