Latest / Commentary - TJ Meadows / Republican Party Exec Committee Control Part of Primary Election

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Republican Party Exec Committee Control Part of Primary Election · Commentary - TJ Meadows

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  Speaker 1: Each election season, there are races buried deep on the ballot.
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  Speaker 1: Most voters barely notice names they've never heard before, offices
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  Speaker 1: they may not fully understand. No giant signs, no parade
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  Speaker 1: of television ads, usually no pack money either. But that
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  Speaker 1: changed this year because suddenly people are spending money on
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  Speaker 1: races for the West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee. And
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  Speaker 1: that should tell you something, because these races are not
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  Speaker 1: really about obscure party positions. They're about who controls the
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  Speaker 1: future direction of the Republican Party in the Mountain state.
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  Speaker 1: Here's why it matters. The Executive Committee determines the agenda
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  Speaker 1: of the state party, and after Republicans lost control of
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  Speaker 1: the state Supreme Court, with many believing backlash from Independence
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  Speaker 1: locked out of the Republican primary played a major role,
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  Speaker 1: the debate overclosed primaries is no longer theoretical, it's now
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  Speaker 1: political reality. Seventeen districts, four committee member elected from each,
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  Speaker 1: along with county chairs and party officers. These are the
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  Speaker 1: people who will eventually decide whether Independence remain shut out
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  Speaker 1: or whether the Republican primary opens again. And the results
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  Speaker 1: offer some clues. Senator Ryan Weld won a committee seat
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  Speaker 1: not exactly known as a champion of keeping the primary closed,
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  Speaker 1: but conservatives favoring the current system scored victories too. Senator
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  Speaker 1: Chris Rose secured a seat he would likely support keeping
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  Speaker 1: the primary closed. In other words, both his sides claimed ground,
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  Speaker 1: but the larger political problem may already be set in motion.
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  Speaker 1: There's little indication independents angry over being excluded are prepared
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  Speaker 1: to simply move on before the twenty twenty sixth general.
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  Speaker 1: In fact, many appear focused on the long game, and
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  Speaker 1: every election cycle the issue remains alive may only intensify
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  Speaker 1: pressure to revisit the policy altogether. Multiple sources told me
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  Speaker 1: last week. Supporters of reopening the primary may currently have
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  Speaker 1: the votes inside the party structure to make it happen,
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  Speaker 1: but politics changes quickly, and make no mistake, Governor Patrick
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  Speaker 1: Morrissey and those aligned with him are expected to fight
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  Speaker 1: aggressively to keep the primary closed. Politically, it benefits him
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  Speaker 1: a closed primary strengthens his position against future Republican challengers.
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  Speaker 1: Then their Senator Shelley Moore Capito. Capitol was more active
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  Speaker 1: in this primary than many can remember, and she picked
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  Speaker 1: up important wins. She's also been part of the Republican
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  Speaker 1: Party's rise in West Virginia longer than almost anyone, which
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  Speaker 1: raises an interesting question. Who truly leads the Republican Party
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  Speaker 1: in West Virginia right now. Morrissey will say it's him,
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  Speaker 1: Others would argue it's still Capitol. One thing is certain,
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  Speaker 1: the fight over the future of the Republican Party and
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  Speaker 1: who gets to participate in choosing that future, is far
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  Speaker 1: from over.