Pick a Side: Lawsuit Filed

RPA, Thurston have violated the rights of State Convention delegates

The growing rift between conservative voters in Arkansas and traditional Republican elites erupted into a federal lawsuit after delegates voted overwhelmingly to make historic changes to the Republican Party of Arkansas at the June 8 State Convention in Rogers.

Although RPA Rules clearly state “The final authority in all party matters shall rest in the biennial Republican State Convention,” on July 25, RPA Chair Joseph Wood and Rules Committee Chair Bilenda Harris-Ritter led the RPA Executive Committee to approve a bogus “ruling” to “nullify” the State Convention’s actions.

Now 13 State Convention delegates, including State Convention Chair Jennifer Lancaster, have filed a lawsuit in federal court to say that delegates’ rights of due process, free speech, and rights “to fully participate in the franchise of elections” are being blocked by the RPA and Secretary of State John Thurston, who refuse to acknowledge the Convention actions that included a Rules change to close the Republican primaries.

Some specific allegations are “That the State Executive Committe has engaged in election interference of its own convention delegates” and

That, in violation of the party rules, the State Executive Committee voted to nullify the convention body’s decision to close the primaries, to require a candidate to be registered as a Republican before filing to run for office as a Republican, and to remove the automatic voting status of elected officials on the RPA’s State Committee.

Plaintiffs in the 14th Amendment action filed on August 26 include 101.1 FM talk radio host / delegate Dave Elswick, Faulkner County activist / delegate Jimmie Cavin, Perry County delegate Al Drinkwater, and several delegates from Saline County.

The suit asks the court to declare that the State Convention actions were a “proper exercise of its power under the RPA rules,” that the defendants violated state and federal law, and that the defendants “may not fail to take immediate action to close the RPA’s primaries and adopt, promulgate, and adhere to the rules changes.”

Here’s the lawsuit (the 6-8-2019 RPA Rules were attached, but we did not replicate those below):