T. PAUL, Minn. - The new chairman of the Reform Party plans a third vote on the site of the party's 2000 presidential convention to settle a dispute between factions supporting Governor Jesse Ventura and Ross Perot.
''We're starting from scratch,'' Jack Gargan said yesterday, declaring he would set aside earlier votes - one that would put the convention in Long Beach, Calif., the other favoring St. Paul.
Former chairman Russell Verney, a Perot ally, criticized the decision by Gargan, who took over Jan. 1 and is seen as a Ventura ally because the governor supported him for the chairmanship.
On the other hand, Gargan suggested new national committee members who support presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan could sway the vote against Minnesota.
Gargan said he plans a mail-in vote by the 140-member national committee by the end of the month so he does not have to choose between the two previous votes.
The site of the convention has been one of the most visible battles between the supporters of Ventura and those loyal to Perot.
Verney conducted the first vote in September. That went for holding the convention in California. In November, Minnesota chairman Rick McCluhan and California chairman Paul Hale conducted the second vote, a poll of national committee members by mail. Minnesota won.
Verney called McCluhan's vote a ''farce'' and put a $2,000 down payment on the Long Beach site. McCluhan went to federal court and unsuccessfully asked a judge to rule on Minnesota's behalf.
Verney said the party could lose up to $36,000 by not following through on the Long Beach contract.
Ventura is encouraging other candidates to get into the race. Donald Trump will be in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area on Friday to meet with the governor and attend a state party fund-raiser.
Verney said he believes Ventura supporters - including Gargan - want to block a Buchanan candidacy.
