RNC Rules Member: Nominee Doesn’t Need To Win 8 Primaries
April 20, 2016 | Kerry Picket
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The Republican National Committee’s eight state convention threshold rule could be interpreted differently than anyone expects this summer in Cleveland.
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz 97% argue that Ohio Gov. John Kasich could never become the nominee, because Kasich cannot win eight primary contests to be eligible.
However, RNC Standing Rules Committee member Randy Evans told The Daily Caller at the Spring RNC Meeting Wednesday that a nominee does not need to “win” eight state primary contests to qualify to be put into contention — only the support of eight delegations at the convention.
“You do not have to win them. Because the rules says you have to demonstrate support of the majority of eight states as opposed to you have to win eight states,” Evans said. “So theoretically you could have a state — and the precedent is that’s what it was designed to do, which is to permit a state you didn’t win to nonetheless support putting your name in nomination.”
Known as Rule 40b, the eight state threshold came about at the GOP Tampa Convention in 2012, when the Romney campaign pushed it as a way to deny then-Rep. Ron Paul any chance of getting the nomination. The previous threshold was five states.