State Parties Trying To Make It Harder For Trump To Get On GOP Primary Ballot

Republican presidential candidate businessman Donald Trump listens to a question from the media during an availability before his public event, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

As Donald Trump continues to garner attention and traction in the polls, two state Republican parties are trying to place obstacles in the real estate mogul’s path to the Republican nomination.

The Republican parties in Virginia and North Carolina are both considering forcing candidates to sign a pledge that they will not run as an independent in order to qualify for the GOP primary ballot, according to Politico. The move could either keep Trump off of the ballot or keep him from launching an independent bid if he loses the Republican nomination.

Virginia GOP Chairman John Whitbeck told Politico that the pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee “isn’t about any single candidate.” He said that the party is considering numerous new rules.

“It happens to be one of the things that we are discussing for the 2016 primary,” he said.

Republican officials in North Carolina have been consulting lawyers as to how to implement the new rule, according to Politico. Both parties will have to submit final rules to the Republican National Committee by Oct. 1.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for imkmu3 imkmu3 says:

    The Republican parties in Virginia and North Carolina are both considering forcing candidates to sign a pledge that they will not run as an independent in order to qualify for the GOP primary ballot, according to Politico. The move could either keep Trump off of the ballot or keep him from launching an independent bid if he loses the Republican nomination.

    Is that even legal? (Serious question.) Regardless, it does show just how terrified the GOP is of Trump.

  2. Very likely not. Even if it is, it could severely bankrupt the state parties by causing Trump to sue them over it and that would then drain them of a lot of funds.

  3. … the pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee “isn’t about any single candidate.” … “It happens to be one of the things that we are discussing for the 2016 primary.”

    Hardy-har-har

  4. Think of it as a ‘Voter ID Law’ for the GOP candidates. That way it’s more palatable for the rest of the party to support.

  5. There’s nothing at all to keep Trump from agreeing up front to support the GOP nominee, and then backing off that agreement and running as a third party candidate over some imagined slight or disrespect from the party should he not get the nomination.
    If the state parties think they can keep that from happening they’re living in a dream world…Trump plays by his own rules.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

104 more replies

Participants

Avatar for paulw Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for overreach_this Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for gojira Avatar for dv01 Avatar for lonewolf_93 Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for semiotix Avatar for mcbain Avatar for pdxer Avatar for mantan Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for leeks Avatar for starquest Avatar for neal_anderthal Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for misterneutron Avatar for albesure Avatar for edhedh Avatar for ljb860 Avatar for daddy0298 Avatar for delmar

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: