Old Line Elephant Maryland Conservative Blog

Ambrose Supports Open Primaries

Since I criticized Scott yesterday, I'll bring up this regarding her opponent in the bid for Republican National Committeewoman from Maryland. Nicolee Ambrose supports open primaries in Maryland. Here's the quote:

The foremost thing to understand about my run for National Committee Woman is that I don’t feel that I should be one of three votes that decides everything for the MD GOP. For an issue such as voting in primaries, I believe whether or not they are open to Independents should only be decided by the vote of an entire MD GOP Convention = all of the Central Committee members from all of Maryland’s counties.

If you are asking for my personal opinion, I think we would have a net gain by allowing I’s to vote in the GOP primaries. Given the disparity in voter registration favoring Dems, I think any measure that engages "out-party" voters and generates excitement in the GOP is beneficial. (Please note, I would feel quite differently if we lived in a state like NH or SC, where we were blessed with an engaged electorate that had significant weight in determining the nation’s GOP Presidential Candidate.) Minimally in Maryland, I think a party-wide discussion of this issue - its pros & cons - and other possible strategies to attract newly affiliated GOP voters is all desirable.

Generating excitement for the GOP is one thing; allowing people who are not members of the party to vote in our primary is another entirely. I disagree with this on a fundamental level. First, what's the incentive for joining the Republican Party if you can vote in the primary as an Independent? One of the draws of affiliating is the fact that you can vote in a primary. Take that incentive away and we may actually see a drop in membership.

Secondly, what benefit have open primaries wrought in other states? We've seen the rise of candidates who are outside the norm of the party faithful. We see candidates who would not support the general party platform succeeding in the primary. We see the potential for a standard bearer who does not represent the mindset of the average party member. It becomes worse if we allow Democrats to vote in the Republican primary as well.

I support closed primaries, everywhere, but starting here at home we should keep them that way. Both this and the gas tax support from Audrey Scott are problematic to me. But, there is a difference. The first is a difference in policy - party positions rarely have an impact on policy. The second is a function of how the party operates. That one has a direct bearing on an internal party position, therefore will have a greater bearing on whom I'd be ready to support for this position.