PENSACOLA, Fla. — As Hurricane Sandy closes in on the eastern seaboard, Mitt Romney's campaign announced Saturday it was canceling a scheduled swing through Virginia for the following day.
"It was a cautionary move so that resources would not be diverted in the state," said campaign spokesman Rick Gorka.
Whenever Romney visits a given state, Secret Service generally relies on a significant commitment of local law enforcement to aide in the candidate's protection. But with Virginia squarely in the storm's path, the state will need police officers and fire fighters to be on call to respond to weather-related emergencies.
Instead of attending the three campaign stops he had scheduled in Virginia, Romney will join his running mate, Paul Ryan, in Ohio Sunday, where he will be on his second day of a nine-stop bus tour across the crucial swing state.
Gorka said Romney had discussed the campaign's decision with Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who has been an active surrogate for the Republican nominee.