Secretary of State: Michigan Republicans can't stop using primary elections

Lansing — Current state law prohibits the Michigan Republican Party from starting to use caucuses, instead of primary elections, to nominate candidates, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's office said Monday.

Over the weekend, supporters of Kristina Karamo, whose role as the Michigan GOP's chairwoman is currently being challenged, unveiled a proposal to shift away from primaries where registered voters can cast ballots and toward caucus meetings where precinct delegates would have control. The plan, if somehow enacted, would affect races for all partisan positions currently on the ballot, except precinct delegate and president, according to the language of the motion for the change.

The Michigan Republican Party detailed the idea, described as the "Better Political Representation Motion," in an email that said it would be discussed at a GOP state committee meeting scheduled for Saturday in Houghton Lake.

However, asked on Monday if the Michigan GOP can legally stop using primary elections to nominate candidates, Angela Benander, spokeswoman for Benson, a Democrat, replied, "Under current law, no, they cannot."

Supporters of the proposed fundamental change to Michigan politics, including Joel Studebaker, Karamo's deputy chief of staff, have argued that moving to a caucus system would help the party nominate "real actual Republicans who have a constitutional backbone."

Michigan doesn't register voters by party, meaning voters get to decide which primary ballot to use in August: Republican or Democrat.

Dan Bonamie, the Michigan Republican Party's budget chairman, said under the proposed system, it would be up to delegates to determine whether candidates are "enough Republican or not to be carrying that R next to their name."

Studebaker didn't immediately respond Monday to a request for comment. But the motion for caucuses argued that the Constitution's freedom of association guaranteed the party's right to decide for itself how to nominate its candidates for general elections in November.

State law, however, sets up a system where the major parties, the Democrats and Republicans, have to nominate candidates for most elected offices through primary elections in August.

Some prominent Republicans blasted the party's caucus idea over the weekend.

Republican voters should select their nominees through a primary, Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, said in a post on social media.

"Hopefully, the folks at the party can focus on turning out Republican voters and help Republican candidates win in 2024, instead of working to disenfranchise millions of hardworking Republican voters," Nesbitt said.

There are currently about 7,000 elected Republican precinct delegates across the state. That number represents 0.6% of the more than 1 million people who participated in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2022.

Tudor Dixon, the 2022 Republican nominee for governor, bashed the proposal to shift to caucuses.

"The Michigan Republican Party has a very distinct responsibility, which is supporting candidates nominated by Republican voters, ensuring election laws are followed, and educating voters about the Republican platform," Dixon said. "None of what is transpiring now is going to accomplish any of those objectives."

cmauger@detroitnews.com