As GOP leaders gathered in St. Paul, Minn., for the 2008 Republican National Convention, they noted that Minnesota was one of the few heartland states to still have a GOP governor. Ten years ago, Republicans held such posts in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, the Washington Web site Politico reported Tuesday.

Party officials gave varying reasons and prescriptions for the situation, but largely agreed that the GOP's emphasis on ideologically divisive issues had alienated many moderate Midwestern voters, Politico reported.

"You've got to deal with things that affect people's lives," House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, told Politico. "Lower taxes, better schools, back to the basics."

"We haven't been that good on jobs and the economy," added Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich. "Democrats have really hammered us on trade and manufacturing."

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the lone GOP governor in the region, said the party should accept that people turn to government in hard times.

"Republicans should recruit candidates who are reformers, populists," he said.