Michigan Republicans approve plan to hold caucuses, along with presidential primary

Lansing — Michigan Republicans approved a plan Saturday to award the majority of the state's delegates in the race for the GOP presidential nomination based on the results of 13 district-level caucus meetings.

The decision, which breaks with recent tradition, came during a closed-door meeting of Michigan's Republican state committee in Grand Rapids, according to three sources with knowledge of the event but who weren't authorized to speak on the party's internal proceedings.

It wasn't immediately clear what the vote tallies were on the resolution. The plan still needs to be officially submitted to the Republican National Committee and needs the committee's official OK.

In a press release Saturday evening, Kristina Karamo, chairwoman of the Michigan Republican party, said the state GOP was attempting to avoid a penalty from the national committee because Democrats in the state Legislature moved the primary date.

"The Michigan Republican Party stands firmly against any attempts to diminish representation of Michigan Republicans," Karamo said. "We are committed to preserving the integrity of the electoral process and guaranteeing that all Michigan voters, regardless of their political affiliation, have an equal opportunity to participate in the primary process."

In the past, a statewide primary election has usually determined how to allocate Michigan's GOP delegates to the Republican national convention, where a presidential candidate is officially nominated.

Next year, that convention will take place in mid-July in Milwaukee with a bevy of candidates hoping to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden, including former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

For 2024, the Democratic-controlled Michigan Legislature, working with the Democratic National Committee, shifted the state's presidential primary from March to Feb. 27. Such a move for Michigan Republicans would violate Republican National Committee rules preventing most states from moving their elections before March 1.

To avoid a substantial penalty from the national party, the Michigan GOP plans to award only 16 of 55 delegates based on the primary's results, according to an amended resolution that went before the state committee Saturday.

Before Saturday's revisions, the resolution said 10 delegate slots would be based on the primary's results.

Under the approved plan, on March 2, after the statewide primary, 13 congressional district caucuses would take place, holding votes to decide how to allocate three delegate slots from each district. That means 39 of the 55 delegates, or about 70%, would be selected through the caucuses.

The proposal has already received criticism from some Republicans.

Jason Cabel Roe, a political strategist and former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, said the proposed system would give Michigan's delegates to Trump because predominantly pro-Trump forces dominate the party's structure.

On Saturday, Matt DePerno, the former Republican nominee for attorney general, said he and other Republicans would sue if the proposal was approved by the state committee. The plan would disenfranchise GOP primary voters and violate state laws, DePerno said.

But Dan Wholihan, chairman of Michigan's 7th Congressional District Republican committee, tweeted Friday the alternative was using the traditional primary process and the state losing the wide majority of its national convention delegates because of RNC rules.

"This proposal isn't perfect, but at least keeps that primary while likely avoiding the penalty," Wholihan tweeted.

Rob Steele, Michigan's Republican national committeeman, said in a statement Saturday that Michigan's delegate total could have been reduced from 55 to 12 if the state GOP went ahead with only the Feb. 27 primary.

"... (T)he MIGOP and RNC  have worked together to give Republican primary voters their full franchise back in their choice for the Republican presidential nomiee," Steele said.

State Sen. Jonathan Lindsey, R-Allen, attended Saturday's state committee gathering and unsuccessfully encouraged party officials to delay the vote on the resolution.

"It seemed to me there were a lot of people with valuable input that could have been added," Lindsey said Saturday. “But I 100% respect the committee’s decision to move forward.”

cmauger@detroitnews.com

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