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Suburbanites are prime players in GOP presidential campaigns

All are surprised to find themselves with Gingrich, Romney, Santorum

For one, it began with a simple email. Another took mental notes as he watched, from a college dormitory, a rising star win election to Congress for the first time. The third, who emigrated from Mexico, describes a scenario that could happen only in America.

But each of the suburban residents would become a driving force within one of the three leading GOP presidential contenders' campaigns in Illinois, never envisioning the roles they'd play in the fight for delegates.

Less than two weeks before the March 20 primary, they detail how they got to their respective roles.

<h3 class="briefHead">Keith Hanson</h3>

Position: Illinois With Newt campaign chairman

Hometown: Barrington

Barrington attorney Keith Hanson's relationship with GOP presidential contender Newt Gingrich started with routine legal work. But the deal was really clinched after a note he sent to the former House speaker in a dark hour last summer.

He found himself reading and rereading Gingrich campaign mail pieces that came to his door. One particular item on a hot day last August caught his eye - with an idea about how to repair rural highway bridges in a cost-effective way.

That same day was the Ames, Iowa, GOP caucus, and Hanson saw Gingrich on television - after a poor showing.

"Honestly, as a guy who's done a lot of traveling, he looked a little tired," Hanson said.

So, Hanson sent an email to a friend, a fellow lawyer and business manager for Gingrich, to pass on to to his boss.

"There are at least a couple people in Illinois that will value what he brings to the campaign," it read.

Twenty minutes later, Hanson said, he received a call from a Washington, D.C., area code - which he initially thought was a robocall looking for money. It was Gingrich himself.

At the end of the conversation, Gingrich mentioned that he and wife, Callista, were planning to be in Chicago over Labor Day to attend a showing of a film on Pope John Paul II.

He asked Hanson if they might get together for dinner. Hanson agreed, inviting Gingrich over to his Barrington home. Plans for a small dinner party quickly escalated to include 240 Gingrich supporters and local Tea Party members.

When Gingrich's campaign began to look for delegates and alternates in Illinois, Hanson said, Callista Gingrich called his wife and one thing led to another. Hanson hasn't looked back since.

<h3 class="briefHead">Jon Zahm</h3>

Position: Santorum Illinois campaign director

Hometown: Currently of Osco, longtime Batavia resident

Jon Zahm's first memory of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was in 1989, when Zahm was a student at Villanova University, where Santorum, a graduate of Carmel High School in Mundelein, defeated seven-term Democratic Rep. Doug Walgren by a 2-percentage-point margin after spending much of the campaign criticizing his opponent for living outside the district he represented.

Zahm was hooked.

"It was a door-to-door campaign and it was grass roots," Zahm said. As a lifelong Steelers, Pirates and Penguins fan, Zahm said he decided to keep his eye on this young politician who shared his sports allegiances.

Two years later, despite being "mapped in" to a new, more Democratic-leaning district, Santorum won again. Zahm began viewing Santorum as a potential national figure upon the release of his memoir, "It Takes a Family" - a not-so subtle jab at then-first Lady Hillary Clinton's book, "It Takes a Village."

Zahm, who became a political strategist, said that in 2004, he and a client who was running for Senate in North Dakota met with Santorum in his D.C. office.

With experience as a presidential delegate for Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008, Zahm said he got a call late last fall from a Huckabee national campaign director, gauging his interest in running Santorum's Illinois campaign.

While the Santorum campaign lacks money, Zahm says, it is buoyed by grass-roots energy, and the support of local churches and abortion opponent groups.

"I've always been optimistic. I knew that he's very politically astute. He's been through tough campaigns," Zahm said.

<h3 class="briefHead">Gabriela Wyatt</h3>

Position: Delegate for Mitt Romney, Illinois GOP honorary co-chairman

Hometown: Aurora

Gabriela Wyatt describes her political experience as something that could happen "only in America."

A native of Mexico, Wyatt began volunteering in Kane County Republican politics several years ago.

In 2008, the Motorola senior engineer received a call from House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who explained he was a delegate for presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the 14th Congressional District. Hastert told her he was hoping Wyatt would serve as an alternate delegate.

"Back then, I didn't even know how a delegate team even worked," she said.

Wyatt "campaigned up and down" for Romney, but after he lost the nomination to Arizona Sen. John McCain, she moved onto the McCain staff.

This time around, Wyatt, who in December 2010 was named Illinois GOP co-chair, received a call from Romney Illinois campaign chair and state Treasurer Dan Rutherford.

"I immediately said yes. I was honored," she said. "Here we go again."

Jon Zahm, of Osco and formerly of Batavia, Rick Santorum’s Illinois director
Gabriela Wyatt, of Aurora, a two-time Romney delegate and Illinois GOP honorary co-chair
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