Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey will try to buffalo you into believing that the Republican Assembly Caucus doesn’t endorse candidates in GOP primaries. Except, that is, incumbents. Which, um, means the Republican Assembly Caucus DOES, in fact, endorse in GOP primaries. But, whatever.
The point is it does, in fact, go beyond that, as well. No the “Assembly Republican Caucus” itself is not endorsing candidates in GOP primaries, but in certain races the vast majority of caucus members are using their name and title on fundraising invitations which is, no matter how hard Hickey tries to spin it, an endorsement by the Assembly Republican caucus.
Case in point…
There is a Republican primary in the Assembly District 40 race between Jed Block and P.K. O’Neill. Now, because there’s no incumbent – Tax Pledge signer Assemblyman Pete Livermore is retiring – the “Assembly Republican Caucus” is not “officially” endorsing in the race. However…
On a fundraising invitation for Mr. O’Neill on April 14th, invitees are asked to join hosts…
Assemblyman Pat Hickey
Assemblyman Pete Livermore
Assemblyman Paul Anderson
Assemblyman Wes Duncan
Assemblyman John Ellison
Assemblywoman Michele Fiore
Assemblyman Tom Grady
Assemblyman John Hambrick
Assemblyman Cresent Hardy
Assemblyman Randy Kirner
Assemblyman James Oscarson
Assemblyman Lynn Stewart
That’s 12 out of the 15 sitting Republican members of the Assembly using their “Assembly” title to endorse a candidate in a Republican primary. But the “caucus” isn’t endorsing them says Hickey (wink-wink).
Now, I don’t know if Mr. O’Neill is the best candidate for that seat or not. But what I do know is that the Assembly Republican Caucus is absolutely, positively endorsing non-incumbent candidates again this cycle while falsely claiming they are not.
And this is yet another reason why the elected members of the Nevada Republican Central Committee should also be voting on pre-primary endorsements at their convention in Las Vegas in two weeks.
