NENC plays “quiet” role in presidential race

Mitt Romney introduced Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his Republican vice presidential running mate Saturday in downtown Norfolk, but northeastern North Carolina played a role in keeping the choice secret until just hours before it was made public.

Ryan flew into Elizabeth City Regional Airport on Friday evening, and stayed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites.

“I didn’t even know that they had been here until the next morning,” said Jeff Barnett, general manager of the hotel on Halstead Boulevard Extended. “They actually did a good job (of keeping it secret).”

Ryan, his family and several campaign staffers dined on food brought over from the Applebee’s on Hughes Boulevard while they went over the speech he would deliver the next morning, according to several media outlets.

“They made multiple reservations a few days prior under a woman’s name,” Barnett said. “I only found out when they picked something up they left in a room and gave a card in case anything else was left…the card indicated the gentleman was in the Romney camp.”

The announcement came the next morning in downtown Norfolk in front of the battleship that bears the name of Ryan’s home state.

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