But the Manheim Township Republican’s steadfast defense of fatter paychecks for all in Harrisburg has had a steep political price back home: his party’s support.

The GOP in Baldwin’s 97th District appears poised to ditch its two-term incumbent, an extraordinary move in Lancaster County politics.

In an informal straw poll Tuesday night, rank-and-file Republicans in Manheim and Warwick townships overwhelmingly backed challenger John C. Bear for Baldwin’s seat.

In fact, the two committees jointly awarded more votes to a third, virtually unknown candidate — Steven C. Mentzer — than they did to Baldwin.

“I think people are still upset with Baldwin’s vote on the pay raise,” said Calvin “Jerry” Flury Jr., a Manheim Township committeeman. “It has been repealed, but Roy told us in a meeting that he would not vote for the repeal, that he felt he was justified. There are committee people who don’t agree.”

Of the 56 Republicans voting Tuesday night, 30 supported Bear, 16 chose Mentzer, and only 10 favored Baldwin.

Straw-poll votes are designed to test candidates’ strength prior to the Republican County Convention, which will be held this year on Feb. 15 and 16. Each candidate was given 10 minutes to address or answer questions from the 97th District committee members. Baldwin tried to convince them he was sorry about supporting the pay raise.

“I talked about that I was sorry about the pay raise, it was a mistake, and I talked about being accessible and approachable to the constituents,” Baldwin recalled this morning.

But in what some believe is a bad sign for Baldwin, the committees then asked only one brief question of him: Would he run without the party endorsement?

“I said I’m here to get the endorsement and, you know, the final road isn’t until February the 15th and I’ll think long and hard whether I will,” Baldwin recalled. “I’m not going to commit at this point.”

The outcome of Republican Party endorsement races here often determines who wins office; most candidates drop out of their primary race if an opposing candidate has their party’s blessing.

This morning Baldwin would not rule out running against an endorsed candidate, as he did in 2002, but said he would talk to his advisers about it.

“I obviously want the endorsement. That’s what I’m going after. I have to obviously change some minds between now and February 15,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin’s one saving grace is that Bear did not win the two-thirds majority Tuesday that he’ll need for party endorsement in February. Though Bear is the clear front-runner, his 30 straw-poll votes equal about 54 percent of those cast.

Some of the 70 committee people in the 97th District were absent from the meeting. If all of them show up for the convention next month, a candidate will need 47 to secure the endorsement.

If no candidate meets that threshold, it will be considered a significant victory for Baldwin, who would remain in the race and have the advantage of tapping into campaign money from Harrisburg.

This morning, Bear said he was pleased by the results, but added, “I feel I have a little more work to do.

“I’m going to go back (to committee people) and continue where I left off, and those who are still deciding, I’m going to tell them why I’m the best candidate and reach out to those folks once again,” he said.

Bear is running as a reform candidate and has said he will turn down perks that come with the job of state lawmaker. Baldwin takes advantage of many of those perks.

“We have a great opportunity for the party to restore trust and integrity in the legislative process,” he said he told the committee. “We can take ownership of some of the things that have gone wrong, and it starts tonight with your vote.”

Bear long has been considered the front-runner in the endorsement process. He has been a Republican state committeeman since May 2004, and serves as borough councilman in Lititz. He was chairman of the Warwick GOP from 2001 through June 2004.

But the level of Bear’s support Tuesday evening was surprising even to Baldwin. “I was hoping to get more than I did, but obviously I didn’t. Yes, I was surprised,” Baldwin said. “It was clear he had strong relationships up there.”

Mentzer, who formerly led the Lancaster County Council of Churches, said he was encouraged by the results and says he will work to win more votes.

“I’m not a career politician. I have no interest in being a career politician. I’m not a political insider,” he said. “I think over the next month the committee is going to realize that voters need true reform, and I think they’re going to come to the realization that I’m their best shot.”

In a separate vote among the 97th committees, Warwick Township ag consultant Michael W. Brubaker won the straw poll for retiring state Sen. Noah W. Wenger’s seat.

Of 29 votes cast, Brubaker won 18. Former GOP Chairman Chet Beiler got eight, and Rapho Township supervisor, farmer and bank executive Lowell Fry got three. East Hempfield Township supervisor Heidi Wheaton got no votes.

It was the second straw poll in that race. The first was held Monday in the 98th district. Brubaker is ahead overall in straw-poll votes. He has 20 to Beiler’s 11 and Fry’s 9. Wheaton has gotten no votes.