We, the Lewis County Republican Party were honored to attend the 2024 Washington State Republican Party Convention in Spokane from April 18-20. Our delegation brought a record 40 elected representatives from Lewis County, who participated in this historic event. The convention was a great success, and we hope the residents of Lewis County were encouraged by the actions taken. However, we feel the need to address the coverage and mischaracterizations by reporters and the media regarding what transpired at the convention. The convention, attended by over 1800 delegates from all 39 counties in Washington, had the purpose of endorsing candidates for statewide positions, electing delegates to the national convention, and voting on the party’s platform and resolutions.
The delegates, elected at county conventions, came to Spokane to engage in a true grassroots Republican election process, primarily endorsing their choice for the gubernatorial candidate, either Dave Reichert or Semi Bird. The Washington State Republican Party’s Candidate Committee vetted both candidates, initially approving them for the endorsement ballot.
However, late in the process, the Candidates Committee recommended rescinding their approval of Semi Bird, leading to a contentious moment during the convention. Despite this, through the proper process and with an overwhelming majority, the delegates reversed the Committee’s ruling, allowing the endorsement process to proceed. Unfortunately, Dave Reichert, unseen for the duration of the event, decided to withdraw from the process, citing concerns about the party’s integrity. His absence was disappointing for many delegates who supported him and had traveled to advocate for his candidacy.
While the media portrayed the convention as chaotic, we want to clarify that the delegates were orderly and engaged in the process, following “Robert’s Rules of Order”, and the Chair, Jim Walsh, was honorable and ensured a fair outcome.
In the end, Semi Bird was endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party with 72% of the vote. Other endorsements were Joe Kent 3rd Congressional District, Raul Garcia U.S. Senate, David Olson Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Pete Serrano Attorney General, Dale Whitaker Secretary of State, Matt Hawkins Auditor, Judge Dave Larson WA Supreme Court, and Sue Peterson Commissioner of Public Lands. We look forward to supporting all endorsed candidates from this convention and working towards a better future for our state and country. Although the Lewis County Republicans have previously endorsed Semi Bird as the best candidate, we encourage voting your conscience first, and, supporting the winner of the Republican primary second. Our goal is to encourage further discussion and a unified front to bring the best candidate forward in the Republican Primary without splitting the vote against our Democrat contenders.
Respectfully,
The E-Board of the Lewis County Republican Party