Hundreds Gather for Santorum Rally at Jelly Belly

Hundreds of people have gathered at the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield this afternoon for a rally held by Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum.

The former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania is giving a speech at the candy factory's visitor center this afternoon to ramp up support for his campaign. The speech was still under way as of 4:20 p.m.

Shortly before Santorum began speaking, a large crowd of people, including dozens of children, milled around the visitor center's conference room.

Many toted Santorum campaign signs, and a few carried their own homemade placards bearing messages including "Character Counts" and "We need you, Rick!"

Some people waited for hours at the factory in anticipation of Santorum's arrival.

"We think he's great," said Kathy Ross, 63, of Placerville, who was with Charlotte Moreno, 68, also of Placerville, and Cathy Cook, 60, of San Jose.

"He stands for what we believe in ... I think he's the most honest candidate," Ross said.

The rally is followed by a 5 p.m. private fundraiser at the Jelly Belly factory, and Santorum will then head to another evening fundraiser at a home in Alamo.

 

By Bay City News Service