Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

With both the Republican and Democratic nominations for president wide-open contests, even states with few delegates such as Alaska are being targeted by candidates.

Alaska and more than 20 other states will be holding presidential nominating events for both parties in just four days on what is billed as “Super Tuesday.” Several campaigns will be out in force this weekend to attract voters.

The only candidate to send a representative to Alaska is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Josh Romney, one of the Republican candidate’s five sons, will be in Fairbanks today campaigning for his father. Josh Romney is scheduled to speak at the weekly meeting of the Interior Republicans from noon to 1 p.m. at the Westmark Hotel, then meet with supporters at the Wood Center on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus later in the afternoon. The day will conclude with a sign-waving event from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the corners of University Avenue and Geist Road.

Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul will also be campaigning in Alaska today, albeit via telephone. The 10-term congressman who also ran for president as a Libertarian in 1988 is holding a “tele-town hall meeting” with Alaskans from 6:15 to 7 p.m. Anyone interested in listening to the meeting can call the campaign’s state headquarters at (907) 868-4878.

Fairbanks supporters of Paul will also be holding rallies throughout town over the weekend.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, another Republican candidate, has attracted a small number of supporters from North Pole. They’ve been waving signs on roadsides in Fairbanks and North Pole for several weeks now and may also do so this weekend, local organizer Rena Cook said. Cook made a large red banner in support of the candidate that was recently featured on his national Web site.

On the Democratic side, campaign organizers for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama held mock caucuses Thursday in Fairbanks and Anchorage in anticipation of Tuesday’s caucuses.

While Republicans select their candidate via secret ballot, the Democratic caucuses require voters to stand in opposite corners of a room in support of their candidate.

If their selected candidate doesn’t get at least 15 percent of the vote from those in attendance, supporters of that candidate must select another candidate.

Democrats are also making a push to increase voter turnout Tuesday.

The Alaska Democratic Party last month enlisted Alaska snowboarder Rosey Fletcher for a public service announcement that urges voters from both major political parties to vote in Tuesday’s events.

“Winning a bronze medal in the 2006 Olympics showed me the value of hard work,” Fletcher says in the message, which was also distributed to the media. “Now we all have some work to do together on Feb. 5 to help pick our presidential nominees.”

Registered Democratic and Republican voters can find information about voting locations at their respective party’s Web site or by calling (907) 258-3050 for the Alaska Democratic Party or (907) 276-4467 for the Republican Party of Alaska, Fletcher says in the ad.

*Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.

Staff writers Chris Eshleman and Amanda Bohman contributed to this report.*