If you’re a member of the Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA), you’ve likely heard a lot about county conventions over the past several months. But what are county conventions? And why do we have them? The answers relate to the overall structure of the RPA, and the principle of a bottom-up political process.
Most Republican Party members are aware that there’s a State Committee, a sort of ‘governing board’ for the party, which meets twice a year to make major decisions about how the RPA will operate. What many may not realize is that this governing board is operating on delegated authority.
The highest authority in the Republican Party of Arkansas is the State Convention, which is held once every two years. Unlike the State Committee (state board), which is about half ex-officio members – meaning public officials who have an automatic seat as an adjunct privilege for holding public office – the State Convention is composed entirely of individuals elected directly by their counties for that purpose.
The State Convention is “The final authority in all party matters,” (RPA Rules, Article 1, Section 1.B). It is in a sense “the organization of the whole.” Its members come directly from the counties, elected by members of said counties.
It is the clearest reflection of the political will of Republicans in Arkansas.
But assembling this body and accommodating meetings of 600 or more members is cumbersome, and therefore the State Committee and State Executive Committee have delegated interim authority, and run the day-to-day business of the party between conventions.
Needless to say, the State Convention is a crucial opportunity for Arkansas’s Republicans to give clear orders and direction for how the Republican Party is to be run. It’s the only time that counties are represented by more than a handful of people, with most counties qualifying for 10+ delegates, and some garnering as many as 50+.
Electing these delegates is the primary purpose of the County Convention.
Because the State Convention is only one day every two years, delegates do not have to be people who hold regular roles within the RPA. They can be local moms and dads who don’t have time for monthly meetings; they can be local mayors and city councilmen; they can be eager teens, or just neighbors who are curious about the political process and want to make a difference.
See Article 1 Sections 6.A in the RPA Rules to calculate the number of delegates your county is allowed, and try to elect a full complement. The more delegates you bring, the bigger your county’s voice. This is your chance to be heard!
*Remember that only members elected by name at a county convention can attend the State Convention as delegates. Proxies are not allowed at conventions.
