Southwest Washington lawmakers on new Mitt Romney team

State Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, and state Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, have been appointed to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s Washington Grassroots Leadership Team.

“With the help of this team and the support of Washingtonians, we will be able to bring lasting, conservative change to Washington,” Romney said in a news release announcing his team.

Clark County co-chairs Stephanie McClintock, Justin Riley and Greg Kimsey also joined the grassroots group.

Rommey’s team is made up of more than 90 conservative leaders from around the state, including members of Congress, state lawmakers and county and city leaders.

“The strong team that the campaign has put together in Washington is a sign that Mitt Romney is the candidate that conservatives are looking to in order to defeat President Obama,” Romney team-member Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers said in the news release.

Washington state will play a larger than usual role in the primary process because there is no sure winner yet of the GOP presidential nomination. The state’s Republican caucuses take place 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, and it’s the last primary or caucus before Super Tuesday on March 6.