The West Virginia Republican Party Executive Committee is meeting on Saturday to consider closing the state's primary elections.
The proposal would allow only registered Republicans to participate in primaries, including the one in May for the upcoming presidential election.
The move comes after non-affiliated voters, including many Democrats, went out in droves to vote for neoconservative candidate Nikki Haley in New Hampshire. A 70 percent majority of Haley voters were not registered Republicans. Ultra-liberal Hanover, NH had just 841 Republican votes in the 2020 general election. Tonight, the same town has 1,472 votes for Nikki Haley.
This is Democrat election interference, enabled by an insane open-primary system.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 24, 2024
Elgine McArdle, chairwoman of the West Virginia GOP, has expressed disapproval of the proposal.
“It would require that the information be disseminated. It would require education to the individuals who are unaffiliated giving them reasons of why they should convert to Republicans,” McArdle said during an interview on WV MetroNews’ “Talkline.”
“There should be debate. There should be discussion and then make a decision. That can’t happen in 90 days,” McArdle continued. “Changing the rules in the middle of the game is probably not a good idea.”
The move is also opposed by Governor Jim Justice, a former Democrat turned Republican now running for senate.
“From my standpoint, it’s late in the game,” Justice said, according to the MetroNews report. “Why give independents the opportunity to vote in the Democratic primary and not the opportunity to vote in the Republican primary? We’re just going to run independent voters over to the Democratic side. You know, we’re going to take away votes to President Trump, where he could be showing a great big momentum swing here.”
Justice added, “The primary reason is it’s just late, late, late in the game. It costs money. You know, too many things.”
Breitbart News reports, "The Capito family is doing everything in their power to stop conservatives from closing the state primary primary to just GOP voters. Moderate Republican candidate for Governor, Moore Capito – the son of anti-Trump Senator Shelley Moore Capito – knows that his only path to winning the GOP Primary is turning out liberal Democrats to vote for him. On the other side of the issue are West Virginia conservatives like current AG and Gov candidate Patrick Morrisey."
The meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. on January 27 in Charleston.
According to the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office, there are 469,099 registered Republicans, 367,532 registered Democrats, and 286,918 registered voters with no party affiliation in the state.
