EXCLUSIVE: NEVADA GOP OUTLINES ENDORSEMENTS PROCESS
On the eve of the Nevada Republican Party’s state
convention, the Nominations Committee has completed a document that will be
inserted in delegates’ bags tomorrow which fully explains why the party is
abandoning its traditional policy of neutrality in GOP primaries, as well as outlines
the criteria for voting in each contested race.
At the party’s Central Committee meeting in Fallon in
February, the Committee decided to delay the voting on endorsements until
tomorrow’s convention for two reasons…
1.) To wait until
after official filing for office was over
2.) To allow all elected
convention delegates, not just the Central Committee, to participate.
How the candidates will be handled on the ballot has been
slightly modified, as well. If I
understand the document correctly, here’s a general idea of how the process
will work. (Bear in mind, it’s still
possible that the convention delegates could still alter this process at the
convention tomorrow.)
Candidates who opted to participate in the Nominations
Committee’s review process will be either “recommended” or won’t. Only the names of those candidates who have
been recommended will be on the ballot.
In order to get the party’s official endorsement,
recommended candidates will need to get 50 percent+one of the vote. However, there will also be an option to vote
against endorsing candidates. So even a
candidate who is the only named candidate on the ballot could still end up not
being endorsed by convention delegates.
In addition, in some races it’s possible that both
candidates will have gone through the review process and both will receive an
up-or-down endorsement vote tomorrow.
For instance, let’s say both Niger Innis and Cresent Hardy completed the
review process and both received a recommendation by the Nominations Committee.
In that case, there will be a vote to endorse Niger Innis or
not endorse Niger Innis. Then there will
be a second and separate vote to endorse Cresent Hardy or not endorse Cresent
Hardy. If both candidates receive more
than 50 percent+one of the vote, then both will be able to say they’ve received
the party’s official endorsement in the 4th Congressional District
race.
There is an exception to the above, however.
Apparently, in races where none of the candidates have been
recommended by the Nominations Committee or chose to participate in the process,
the names of all of those candidates will be on the ballot. And if any of them receives 50 percent+one of
the vote, they’ll get the endorsement.
For example, Gov. Sandoval opted not to go through the
review process. But just because his
four primary opponents might have gone through the evaluation process, doesn’t
mean either will receive the Nominations Committee’s recommendation. In that case, all five will be on the
ballot.
So it’s still possible for the governor to receive the party’s
endorsement even though he boycotted the endorsement process and is boycotting
the convention itself. (Shameful)
It’s still a little confusing, but nowhere near as confusing
as it was when there were two different tiers of votes needed to get the endorsement.
This much I do know.
The party is absolutely doing the right thing in showing leadership and
responsibility with this endorsement policy.
And after tomorrow’s convention, the new Central Committee will take a
look at how it went and tweak it further for future elections.
The days of playing Switzerland are over. Party members are now fully engaged in the
nominations process.
As they should be.
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