By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO
In mid-March, the Alaska Republican Party State Central Committee voted, by a 77% majority, to find that its U.S. Senate incumbent, Lisa Murkowski, had engaged in actions detrimental to the Alaska Republicans or to Republican values and goals. This vote resulted in the ARP:
1) withholding Republican Party support, including financial, from Senator Murkowski; and,
2) the Alaska Republican Party will recruit a Republican Primary Challenger to oppose Senator Murkowski; and,
3) prohibit Senator Murkowski from being a candidate in any Republican primary or participating in any ARP meeting, conventions, or activities.
This action is allowed under Article 1(4)(f)(4) of the Alaska Republican Party rules (see below).
Rule No. 11 (see below) of the Republican National Party (RNP) Rules states the Republican National Committee will not, without local state party approval, contribute any support except the nominee of the local state party.
Yet, with the typical snake oil chicanery of DC politics, the Senate Leadership Fund Super PAC, Senator Mitch McConnell’s political action committee, has endorsed Senator Murkowski.
Does anyone in the ARP and NRP leadership see the problem with this?
Should the ARP leadership and its constituency send a clear message to DC condemning McConnell’s PAC and the snake oil vendors in the Republican swamp that Sen. Murkowski is not supported by her state party and therefore must not be supported nationally?
Consider the March 13 ARP conviction of Senator Murkowski, should all National Republican Party associates, including Senator Mitch McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund Super PAC and, most importantly, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, consider going against our ARP’s decision in a midterm election which is “do or die” for the Republican Party?
The U.S. Senate is the single most exclusive club in the world. It only allows 100 members, yet for the most part, its membership longevity is for life with as many perks as Saudi royalty.
They can argue the semantics of election process, but the point is clear and clean, Lisa Murkowski is not supported by the Alaska Republican Party.
Shouldn’t this be honored by all Republican party leadership?
Article 1(4)(f)(4) If the SCC finds that a Republican incumbent had engaged in actions detrimental to the Alaska Republicans or to Republican values and goals, such as forming a coalition in which Democrats hold the majority when a Republican majority has been elected, the SCC by 60% vote may: (i) withhold Republican Party support, including financial, from that incumbent. (ii) recruit a Republican Primary Challenger to oppose that Republican incumbent and (iii) prohibit the incumbent from being a candidate in any Republican primary or participating in any ARP meetings, conventions or activities.
RULE NO. 11 Candidate Support (a) The Republican National Committee shall not, without the prior written and filed approval of all members of the Republican National Committee from the state involved, contribute money or in-kind aid to any candidate for any public or party office of that state, except the nominee of the Republican Party or a candidate who is unopposed in the Republican primary after the filing deadline for that office. In those states where state law establishes a non-partisan primary in which Republican candidates could participate, but in which the general election may not include a Republican candidate, the candidate endorsed by a convention held under the authority of the state Republican Party shall be recognized by the Republican National Committee as the Republican nominee.
Michael Tavoliero is a realtor at Core Real Estate Group in Eagle River, is active in the Alaska Republican Party and chairs Eaglexit.
