With Great Delegate Power Comes Great Responsibility

It all comes down to the delegates. Win ’em, win the nomination.

So who are these all-powerful people? They’re everymen, regular folks with regular jobs, young, old, blue-collar, white-collar — they run the gamut. A majority are selected through state conventions or executive committees consisting of local activists, volunteers, and elected officials. Ultimately, the party leaves them in control of determining the Republican presidential nominee at the convention in July — and the candidates are struggling to lock down their support.

Delegates have come under a microscope lately as Donald Trump and his supporters have been quick to call the delegate system “rigged” and “crooked,” accusing his rival Sen. Ted Cruz of “stealing” delegates. Cruz has worked the landscape much harder than Trump, winning delegates in states where the ground game has been key.

The determination for delegate selection is complex and decided primarily by each state. Most states elect delegates on a proportional basis. There is the possibility for campaigns to wield influence among the delegates before they head to the convention, which could then transpire to a heated floor vote.

LifeZette was able to get in touch with some delegates who will be attending the convention to get their thoughts on a contested convention and their role.

Michael Hensley, a 20-year-old delegate from Tennessee, will be traveling to Cleveland for the Republican National Convention and is excited and optimistic about the opportunity. “I ran as a presidential delegate committed to supporting Sen. Marco Rubio and am therefore bound to him for two rounds of voting as required by the Tennessee Republican Party,” Hensley said. “If no candidate reaches the majority of delegates on the first two ballots, I will choose who to support based on who I believe can best unite our party to secure a victory in November.”

Hensley said it’s important for the delegates to find common ground in what has been a volatile primary. “We have to remember that we all have the same goals for our party and country. While we may disagree on the solutions and path to get there, we must look at that as an opportunity to find common ground and to forge consensus rather than attack the character of those around us.”

Chanel Prunier, a national committeewoman for the Massachusetts Republican Party, is inspired by the amount of involvement in the 2016 election thus far. “I’m encouraged by the unprecedented involvement of Massachusetts grassroots activists in our process,” Prunier said. “We had historic turnout in our Republican primary and I think I am well prepared to represent the grassroots of the party as the process continues and look forward to doing so in Cleveland.” Prunier is bound to Sen. Ted Cruz on the first ballot and plans to vote for him on subsequent ballots.

Rina Shah Bharara, a delegate who will represent Washington, D.C., said this convention is bound to be one for the books. “I am looking forward to what will undoubtedly be a historic convention and I am especially looking forward to the chance to nominate someone who has the best chance of defeating the Democratic nominee in November,” Shah Bharara said. She’s bound to Rubio on the first ballot but says that she has her mind made up on who she will be supporting on subsequent ballots — Never Trump. She has said that candidates other than Trump won in D.C. handily and that’s why she will vote that way on subsequent ballots.

Shah Bharara made her statements public and as a result has received numerous threats from Trump supporters across the country.

Chris Hughes, who is a member of the Tennessee GOP State Executive Committee, will be attending the Republican National Convention as a Trump delegate and is fearful of rules being used against the GOP front-runner. “I do fear that state party leaders and elected officials in individual states are engaged in an effort to deny Mr. Trump the nomination,” Hughes said. But his support for Trump is unwavering regardless of how many ballots it takes. “I will continue to support Mr. Trump because he is the candidate I believe is the best to represent our party and win in November — more importantly, because I have an obligation to the people of my district who chose me to represent them at the convention. I feel like I would almost be committing fraud if I did not fulfill what the people elected me to do, which is represent them and vote for Donald Trump to be our nominee.”

One of the delegates representing New Hampshire will be former U.S. senator John E. Sununu. He is a slated delegate for Gov. Kasich when the convention comes to Cleveland. “I am bound to John Kasich on the first ballot and will vote for him on the second and third ballots,” Sununu said. “I anticipate an open and transparent convention, with no one reaching a majority on the first round.”

Then there are those who are still waiting on their states to hold their conventions in order to determine whether they will be sent to Cleveland.

Matt Walton, is running for an at-large delegate slot at the April 30 Virginia state convention. If elected, he plans to support Gov. John Kasich on the first ballot and plans to continue to support him on subsequent ballots. “Nothing about electing the next president should be taken lightly since our country’s future is at stake,” Walton said.

“Delegates needs to think about who would be the best president and also who can win in November. We ultimately want to win the White House and prevent a Clinton presidency — electability is critical and something that the delegates should think about.”