How the Republican Party Works | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release:

    There are three things you need to keep in mind to understand how you can make a difference in the Republican Party. The first is how the leaders are selected. The second is how the executive committees are selected and the third is how to influence both of those entities.

    The GOP (and Democrat) party is a multi-tiered organization. It begins at the local level, where there are actually two levels. The first is the precinct level.

The precinct meetings

    Any registered Republican may attend and participate in precinct meetings, but only in their own precinct. You must live in the precinct and be a registered Republican there. Precinct meetings are held every other year, after the November elections. This year's meeting will be February 26, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in the Superior Courtroom at the Beaufort County Courthouse. From 6:00 to 7:00 each precinct, led by the current chair, gets organized. At 7:00 the County Chairman gives instructions, including the number of delegates/alternates assigned from each precinct, and the meeting is convened. At the precinct meeting the members present elect the precinct officers (chair, vice chair and secretary) and the delegates to the county convention. Each member present has one vote. The first order of business is to elect a chair. The person elected chair then presides as the vice chair and secretary are elected.

    At the Gilead Precinct meeting a slate will be nominated. The slate will contain the names of the officers, delegates and alternates being nominated. If you wish to be nominated contact the Chair, Lea Blinson before February 26. At the meeting we urge you to support the slate. The reason for this is that each person on the slate will have committed to supporting conservative GOP principles.

    That's really all there is to it. Attend, support the slate of conservative nominees offered and be one of them if you wish and pledge to support conservative GOP principles. If you wish to support someone else that is entirely your right.

The County Convention

    Delegates to the County Convention (March 26, 2013; 6:00 p.m.) elected at the precinct meeting register and pay a $5.00 registration fee. Between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. the delegates present assemble and get organized. At that time it will be decided who will be supported for County Chairman, vice chairs, secretary, treasurer and the executive committee.

    The most important decision made at the county convention is the selection of the chair and executive committee members. These are the people who will actually carry out the party's business for the next two years.

    If you are interested in serving as an officer or on the executive committee you should contact Lea Blinson (945-3316) prior to March 26.

    It is our intention to submit a slate of conservative Republicans to be elected officers and executive committee members. Others will be nominated, but we will submit a slate so the delegates will know something about those nominated---i.e., who those are who have committed to being conservative.

    Also at the County Convention delegates to the Congressional District and State Conventions will be elected. Typically any/all county delegates who volunteer are selected as a delegate or alternate and typically all alternates ultimately are selected. This selection is by rank order according to "first come, first served" in terms of the order in which they volunteered. The commitment you are making is to attend the District and/or State convention, at your expense.

    A note about "conservative Republican." The reason we ask that you commit to this is so those voting to elect officers and delegates know something about whom they are electing. Of course "conservative" means different things to different people, but when delegates are called upon to vote on names they don't know, the "nomination by slate" is the most efficient way to communicate something about the nominees to those voting. Although an oversimplification, experience shows that there are basically two "camps" within the Beaufort County Republican Party: The conservatives and the moderates. Conservatives generally stick to principle and moderates are more willing to compromise with Democrats.

    Thus which segment gets elected determines the direction the party takes for two years. Election by slate is intended to clearly identify which segment each nominee best fits within so the delegates have a clearer choice of who to vote for.

    For this to work, the voting delegates must support the slate offered.