Politico
By Alex Isenstadt
August 24, 2015
Amid
mounting concerns about Donald Trump’s candidacy from the GOP
establishment, Republican leaders in at least two states have found a
way to make life a lot harder
for him.
The
Virginia and North Carolina parties are in discussions about
implementing a new requirement for candidates to qualify for their
primary ballots: that they pledge to
support the Republican presidential nominee — and not run as a
third-party candidate — in the general election.
The
procedural moves are clearly aimed at Trump, who pointedly refused to
rule out a third-party run during the first GOP debate.
They
come amid Republican fears that the real estate mogul is gaining
strength in the primary contest, and that his jeremiads against
undocumented immigrants will alienate
Hispanic voters. Despite coming under a hail of criticism in recent
weeks, Trump has held steady atop state and national polls.
John
Whitbeck, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said the
proposal was among many that the organization was considering as it
sketches out its ballot access
requirements for the 2016 GOP primary. The ultimate decision, he said,
would be made by the 84 members who make up the state party’s central
committee, which is slated to meet on Sept. 19. The requirements must be
submitted to the Republican National Committee
by Oct. 1.
If
implemented, Whitbeck said, the provision would be similar to ones the
party adopted for statewide races held in 2013 and 2014.
“It
happens to be one of the things that we are discussing for the 2016
primary,” said Whitbeck, who expressed confidence that Trump would
eventually commit to supporting
the GOP nominee. He said the aim of the proposal is to unify the party
and “isn’t about any single candidate.”
The
Virginia proposal has earned the support of Ken Cuccinelli, the state’s
former attorney general and 2013 gubernatorial nominee, who has been
promoting the idea to
members of the state party central committee. He has also been in touch
with Whitbeck.
“Anybody
who wants to seek the Republican nomination should have to commit to
supporting the ultimate Republican nominee,” Cuccinelli said in a Monday
interview. “I don’t
see anything wrong with that.”
In
North Carolina, Republican Party officials are considering a similar
move, and are already in talks with lawyers about how best to implement
it.
The
topic recently came up during a meeting of state party staffers and is
expected to be discussed more extensively on conference calls during the
coming weeks. One state
party official said a lawyer would soon be drafting language for a
provision asking each candidate to support the nominee.
A final decision is expected to be made by the party next month ahead of the Oct 1. deadline.
“Everything is on the table,” the official said.
In
both states, organizers said, the goal was the same — to compel Trump,
who has cultivated a passionate following of conservative supporters,
into offering his full
support to the party.
Any
moves to tie Trump’s hands, though, could infuriate the mercurial
billionaire, who has warned that he could bolt the party if GOP leaders
treat him unfairly. A Trump
spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.
Those
involved in the push said the two states are operating independently of
one another, and of the Republican National Committee, which has little
say over how state
parties determine who gets on their primary ballots. To a large degree,
the national party has found its hands tied when it has come to dealing
with Trump.
“Ballot
access usually is regarded as party function,” said Tom Josefiak, a
former RNC chief counsel. “It definitely would be left up to the state
party to decide how
it’s going to operate.”
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