{"id":2020420,"date":"2023-09-02T16:33:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T20:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maricopa-gop-loses-bid-to-run-its-own-presidential-primary-in-arizona\/"},"modified":"2023-09-02T16:36:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-02T20:36:46","slug":"maricopa-gop-loses-bid-to-run-its-own-presidential-primary-in-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maricopa-gop-loses-bid-to-run-its-own-presidential-primary-in-arizona\/","title":{"rendered":"Maricopa GOP fails to organize independent Arizona presidential primary."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmaricopa-gop-loses-bid-to-run-its-own-presidential-primary-in-arizona%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2020420&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<h2>The Maricopa County GOP&#8217;s \u2062Bid for an Independent Presidential Preference \u200dElection Fails<\/h2>\n<p>The\u200b Maricopa County GOP has failed in its last-minute bid to persuade the \u200bArizona Republican Party to hold its \u200bown\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-ag-demands-maricopa-county-freeze-all-2020-election-materials-releases-statement-on-audit\/\" title=\"Arizona AG Demands Maricopa County Freeze All 2020 Election Materials, Releases Statement On Audit\u00a0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dnc-may-end-iowas-first-in-the-nation-caucuses-in-2024-election\/\" title=\"DNC May End Iowa\u2019s First-in-the-Nation Caucuses in 2024 Election\">presidential preference<\/a> election<\/a>\u2014similar to a primary\u2014and \u2062will instead take part \u200bin a joint taxpayer-funded Democrat and Republican preference election\u2062 in March 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The Maricopa County Republican\u2062 Committee (MCRC) tried\u200b to \u2064convince \u200bArizona Republican Party\u2063 (AZGOP) \u200cchairman Jeff\u200c DeWit to withdraw \u2062the \u2064AZGOP from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maricopa-gop-loses-bid-to-run-its-own-presidential-primary-in-arizona\/\" title=\"Maricopa GOP fails to organize independent Arizona presidential primary.\">government-run 2024 presidential preference election<\/a>\u200d and instead hold its own statewide election for the \u2062GOP presidential nominee.<\/p>\n<p>The MCRC\u2063 said in an \u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/maricopagop.org\/category\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aug. 26 resolution<\/a> that it wanted to &#8220;reclaim election \u200cintegrity&#8221; and have Republicans run their own presidential preference\u2063 election according to rules that include in-person only voting and \u200bhand\u200d counting of results. \u2064The group cited failures during the 2020 election that supposedly resulted in &#8220;hundreds of thousands of illegitimate ballots being counted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/iowa-man-gets-prison-for-threatening-calls-to-arizona-election-officials-5485181\">Iowa Man \u2062Gets Prison for Threatening Calls to Arizona Election Officials<\/a><br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/1\/2023<\/span>\n      <\/li>\n<li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/arizona-to-pay-2-1-million-to-biden-admin-over-makeshift-border-wall-5483903\">Arizona to Pay $2.1 Million to Biden Admin Over Makeshift Border Wall<\/a><br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/31\/2023<\/span>\n      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Craig Berland, MCRC\u2064 chairman, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/rumble.com\/v3ctnxs-final-2.0.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video posted<\/a> on \u200dRumble that the &#8220;historic&#8221;\u200b resolution \u2062sought to &#8220;reclaim our \u200cpresidential preference election\u200c from the \u2063government that has failed us over and over \u2063again and\u2064 to hold the election for our presidential \u200cnominee by the People, for the People,\u2063 one-day, one-vote, \u2062paper ballot, hand count, all\u2064 at the\u200b precinct level.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But the Maricopa County GOP proposal failed to get the backing of\u200d AZGOP leadership.<\/p>\n<p>Arizona&#8217;s presidential\u2063 preference election is similar to its \u2064open primary <a href=\"https:\/\/azsos.gov\/block\/political-party-affiliation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">but differs<\/a> in several ways, including that \u200conly registered \u2062Democrat and Republican party members can\u200c vote in the preference \u2064election, while those\u2063 who are unaffiliated cannot. Independents are\u200c eligible to \u2063vote in Arizona&#8217;s open primaries.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;They\u2062 Can Run Their Own Thing&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>AZGOP \u200bchair Jeff DeWit rejected the MCRC&#8217;s request, meaning that early\u2064 and mail-in\u2063 voting will go \u200con as usual\u2064 on March\u200d 19, 2024,\u200d with registered Republicans casting \u200bvotes for who \u200cthey want to \u2064represent them\u2064 in the presidential election later that year.