Here are six things to watch as they gather for the state GOP convention, where endorsements will likely reveal rifts between conservatives and moderates.
By: Jerry Cornfield – April 17, 2024
THE WASHINGTON STANDARD
Thousands of Republican activists are gathering for their party convention in Spokane this week – a three-day fete to organize and energize the grassroots heading into election season.
This year’s event could get bumpy, even chaotic, say attendees. Some fret the main event of endorsing torchbearers will devolve into a showdown between conservative purists and pragmatists keen to select candidates best positioned to defeat Democrats.
Former president Donald Trump holds sway over the hearts and minds of a majority of delegates who are expected to endorse candidates with whom they are politically simpatico – even if those folks are long-shots in November.
Meanwhile, better-known and financed Republican office-seekers – Dave Reichert, Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse, for example – may not get endorsed since they don’t hold tickets on the Trump train. But they’re planning to keep running regardless.
“There’s going to be drama. Everything is not already decided,” said Jim Walsh, chair of the Washington State Republican Party and a state lawmaker. “This is what people wanted. They wanted a real convention.”