Michigan Republicans tasked Saturday with allocating 39 of the state’s remaining presidential delegates overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump, a clear sign of his firm grasp on the party’s base ahead of a November election in the critical swing state. While the Michigan GOP has remained entrenched in division, chaos and legal disputes, Saturday’s convention showed that Trump remains the unifying force between the party’s warring factions.
Quick Read
- Delegate Support for Trump: In the Michigan GOP convention, Donald Trump secured an overwhelming majority of the state’s remaining presidential delegates, reinforcing his dominance within the party.
- Unity Amidst Division: Despite ongoing internal conflicts and legal battles within the Michigan GOP, Trump’s influence has unified the party’s factions.
- Primary Victory: Trump’s substantial win in the Michigan Republican primary on February 27, with 68% of the vote, underscored his strong position in the state.
- Delegate Allocation: Trump won 36 of the available presidential delegates, with one district still voting, demonstrating his widespread support across Michigan’s congressional districts.
- Primary Split: The Michigan Republican primary was divided into two parts due to state Democrats’ decision to move the primary earlier, contravening national GOP rules.
- Leadership Transition: A court ruling confirmed the removal of former Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo, officially transitioning leadership to former Rep. Pete Hoekstra.
- Convention Participation: Some county GOP parties were unable to send delegates to the convention due to registration issues, leading to disputes and alternative conventions.
- Grassroots Concerns: The exclusion of certain counties from the convention has sparked criticism among grassroots members, with claims of the party being “stolen.”
- Trump’s Influence: Trump’s endorsement of Hoekstra and his control over Michigan’s GOP are pivotal as he aims to win the critical swing state in the upcoming November election.
- Voter Appeal: To secure victory in Michigan, Trump needs to extend his appeal beyond his base, particularly in key suburban counties that contributed to his loss in the state four years ago.
The Associated Press has the story:
Divided Michigan GOP finds common ground in nominating Donald Trump
Newslooks- GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) —
Michigan Republicans tasked Saturday with allocating 39 of the state’s remaining presidential delegates overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump, a clear sign of his firm grasp on the party’s base ahead of a November election in the critical swing state.
While the Michigan GOP has remained entrenched in division, chaos and legal disputes, Saturday’s convention showed that Trump remains the unifying force between the party’s warring factions.
Trump won Michigan’s Feb. 27 Republican primary handily, receiving 68% of the vote compared to rival Nikki Haley’s 27%.
That win clearly indicated Trump’s standing in Michigan ahead of November, but most of Michigan’s GOP delegates were awarded Saturday. Trump easily won 36 of the presidential delegates at play — with one congressional district still voting — and received close to 90% of the vote in all congressional districts that had finalized results.
Michigan Republicans were forced to split their primary into two parts after Democrats who control the state government moved Michigan into the early primary states, violating the national Republican party’s rules.
Trump, who has won every presidential contest in which he’s appeared on the ballot and earned 122 delegates, is expected to lock up the party’s nomination soon after Super Tuesday.
Saturday’s convention comes just days after a Kent County judge affirmed that former Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo was removed properly by party members in January. The decision officially hands the state party over to former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, whom the Republican National Committee recognized last month.
Hoekstra called Saturday a “launching” for the new version of the party. State lawmakers and congressional candidates flooded the convention, a welcome sign for a party that most established Republicans have avoided since Karamo became chair.
“It’s an enthusiastic crowd. Recognizing that the job of the party is to win in November and that’s what they’re excited about,” Hoekstra told reporters Saturday.
At least 24 county GOP parties did not send precinct delegates — who are tasked with allocating the presidential delegates — due to not registering for the convention in time. Many of the county GOP parties denied access were loyal to Karamo and had waited to see what the court’s final ruling would be.
Before being ousted and eventually barred from the chair position by a judge, Karamo had planned for the convention to take place at the Huntington Place in Detroit.
In a statement, Daire Rendon, chairwoman for the 1st Congressional District Republican committee, called Hoekstra’s decision not to let some counties attend “not acceptable” and said that the group denied access would be holding their own convention in northern Michigan.
“The grassroots are watching their party being stolen from them,” said Rendon, a former GOP state representative who is on trial for tampering with election machines following the 2020 election.
Counties had been given multiple warnings to register for the Grand Rapids convention before the deadline, according to Oakland County GOP chair Vance Patrick. He added that alternate delegates would fill slots vacated by the absent county parties.
Cindy Banner, a precinct delegate from Charlevoix County, drove nearly 200 miles to attend Saturday’s convention. She was turned away at the door and told she wouldn’t be able to vote because her county hadn’t been credentialed.
“I was voted in by my constituents. Are those not enough credentials?” said Banner.
While the intraparty disputes continued Saturday, they had little impact on the allocation of presidential delegates. Trump has a firm grasp on nearly all aspects of Michigan’s Republican Party and endorsed Hoekstra amid the intra-party squabble this winter.
Appealing to voters outside of Trump’s base will likely be a deciding factor in whether he can win the critical swing state in November. In Tuesday’s primary, Trump did worse in suburban counties such as Oakland and Kent, which were key in his loss of Michigan four years ago.
Robert Zelle, a precinct delegate from Saginaw, had initially supported Ben Carson for president in 2016 but said he eventually voted for Trump because he’s a “businessman” who “can’t be bought.” To win Michigan this year, Zelle said that Trump needs to display more “demonstrate compassion” for communities such as his “that are struggling.”
“You’ve got to demonstrate to the people that you care about them,” said Zelle. “You can’t care about somebody but you won’t to go to the inner city.”
