WASHINGTON – Carly Fiorina — one of the White House hopefuls pitching herself to voters as a political outsider — might soon have a handful of endorsements from members of Congress.
Coming out of a closed-door meeting at the Capitol Hill Club with Fiorina and her campaign staff Wednesday evening, several House Republicans repeatedly said they were "very impressed" by her, and some even said they were seriously considering throwing their support behind her.
The former business executive was able to draw members of Congress from across the Republican conference — conservatives and establishment members — at a time when the Republican Party is becoming increasingly fractured. According to members who attended the event billed as a roundtable discussion, Fiorina addressed the standing-room-only crowd for a few minutes, highlighting her background as a business executive and the need to control government spending, and then took questions from attendees.
"She was as impressive with the members and this audience as she was in the debates," said Illinois Rep. Peter Roskam. "Clearly, the only challenge for her now is the high-level of scrutiny that she'll be under. And she's clearly a tier-one candidate — that was not lost on anyone in there. I can clearly see there is a pathway for her to be a nominee."
Roskam added: "There was a wide range of Republican members who were there and her message and her passion and her clarity really resonated with the group."
Reps. Mark Walker and Peter King were among those who said Fiorina was on their short-list of presidential candidates they were considering endorsing.
"She's a strong woman and certainly someone who has gained my respect," Walker said. The North Carolina Republican is deciding between Fiorina and Sen. Marco Rubio.
King, who is deciding between Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Fiorina, stressed that Fiorina wasn't just a sound bite, unlike many other presidential contenders. "Whenever I've seen her, she's been very effective, very knowledgeable," he said.
Fiorina's meeting with House members and staff comes as the former executive has skyrocketed in recent polls after two impressive debate performances. A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Wednesday found Fiorina tied with neurosurgeon Ben Carson in second place at 13%.
The event was organized by South Carolina Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan, who is hosting events for different presidential candidates. So far only two members of Congress — Reps. Candice Miller and Lynn Jenkins — have endorsed Fiorina.
Reps. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas and Mark Meadows of North Carolina — members of a group of conservatives called House Freedom Caucus — said Fiorina's outsider appeal makes her an attractive choice for the conservative wing.
"She's another outsider, and what a time to come to town when you know John Boehner just lost his job, and we're looking for someone new," Huelskamp said.