In her weekly column, Nancy Churchill explains what opportunities Washingtonians have to participate in their county’s Republican Caucus on Jan. 13
Nancy Churchill
Dangerous Rhetoric
You may have noticed that the 2024 presidential campaign is well underway. I know it seems early, but this month you’ll have a chance to influence the presidential race in Washington!
So far in our state, three Republican candidates have qualified to be on our presidential ballot: Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Donald Trump. You can support your favorite presidential candidate IN PERSON at your county’s Republican Caucus on Saturday, Jan. 13. On this date from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Republicans in each county will gather to caucus about the presidential candidates and important issues. Be sure to arrive early so you can get checked-in by the 10 a.m. start.
You will be required to prove which precinct you live in, so please bring your voter ID or driver’s license. You will also be required to sign an affidavit that you will not participate in the Democrat caucuses. Depending on which precinct you live in, the location is different, so please contact your local party to find your precinct location. You can also find the information on the WSRP website at: wsrp.org/assets/uploads/2023/12/Pooled-Caucus-Locations.pdf.
What happens at a Republican Caucus?
A caucus is an in-person gathering of local Republicans. The purpose of the caucus is to discuss the issues that are most important to us, and to elect delegates to attend our county Republican convention. The delegates to the county convention will have the opportunity to be elected to attend the state convention, and maybe even to go to the national Republican convention.
Because these county delegates may become state or national delegates it is also important for us to discuss each of the Republican presidential candidates and know who has the most support in our county.
Why become a delegate?
Republicans in Washington are sick and tired of losing, and one of the reasons we lose is the jungle primary. When we had a primary for each party, local Republican committees traditionally waited until after the primary to “let the people decide” on the best Republican candidate.
After the jungle primary was introduced, our multiple good Republican candidates undercut each other, with the result of sending two Democrats on to the general election. We need a way to “vote” on Republican candidates BEFORE the August primary, in order to rally support behind the strongest Republican candidate.
This year we’ll have an opportunity to endorse statewide candidates at the state Republican convention in April. That means delegates to the State Convention will be able to vote IN PERSON for the best Republican statewide candidates. So at this year’s caucus, we’ll also be discussing candidates who have declared for governor and other statewide races.
Are you ready for change?
Are you over taxed? Are you tired of the green new steal and high gas prices? What do you think about jobs leaving town and runaway inflation? Are you tired of over regulation throttling your business and limiting homebuilding? Is the weaponization of government against the people OK with you? Crime, immigration, fentanyl, election integrity…So many unnecessary problems created by bad government.
It’s time to start paying attention and get involved in politics at the local level.
Begin your political adventure by attending your local Republican county caucus on Jan. 13. Join the conversation with your neighbors and make plans to become a delegate to your County Convention and maybe even the state Republican Convention. Also in January, continue your political action journey by paying attention to the upcoming Washington legislative session that starts Jan. 8. There are several special interest groups out there that will teach you how to follow a bill from introduction to passage, and how to testify for or against the potential law.
Your testimony and participation DOES make a difference! You can learn more about influencing legislation in Washington state at influencingolympia.com, a no-cost educational project that I have been developing for several years. I hope to see you using your voice and expertise to influence Olympia this year!
Nancy Churchill is the state committeewoman for the Ferry County Republican Party. She may be reached at DangerousRhetoric@pm.me. The opinions expressed in Dangerous Rhetoric are her own.
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