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George Allen will skip Republican convention
Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), locked in one of the cycle's toughest Senate elections, will not attend the GOP convention this summer in Tampa, Fla., his campaign said Tuesday.
"Since we are locked in a close race and can't be in two places at once, the focus will continue to be listening and meeting with Virginia families, veterans and small business leaders on the campaign trail," said Emily Davis, a spokeswoman for Allen's campaign.
The former lawmaker will give up his seat as a delegate at the convention to allow another Virginia Republican to participate in his stead.
The pair are locked in a tightly fought race to replace the retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.).
Allen will not be the only high-profile Republican Senate candidate to skip out on the Tampa festivities. In New Mexico, Republican hopeful Heather Wilson is opting to remain in her home state and campaign, while Hawaii candidate and former Gov. Linda Lingle has also said she will remain at home.
More and more candidates are skipping out on party conventions this year. While many have said that they can't avoid missing valuable time to connect with potential voters, political strategists also say those from swing states and districts might be looking to avoid too closely aligning with national parties and political figures who remain unpopular.
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