Paul's Backers 'A New Force' In Virginia GOP

TAMPA, Fla. -- They're young, energetic and, increasingly, a healthy slice of the Republican Party.

Virginia supporters of Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who sought the GOP presidential nomination, have in recent years begun to shift from campaigning to organizing. They have made inroads in local and state politics and hold a visible presence here in Virginia's delegation to the Republican National Convention.

Paul is allotted three delegates based on vote totals in Virginia's GOP primary in which he finished second to Mitt Romney, but one supporter estimates that roughly two dozen of the 49 delegates and 46 alternates in Tampa are Paul backers.

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