Delegates down to 5, but in Trump’s corner
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When the Republican National Convention renominates Donald Trump for president of the United States on Monday, the Arkansas original delegation leaders won’t be present to cheer him on.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the initial delegation chairman, backed out on Aug. 14, saying “I just think it’s important as we get ready for school that I stay here in the state during this time of emergency.”
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, the delegation vice chairman, offered to replace him, but was unable to gain admission.
“I wanted to go. I planned on going. I wish I were going, but I can’t because by the time the governor decided not to go, the deadline for adding my name had passed,” Griffin said in a telephone interview Saturday.
State Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb said convention rules prevented a last-minute substitution.
“The roster of delegates was finalized on Aug. 1, I found out last week,” Webb said Friday evening. “Because of the virus and testing, we could not add another member.”
Arkansas originally planned to send 40 delegates to support Trump, who won 97.1% of the vote in the party’s March 3 primary.
The group was scaled back to six because of coronavirus-related crowd restrictions in North Carolina.
With Hutchinson absent, the number of delegates is down to five.
When it’s Arkansas’ turn in the roll call of states, the absent members will nonetheless be represented, Webb said.
“The delegates that are not here have signed proxies to those that are here,” Webb said. “We will cast their vote for them.”
In addition to Webb, the other delegates are Attorney General Leslie Rutledge; Republican National Committeeman Jonathan Barnett of Siloam Springs; Republican National Committeewoman Jonelle Fulmer of Fort Smith and J.D. McGehee of Hot
Springs.
This will be the first time since 1996 that Griffin has missed his party’s national gathering.
“I have been fortunate to attend every convention starting in 2000 and am disappointed I can’t this year. I am working hard to reelect the president and confident he will prevail,” he wrote.
“In any event, as a practical matter, Arkansans are contacting me daily for help during these challenging times, and staying in Arkansas will allow me to focus on my work here at home,” he added.
Trump is scheduled to receive his party’s nomination Monday.
The list of 2,550 delegates has been trimmed to roughly 330.
Rather than gathering in the Spectrum Center, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, Republicans will meet in the Charlotte Convention Center.
With the election fewer than 75 days away, Trump continues to enjoy enormous support among Republicans, Webb said.
In Arkansas, “they love President Trump, overwhelmingly,” Webb said. “I think they identify with his battle to clean up Washington, with his plain language. Sometimes, they wish it wasn’t so plain.”
Trump has kept the promises he made, Webb said.
“He did what he said. Whether it’s the wall or tax cuts or making America great again with greater employment, low unemployment,” Webb said.
With the arrival of the coronavirus, unemployment soared, the economy shrank and more than 175,000 Americans have died.
Party members approve of Trump’s leadership during the pandemic, Webb said.
“Arkansans understand, Republicans understand the virus and what the shutdown did. They’re supportive of being patient and rebuilding what was there,” Webb said.