Alabama GOP Chair: McDaniel’s Loss Shows We Need Party Registration

FILE -- In this Feb. 2, 2013 file photo, Bill Armistead talks to supporters after being re-elected chairman of the Alabama Republican Party during a meeting of the State Republican Executive Committee in Birmingham, ... FILE -- In this Feb. 2, 2013 file photo, Bill Armistead talks to supporters after being re-elected chairman of the Alabama Republican Party during a meeting of the State Republican Executive Committee in Birmingham, Ala. Armistead is worried that his party’s primary election won’t be a real Republican event due to Democratic intruders. Armistead says he expects candidates with Democratic views to quality to run as Republicans in the primary election June 3. He says they know they can’t win election running as Democrats in a state where the GOP holds every office elected statewide and two-thirds of the Legislature. Armistead also expects voters who traditionally vote in the Democratic primary to choose the Republican primary because Democrats won’t have much of a primary contest. (AP Photo/Phillip Rawls, File) MORE LESS
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The chairman of Alabama’s Republican Party fears that Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran’s (R) triumph Tuesday over a tea party primary challenger could have a ripple effect on runoff elections in his state unless party registration is implemented.

“I think what happened in Mississippi last night definitely sends a strong signal to us in Alabama that until we have party registration that same kind of thing could happen here in our state,” Chairman Bill Armistead said, as quoted by AL.com.

Cochran squeaked by state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-MS) in the runoff partly because his campaign courted both black voters and Democrats. Alabama has similar open primaries, where a voter could technically vote in one party’s primary and then cross over to vote in another party’s runoff election.

Armistead told AL.com that while he was fine with Republican candidates rallying Democratic support in a general election, he wouldn’t have any of it in primaries or runoffs.

“We don’t need to have Democrats participating in the Republican primary, and until we have party registration, that’s going to happen,” he said.

Armistead has an even tougher stance on voter fraud. Earlier this month he announced that the state party would offer a $1,000 reward to anyone with information about suspected fraud that leads to a felony conviction.

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