By Suzanne Dougherty and Heather Garlichy
Congressional Quarterly

Electoral votes: 12

Delegates: 27

Chairman: Jean Inman

Hotel: Wyndham Franklin Plaza (215) 448-2000

1996 Election:
Clinton – 61%
Dole – 28%
Perot – 9%

Arizona Sen. John McCain's centrist campaign theme allowed him to attract independent and moderate Republican voters alike in Massachusetts - making it one of the few states McCain dominated in his significant but brief challenge to the nomination of Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

McCain, by winning the March 7 primary with 65 percent of the vote, was entitled to Massachusetts' 37 delegates. However, after extensive negotiations the McCain camp relinquished seven of its delegate slots to Bush supporters - including Gov. Paul Cellucci and Lt. Gov. Jane Swift.

Jean Inman, who chaired McCain's state campaign and now is chairing the convention delegation, said she sees no tension within the delegation - choosing instead to highlight that she is "thrilled to pieces" about the energy of the 10 delegates who are members of the Young Republicans organization.

"I don't believe you can ever agree with a candidate on every issue," she said, expressing her confidence that independent voters will also side with Bush on Election Day. She showed her Republican colors by criticizing the Democrats' presidential standard-bearer: "Al Gore has nothing to offer America."

Since most of the state party leaders lined up behind primary loser Bush, most of the state's delegates are grass-roots McCain supporters. The leadership positions within the delegation were all given to McCain backers. Among them is Bill McKinney, who pitched a tent instead of staying in a hotel room when he attended the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego.

"We are a winner-take-all state, and we have to live and abide by the rules that we made for ourselves," said Dorothy Early, a longtime Massachusetts GOP activist and one of the seven delegates allotted to Bush. "We have to go there and unite so that we can elect a Republican to the White House."

Republican unity in Massachusetts is even more essential than in most states. This is because the GOP is a minority party in the state - and a beleaguered one at that.

The Republicans currently are shut out of the state's 12-member congressional delegation. Democrats also dominate the state legislature, holding 33 of 40 state Senate seats and 129 of the 154 state House seats.

The Republicans have managed to hold the governor's office for the past 10 years. But Cellucci has suffered from poor public approval ratings, and Swift has faced controversy, including accusations that she had state aides baby-sit her daughter.

On top of this is the turbulence of this year's Senate contest. Businessman Jack E. Robinson III was the only Republican who filed to challenge Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Plagued by questions about his personal background and ostracized by much of the state party leadership, Robinson was declared ineligible in late June after state officials said he had fallen 14 signatures short of the 10,000 needed to qualify. But the state's highest court on July 18 reinstated him to the ballot.

MASSACHUSETTS NOTABLES: Gov. Paul Cellucci; Lt. Gov. Jane Swift.