“I’m very pleased to see that they’re all governors,” said Saul Anuzis, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. “There’s been a sense that it would be great to get someone outside of Washington and to get a governor in that second spot.”  Mr. Romney in particular has emerged as a favorite among state party officials who met him during his failed campaign for the presidential nomination. Many said his fund-raising prowess, coupled with his high national profile and enthusiasm for long days of campaigning, would make him an attractive running mate.  He could also help woo voters in Michigan, his native state, and in the swing state of New Hampshire, and even give Republicans a shot in solidly Democratic Massachusetts, where Senator Barack Obama lost the Democratic primary.  “He’s a great campaigner,” said Robert A. Gleason Jr., the Pennsylvania Republican chairman. “I think he would be dynamite, especially with his background in business and economic affairs.”  Doug McKinney, chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party, said Mr. McCain needed “a pure conservative” who was strong on the economy.  “He admittedly says that the economy is his weak point,” Mr. McKinney said, “so I think he needs to have somebody with a proven record on economics and how to manage a state.”  Some party officials rejected the idea of a running mate from an existing Republican stronghold like South Carolina or Texas, challenging the wisdom of choosing someone who might not add electoral muscle. In contrast, Mr. Crist was cited frequently as a candidate who could help deliver Florida, the swing state where he presides as governor.  “He’s a twofer,” said Mr. Gleason, noting that Mr. Crist was born in Altoona, Pa. “When he’s in Pennsylvania, we’ll promote him as a Pennsylvanian, and when he’s in Florida, he’ll be a Floridian.”  Although the Republicans will face off against a historic Democratic nominee, having a minority member or a woman as Mr. McCain’s running mate is “not a priority,” said Tom Wilson, the New Jersey Republican chairman.  “All those secondary qualities are nice,” Mr. Wilson said, “but they’re deep down the list, in my book.”  Mr. Wilson suggested that if Mr. McCain did decide to choose a woman, he could turn to Carly Fiorina or Meg Whitman, former executives who are now advising the campaign.  Others pointed to a prominent black Republican, Michael Steele, the chairman of Gopac, which tries to groom Republican candidates.  “If we’re worried about race being a question, Michael Steele is a brilliant guy, and no one would question his conservative credentials,” said Mr. McKinney, of West Virginia.  Christopher C. Healy, the party chairman in Connecticut, said he believed that the importance of the vice-presidential nominee was overstated.  “It’s a great parlor game we all play,” Mr. Healy said. “You look back at the Dan Quayle pick, and everybody thought that would be ruinous. And Michael Dukakis won 10 states.”  A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A18 of the New York edition with the headline: 3 Auditioning to Be McCain’s No. 2 Gain Qualified Backing. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Republican leaders gave a tentative nod of approval to three of John McCain’s potential running mates while pointing to other possibilities.