State Conventions
The immense effort of precinct delegates to elect America First state delegates at county conventions will culminate in an America First outcome at the following State Convention.
There are 3 different purposes for state conventions (described in more detail below): elect state party leadership, endorse major state office candidates or nominate major state office candidates.
For a better idea of when State Conventions happen, check out the Convention Cycle on this page.
Purposes
ELECT STATE PARTY LEADERSHIP
State Party Leadership is elected at Winter Conventions in every odd year. The evening prior to the state convention, the state delegates and alternates caucus by congressional district to elect 25 members for each Congressional District Committee, of which 7 members also serve on the State Central Committee (the District Chair and 6 others). Read more about party committees here. The congressional district caucus meetings follow an agenda similar to that of a county convention for choosing the county executive committee, described on this page.
The State Party Chair, Co-Chair and 6 Vice Chairs (Administrative, Coalitions, Ethnic, Grassroots, Outreach, Youth) are elected at the state convention.
The National Committeeman and National Committeewoman are the only state party leaders who serve for 4 years and are elected at a different state convention – the Spring State Convention in Presidential Election Years.
ENDORSE MAJOR STATE OFFICE CANDIDATES
At the Spring Convention in Statewide Election Years, state delegates vote to give the Michigan Republican Party endorsement to candidates for the candidates for Secretary of State, Attorney General, Michigan Supreme Court Justices (2), State Board of Education Members (2), Governors of Wayne State University (2), Regents of the University of Michigan (2) and Trustees of Michigan State University. All these same candidates are given the official party nomination at the State Convention just a few months later in August. Endorsing these candidates gives them several extra months to campaign for the General Election, which increases their chances of beating the Democrat candidate.
NOMINATE MAJOR STATE OFFICE CANDIDATES
At the Fall Convention following the August primary election, candidates receive the official party nomination for major state offices.
- In a statewide election year, state delegates nominate the Republican candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General.
- In a presidential election year, Republican Presidential Electors are nominated.
- And at each fall nomination convention, no matter if it’s a statewide or presidential election year, TWO party nominees are chosen for each of these offices: Michigan Supreme Court Justices, State Board of Education Members, Governors of Wayne State University, Regents of the University of Michigan and Trustees of Michigan State University.
Winning the party nomination at a state convention is the equivalent to winning a Primary Election. These candidates now will face off against the Democrat nominees in the November General Election.