LEXINGTON COUNTY GOP BANQUET

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, sought Thursday to clear up any confusion South Carolina voters might have about his stance on abortion.

In the past, he has said he favors a woman’s right to choose. During his losing race against U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy in 1994, he said he supported the “substance” of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made abortion legal. Romney said he wanted to keep abortion “safe and legal.”

Today, he has a new stance that has evolved over a period of time, Romney said in an interview with The State newspaper prior to addressing the annual Lexington County GOP Bronze Elephant Banquet.

Romney, a Mormon, said what changed him was the focus on stem cell research.

“I studied it long and hard. And when I came out of the process, I said I would not support embryo farming or embryo cloning for research or anything.”

“I’m pro-life,” he declared. “So, the issue is settled.”

Skeptics suggest that he did an about face on the abortion issue because he knew he was going to run for the presidency in 2008 and needed to reach out to conservative Christians, who make up a large part of the GOP base.

Earlier, Romney spoke at The Citadel, where he told any doubters that he is a complete conservative — fiscally and socially.

This was Romney’s third trip to South Carolina, home of the first-in-the-South presidential primary. No Republican has ever won the White House without first winning South Carolina.

Is he running?

“I’m keeping my options open,” Romney said.

He acknowledged that South Carolina is a critical state in the primary process.

“Your state provides a real service to the nation. South Carolina examines the candidates early and vets them. And it has been pretty good in picking who the nominee is going to be,” Romney noted.

Romney, who is testing the presidential waters here, said it’s too early to be making any decisions. He noted the election is nearly two years away, and “that’s a lifetime in politics.”

Asked how a Mormon like he might fair in a state like South Carolina with a heavy Southern Baptist population and where many folks call themselves evangelical Christians?

Romney said, “Most people in South Carolina want a person of faith as their leader. But they don’t care what brand of faith that is.

“There are some, a much smaller group, who say I agree with that but I’d just as soon not vote for a Mormon all other things being equal.

“Generally, all things are not equal. And if I were to get into this race, it would be because I was convinced that all other things weren’t equal.

“And then there are a tiny group of people who wouldn’t vote for a Mormon no mater what. I won’t get them.”

For any evangelicals who have doubts about Romney, he said, “I believe Jesus Christ is my savior. I believe in God. I’m a person of faith and I believe that’s the type of person Americans want.”

Reach Bandy at (803) 771-8648 or lbandy@thestate.com.