Alaska Republicans are holding their district-level conventions this month. These grassroots meetings are held in each of Alaska’s 40 House legislative districts and typically occur in even-numbered years.
While several have already occurred, most will be taking place in the coming days and weeks.
These in-person gatherings at churches, community centers and other venues serve as the building blocks for the party’s larger structure. Participants include registered Republican voters who then elect delegates and alternates to the statewide Alaska Republican Party State Convention in May.
Attendees who participate as delegates in the district-level conventions are then eligible to serve as state-level delegates.
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During the district conventions, attendees often discuss and vote on various resolutions, hear from local candidates or officials, elect district officers and committee members, help organize for upcoming elections, recruit volunteers and work to advance the party’s priorities.
These conventions represent a key entry point for greater participation in the party, especially for those interested in influencing platform positions, supporting candidates, or advancing to higher-level roles at the state convention.
For the latest news about upcoming conventions, click here.
7 Comments
If you are a conservative Republican, you are discouraged from voting in these elections in many parts of Alaska. In my mind, this is all the more reason to show up and to vote your conscience, to the chagrin of the establishment. The process of local Republican Party elections is required in all states. The difference is, in each of the other states where I have observed these elections take place, you are able to vote simply because you are a Republican. You show up, you vote, and party officers are chosen by whomever has the most votes. In Alaska, the hold that current party leaders is often so tenuous that they actively discourage Republican voters from showing up and voting them out of office. To discourage you from showing up to vote, your local party bosses will tell you that you need to pay them a fee in order to vote, or that you need to RSVP before you can show up and vote. Whoever heard of RSVPing to an election, or having to pay a fee in order to vote? In the other states I’ve visited, the process is free. Here in the Mat-Su, some local party bosses have already announced publicly that they will charge you $100 just to show up at the door on Election Day and exercise your right to vote for conservative party leaders. They don’t want you to show up. Show up anyway. By discouraging conservative voters from participating, politicians and their employees and relatives are often able to win the party elections for themselves and then run the local Republican Party into the ground (thereby perpetuating the process of discouraging conservatives from participating). It doesn’t take many voters showing up to outnumber the politicians and their employees and family members. They know that. Now you do too. It’s time to take ownership of what is going on in your political backyard (reach out anytime with questions, david.eastman@gmail.com).
Our district convention is in March and is catered. The fee at the door I assume is for food but David Eastman’s comments above do have merit. Is charging anything precluding attendance? District 29 is a small charge but essentially one could view as no attendance allowed unless you pay. At same time there does need to be effort by citizens to get involved and the conventions are several hours so one would want to eat and it takes a commitment of time also. I plan to attend barring any illness or crisis.
We are inundated with perverts in office! George raucher and chief of staff are the latest! Step down, fire, and jail!
Enough
Perverts making democrats look better
I don’t know you Dave Maxwell but your statement about George Rausher calling him a pervert is absolutely one of the most disturbing comments I have ever read. George Rauscher’s chief went to work for a senator before he knew George was going to the senate, I believe. So in a very short time Rep. Rauscher had to pull together a team to staff his office. I have known him for years, and I assure you Rauscher knew very little about this person. He had been in and out working for years in the Legislature. People like Mr. Valdez can exist for years without anyone knowing. Your outrage is just one of complete stupidity
Well Judy, let’s be clear here. Your last name is eledge! I also know George rauscher personally! Ask him! The real problem with rauscher and all those like him is the fact that he is a pacifist? And the problem with pacifist is that they never want to end up in a confrontation. It gets very uncomfortable for them and they don’t want to be caught in a controversial setting. Comfort is always their highest goal! And being unified with everything around them is a higher calling than their actual calling in this case Raucher as a senator; so Judy, if you need understanding as to how people operate within the real world, I just gave you one tidbit, go meditate on it and enjoy your life. Wanna get to know me call me up. I’m in the book.
District Conventions are one of the most basic components of our American Constitutional Republic and I strongly wish more citizens would attend. I have been attending since I returned home to Anchorage from law school and have seen them evolve a lot in the past forty years. If we can elect reasonable School Boards, we could emphasize their role in high school civics classes. Our other community groups and institutions of faith could also help educate as to the availability and importance of this citizen participation option.
Former Senator Dave Donley
Candidate to replace Felix Rivera on the Anchorage Assembly Midtown District 4.
My website is donleyforalaska.com