Here’s the full email sent out by the Nevada GOP regarding their June 18 special meeting in Reno:
Dear Friends,
There is a ton of exciting news happening right here with the Nevada Republican Party. Chairman Amodei asked that I send our Central Committee an update on the events that have transpired, actions that our Party will take as a result of these events and the involvement of the Central Committee in the entire process.
Heller Appointment to the United States Senate:
On April 27, 2011, Governor Sandoval announced the appointment of Congressman Dean Heller to the United States Senate. The full release can be found here: Heller Announcement This is a great announcement for Nevadans across the state and it’s definitely a day to be proud of both our Governor as well as Congressman Heller. Make sure you take a moment to read Chairman Amodei’s statement on this important announcement by clicking HERE.
CD2 Special Election:
The last line of Governor Sandoval’s statement is very important. It reads:
“I pledge to work closely with Secretary of State Ross Miller on the timing of the upcoming transition and resulting special election. I have asked Secretary Miller to provide me with information on the rules for conducting this election at his earliest convenience.”
This statement best reflects the state of CD-2 today. Nevadans are in a holding pattern waiting for both Governor Sandoval, who has seven days to call a special election, which must occur within six months of the vacancy and we are waiting for Secretary of State Ross Miller for a clarification on the rules of candidacy. The SOS must make a decision based on two options:
1. Central Committees select their Party nominees,
2. A free-for-all election where individuals file on their own, thus likely leading to several Republicans, a couple of Democrats and a few Independents on the final ballot.
The political ramifications are huge under either scenario.
Special Executive Committee Meeting Re-Cap:
Yesterday, after Governor Sandoval’s announcement, Chairman Amodei called for an emergency E-Board meeting, which took place yesterday evening. The topic of this meeting was the CD-2 special election and the role of the party. The Executive Committee voted to approve, upon signing and approving a contract, to hire legal counsel to represent the best interest of the Party. Under our legal counsel’s interpretation of the law, the Nevada Republican Central Committee per NRS 293.165 shall serve as the official nominating body for Republican Party for the CD-2 special election. Our legal counsel does not believe that a free-for-all general election is the interpretation of the law. The part of the statute that we are referencing reads:
“[A] vacancy occurring in a major or minor party nomination for a partisan office may be filled by a candidate designated by the party central committee of the county or State, as the case may be… ”
The Executive Committee unanimously and firmly believes that this route is the best path in upholding the law as well as preserving our Republican seat. The Executive Committee further believes that it is in the best interest of the State of Nevada that we move forward with the special election expeditiously and smoothly as a Party, in accordance with the law, in order to ensure that the constituents of CD-2 have full representation in Washington, D.C.
Upon advice from our counsel, it must be noted, the entire Central Committee will be responsible for the selection of our CD-2 nominee. This point was discussed and debated, but the final interpretation of the law remains that the full Central Committee body will decide the nominee.
SPECIAL CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING:
We need to move forward expeditiously and fluidly in favor of the ruling the Executive Committee has decided to support. Therefore, we will have a “special” meeting of the Central Committee. This meeting will be held in Northern Nevada on June 18, 2011. We do not have the details finalized for that meeting; however, our committee members began working immediately to get the details ironed out. The logistical details of the meeting will be sent out within the 45 day window as mandated by NRP Bylaws. The Executive Committee agreed to two potential items on that agenda:
1. Election of a Chairman should there be a vacancy,
2. Election of a CD-2 Congressional candidate.
It is the understanding of the Executive Committee that these elections will be in compliance of Article 7 of the Nevada Republican Party Bylaws which state:
ARTICLE 7: ELECTIONS
Section 1 Elections held by the NRCC shall be conducted by ballot unless there is only one nominee for the office, in which case election shall be by voice vote. A majority of those voting will elect, a quorum being present. In elections with more than two candidates, if no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the winner will be decided by a revote between the two candidates who received the most votes. Ties will be decided by drawing of cards, with the high card holder declared the winner.
COUNTY ACTION NOW!
It is critically important that we are prepared for a legal battle on many fronts. The Executive Committee, led by Chairman Amodei, have been very proactive on moving the ball forward and staying one step ahead of the Democrats throughout this process. We have brought onto our team some of the best election and campaign law minds in the state of Nevada. We are also fortunate to have several fantastic Republican candidates who are interested in representing CD-2 in Washington, D.C. The laws, as well as history, are both on the side that the Central Committee should be involved in the nomination process and the election should not be a free-for-all.
The interest of the Executive Committee has always been to allow the Party to participate with this special election in accordance with the law, in a manner that will help Nevada Republicans preserve this incredibly important seat.
We need our County Parties to begin acting now! Please ensure that your Central Committee rosters are up to date, and all delegate spots are filled. Any changes need to be sent to Carol Del Carlo immediately to ensure that all of your delegates will be honored at the “special” Central Committee meeting on June 18th.
Please feel free to contact me or any member of your Executive Committee if you have any questions. It is vital that we remain united in this battle. The Executive Committee is acting on behalf of the best interest of the Party, in accordance with the law. Following the law has been our main priority, there are no other motivating factors.
Thank you for your time, I look forward to seeing you all in June!
Mari Nakashima
Communications Director
