Maryland Republican Party Fall Convention Preview and Predictions
Another unusual convention brings another election
The Maryland Republican Party Fall Convention will be this Saturday, December 12th at Live! Casino in Hanover. Again, it will be an unusual convention; the Central Committee members will be attending in person but no other people will be permitted to attend. Like the Spring Virtual Convention, the convention will be streamed.
There will also be elections. The elections to date have not been nearly as ridiculous as the Spring Convention’s race for National Committeewoman, where Trump supporters supported Never Trump incumbent Nicolee Ambrose during an ugly campaign. This time the election, to my knowledge, has not been as ugly. There have been emails and accusations of course; after all these are Maryland Republican Party offices. As the old saying goes, “the fights are so big because the stakes are so small.” But here’s a preview.
Chairman: Tony Campbell, Brandon Cooper, Dirk Haire (incumbent)
I personally like all three of these guys. I don’t think I ever remember a Chairman’s race where the 1st Vice-Chairman (Cooper) and 2nd Vice-Chairman (Campbell) challenged the incumbent Chairman (Haire). I think any of them would be fine but honestly, there is no real reason for Dirk Haire to be replaced at this point. He has done yeoman’s work trying to keep the Trump Faction and the anti-Trump Faction together as much as possible and focus on what’s important here in Maryland. I think that the vote will ultimately show that.
Prediction: Dirk Haire
1st Vice-Chairman: Nicole Bennett, Shannon Wright
The 1st Vice-Chairman position is no different statutorily than any other Vice-Chairman position except for the fact that the 1st Vice-Chair is next in line in case of a vacancy in the office of Chairman. This has happened a few times in the 20th century; Louis Pope became Chairman after the resignation of Michael Steele when Steele joined Bob Ehrlich’s ticket in 2002, and Diana Waterman became Chairman after Alex Mooney quit on Maryland to go run for Congress in West Virginia.
This race ultimately comes done to who has accomplished more: Nicole Bennett as Chairman of the Maryland Black Republican Council, or Shannon Wright as the former 3rd Vice-Chair and two-time failed citywide Republican candidate. If people remember anything about Wright’s term as 3rd Vice-Chair, they will remember that she did very little with the position. This race is easy to predict.
Prediction: Nicole Bennett.
2nd Vice-Chairman: Gary Collins, Al Mendelsohn, Nate Samson
This is a race of contrasts. Collins has been a Republican activist in Maryland his entire adult life (save for his time in Utah) and was one of the first to climb aboard the Trump Train. Mendelsohn is a longtime Central Committee member from Baltimore County, including a former Chairman there. Samson is still in college but is both the Wicomico County Central Committee Chairman and a Student Regent for the University System of Maryland.
Admittedly, I have absolutely no idea what happens with this race. I’m not even sure that it will end on the first ballot. But I think it ultimately comes down to where the votes are.
Prediction: Al Mendelsohn (but a very low confidence prediction)
3rd Vice-Chairman: Chris Tomlinson
Secretary: Mark Uncapher
Treasurer: Chris Rosenthal
These three positions are, as of press time, uncontested. Tomlinson is from Carroll County and would be new to the Executive Board. Rosenthal and The Duckpin’s own Uncapher are incumbents who have done a great job and deserve re-election.
The only other business of note this weekend is a vote on a bylaw amendment that would restore the vote of auxiliary groups such as the Maryland Young Republicans, Maryland College Republicans, and the Maryland Federation of Republican Women to the Executive Committee. This is something I accomplished as Maryland YR’s Chairman in 2013 along with Fiona Moodie of the CR’s, but that vote was squandered away by my successor three years later. The auxiliary organizations have certainly shown their worth and mettle the last few years in helping across Maryland to elect Republicans at every level. I know a few elected officials who would say they may owe their victories to YR support. I think those last few years of support will pay dividends.
Prediction: Amendment passes.
Serious analysis wow!