<\/p>\n<p>In \u2062a letter to party\u200b members <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2023\/09\/01\/maricopa-gop-loses-bid-to-run-its-own-presidential-primary-in-arizona\/70742450007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cited by AZCentral<\/a>, Mr. DeWit said\u200c that a number of obstacles, including time\u2062 and legal constraints, made a Republican-only presidential preference election impossible.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Party has no well-articulated plan to replace \u2063the PPE and \u200bno \u200cmoney\u2062 with \u2064which to communicate\u200d this change to Arizona Republican voters,&#8221; Mr. DeWit wrote,\u2062 per the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. DeWit <a href=\"https:\/\/azcapitoltimes.com\/news\/2023\/09\/01\/state-republicans-can-vote-as-usual-in-next-years-presidential-preference-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told Capitol Media\u200d Services<\/a> \u200c that \u2064the MCRC&#8217;s demands could not be met because\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-mccarthy-rep-gaetz-is-innocent-until-proven-guilty\/\" title=\"Rep. McCarthy: Rep. Gaetz is innocent until proven guilty\">party rules require<\/a> a 30-day \u2064notice to convene a meeting of the AZGOP&#8217;s executive board, while the county party&#8217;s Aug. 26 resolution came just six days before the\u2063 Sept. 1 deadline to notify the Arizona secretary of state whether AZGOP would opt \u2064out of\u2064 the government-run preference \u200delection \u2062in March.<\/p>\n<p>However, Mr. DeWit told the \u2063outlet that he offered a &#8220;compromise solution&#8221; that\u200d would\u2062 allow the Maricopa Republicans to run a &#8220;parallel&#8221; election under its own rules\u2062 (in-person only \u200cvoting with hand counting of ballots and same-day results).<\/p>\n<p>That parallel election would not be \u200dofficial,\u200d however, and would only serve \u200bas a kind of test run and audit, but\u2064 voters would still have\u200b to vote in \u2062the\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dont-be-fooled-h-r-4-is-just-another-power-grab\/\" title=\"Don\u2019t Be Fooled: H.R. 4 Is Just Another Power Grab\">state-run election<\/a>\u200c for their votes to count.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey know the real one is the state election, but they can do basically like a real-time audit if they want,\u201d Mr. \u200dDeWit said, per the outlet.\u2063 \u201cThey can run their own thing and see if their results match. Because they say it can be done\u2062 very cheaply\u2063 and easily and so this gives them a chance\u2062 to.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Plain Stupid&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Asked to \u2064respond\u200d to Mr. DeWit&#8217;s remarks, Mr. Berland\u2064 told Capitol Media\u200c Services\u2064 that he\u200b was opposed to such a\u200b &#8220;compromise,&#8221;\u200b arguing \u200dthat it would confuse \u2062voters and make little sense since the votes in the county-run election wouldn&#8217;t actually count.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That is plain stupid,&#8221; Mr. Berland told the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>Other members of the \u200bMaricopa GOP criticized Mr.\u2063 DeWit&#8217;s \u2064response, accusing him of undermining their efforts \u200dwhile calling for \u200bhis removal from office.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He has betrayed Trump and Arizona and\u200d is a Uniparty RINO\u200d and cannot be trusted with 1 cent of Trumps\u200d money \u200dand must be removed from\u2063 office,&#8221; Brian Ference \u2062said in a statement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brianference.com\/news\/dewit-betrays-arizona-trump-blocks-vote-on-handcount-election-not-run-by-adrian-fontes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">posted on his website<\/a>.\u200c Mr. Ference is a member at \u2064large of \u2064the MCRC executive board.<\/p>\n<p>Dan \u200bFarley, AZGOP Legislative District 4 \u200dchairman, said in \u2062a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDanFarley\/status\/1697620838709940662?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement on social\u200c media<\/a> that Mr.\u200b DeWit&#8217;s message to\u200d party leaders included a message from the state party attorney warning of legal risks \u200dto the MCRC&#8217;s proposal.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Farley said that, per the counsel, \u200beven\u200d if the AZGOP were to run its own presidential preference <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Maricopa County GOP&#8217;s attempt to convince the Arizona Republican Party for a separate presidential preference election has failed. Instead, they will participate in a joint taxpayer-funded preference election with Democrats in March 2024. The Maricopa County Republican Committee (MCRC) sought the support of AZGOP chairman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":2020421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2020420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2020420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2020420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2020420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2020421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2020420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2020420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2020420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}