Former Gov. Mitt Romney to visit campus Wednesday

Governor Mitt Romney (right) speaks with Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas at Univision's Meet the Candidates being held at the University of Miami. Wednesday, September 19th, 2012.Photo courtesy Jeffrey Boan
Governor Mitt Romney speaks with Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas at Univision’s Meet the Candidates during his last trip to the University of Miami. Photo courtesy Jeffrey Boan.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will visit the University of Miami on Wednesday at the BankUnited Center (BUC) to host a grassroots rally for supporters. He will be joined by Senator Marco Rubio, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Congressman Connie Mack.

According to the main event’s website, the event will take place at 2 p.m. Doors will open at noon.

Rudy Fernandez, vice president for government affairs, stated that tickets will be distributed online, through the official campaign website. Campaign supporters interested in attending will be asked for their email address and then will be sent an attachment they may print for entry.

Tickets for the rally President Barack Obama held on Oct. 11 at the BUC were distributed by the campaign. Students and supporters interested in participating were responsible for collecting their tickets at the location where the event was held.

The Obama campaign distributed between 8,000 and 8,500 tickets, Fernandez said. Although the BUC holds 8,000 people, they overcompensated to account for possible no-shows.

An exact number of tickets to be distributed for the Romney campaign has not yet been disclosed, but Fernandez believes distributing them online will be helpful to those who wish to attend.

“It’s a very efficient way to make sure that supporters get tickets,” Fernandez said. “The Romney campaign is working very hard to get as many people and pack the BankUnited Center and they’re looking to have all interested students and all people in the community attend.”

This will mark the second time the presidential candidate visits campus. Romney was last at UM on Sept. 19, when Univision reporters Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas Romney and Obama for a broadcast on the Spanish station. Romney’s session with the journalists lasted 35 minutes, while Obama’s lasted one hour. The Romney event was not open to a lottery for student tickets. The president has visited the University of Miami three times in the past eight months.

The candidates have been looking to garner support from the state of Florida, which has a total of 29 electoral votes and has been considered a powerful swing state during this election.

Fernandez believes that this helps enhance the University of Miami student experience.

“We feel that this adds a lot to being a University of Miami student, and hopefully it sends a very strong message that whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, it is very important to get involved in the democratic process, to vote, to learn about the issues and to get involved,” Fernandez said. “It is very unique that in a 10-month period, we have been able to host President Obama three times and Gov. Romney twice. I know no other institution in Florida can claim that they’ve been able to do that. It’s a very special experience for the whole university, especially for students.”

For more information, visit the campaign website at mittromney.com or log in to obtain tickets directly at this site. According to the site, attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items as possible. No bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liquids, or signs will be allowed in the venue. Cameras are permitted.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.