GEORGETOWN - The front-running Democratic candidate for president is coming to Georgetown for a rally Tuesday, but the location is uncertain after steelworkers union officials withdrew an offer to use their hall.

Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont and the leader of the nine-member Democratic pack in the most recent polls, was scheduled for noon Tuesday at the Steelworkers Local 7898 hall, but national union leaders ordered the local to back out because the steelworkers have endorsed U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri.

Delacey Skinner, spokeswoman for the Dean campaign in South Carolina, said the candidate wanted to come to Georgetown because of job losses at the steel mill and in other sectors, such as textiles.

"Being there with these workers who are really suffering at the hands of the Bush administration really appealed to him," Skinner said.

Job loss in Georgetown fits into Dean's main themes of health care, education and jobs, she said.

The loss of the union hall is not significant, she said, because it may be too small for the expected crowd.

"We're expecting at least 300 people," Skinner said.

Union local President James Sanderson said the weather is expected to be good, so tentative plans are to hold the rally on the grounds of Kaminsky House, a city-owned historical house museum on Front Street downtown.

Organizers like the spot because "the steel mill's right there in the background," Sanderson said.

Georgetown Steel Co. shut down Oct. 20, throwing almost 600 people out of work. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection the next day.

Sanderson offered the union hall to the Dean campaign, but national union officials objected because of their endorsement of Gephardt, he said.

"I didn't even think about them objecting to that," when making the offer, he said.

"If George Bush wanted to come to Georgetown, I'd make the union hall available to him," he said. "It's an honor for us to have a presidential candidate come to Georgetown."

The location was to be decided at a meeting of supporters today.

Dean is the second of the Democratic candidates to visit the county. Al Sharpton has made two visits.