Romney will arrive in Tampa on Tuesday for RNC

TAMPA, Fla. — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign confirmed Monday night he will arrive Tuesday in Tampa.

It's a move to get his supporters fired up. With the convention set to get into high gear Tuesday, people are more than ready.

North Carolina's 55 delegates arrive Tuesday on the convention floor at The Forum.

For many, including Pat Smith from Gaston County, it will be their first time to be inside the arena away from their hotel. It's also Smith’s first convention ever.

“I'm looking forward to just the process. Seeing how all of this works behind the scenes,” she said.

She and the other delegates will get to see it from these seats on the arena floor, just a few rows from the stage and just left of the podium.

“It's a good spot and goes to show North Carolina's role in this year's presidential race,” Smith said.

Matthew Ridenhour is a delegate from Charlotte and it's not just the prime-time speeches from the political big names that he's looking forward to. He wants to learn from other people in Tampa.

“Finding out what they're doing in their districts to get Repuclicans elected and maybe try to learn from them and bring some of that back here to Mecklenburg County,” Ridenhour said.

South Carolina's delegates will be seated opposite of North Carolina when South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley takes the convention stage at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

She told Eyewitness News she's still working on it.

“The speech is comin'.  We're workin' on it fine,” Haley said. “I've written it and gone through it and talked about it and changed and changed it.”

As the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaac move out, people in Tampa are ready for a convention and to celebrate their candidate.

WSOC