Nevada has 17 counties. Clark is the monster with about 65% (think Las Vegas) of the population. Another 20% is in Washoe (where Reno is and where I live).
The remaining 15 counties have about 300,000 people in them total.
Delegates to the State Convention are allotted by County and the Counties Control their delegations.
You’d think Clark County would control the State Party. It does not. Clark has been a mess for years apparently. The Chairman of the Nevada GOP is accused of wanting it that way and deliberately keeping Clark’s County Party in a shambles in order to keep himself in office as the State Party President.
Clark gets 187 delegates
Washoe gets 59 Delegates
Lyon gets 14 Delegates
Nye, Elko, Carson, Douglas get 12 Each
The other 10 counties get 5-8 a piece. (with most getting 5)
That’s it. No elected appointments. Just a caucus in January-February of an Even numbered year and the party people are selected from each county. In my case, there is no one from Sun Valley on the State Party so I am almost guaranteed of a slot on the County GOP. The State GOP delegates are elected by the counties, why wouldn’t the only guy from Sun Valley make it on to the state party too?
As to the math for officer elections:
Mike McDonald, the State Chair of the NVGOP has the 15 rural counties in his back pocket according to everyone I talk to. There will always be a few defectors – but it is safe to say that the 110ish delegates from the rural counties are Mike McDonald people.
The epicenter of the opposition to Mike McDonald is in Washoe County. (Where I live) This explains why when I was trying to introduce myself to people at the convention, I was getting frosty receptions from people in rural counties. Nice to see that geographical xenophobia is consistent from one state to the next.
Michael Kadenacy is the Chairman of the Washoe GOP and it is clear that he and Mike McDonald do not like each other very much.
April 14, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Valerie Michael
Washoe County Republican Party
(702) 308-8308
Washoe County Republican Party Repudiates Purported Facts and Actions of the NVGOP Resolution
Reno, NV – The Washoe County Republican Party (WCRP), Executive Committee voted on Tuesday to repudiate the purported facts and actions of the NVGOP Resolution. The resolution’s intent was to censure Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske. It was presented at the State Central Committee meeting on Saturday, April 10, 2021, in response to what the State Party deemed lack of action on the part of Secretary Cegavske, regarding alleged voter fraud.
In making the announcement WCRP Chairman Michael Kadenacy stated, “the Secretary of State was given no previous notice of the move to censure and strip her of party membership and therefore was not present at this meeting to tell her side of the story. That the State Party leadership made presentations regarding the purported evidence of voter fraud with no opportunity for a prepared rebuttal by the Secretary of State, is an affront to any semblance of Due Process.”
Barbara Cegavske is a former state legislator who termed out as an assembly woman and a senator. She currently is the only Republican to hold a state constitutional office. With a Democrat Governor and Democrat controlled legislature she is at their mercy to abide by laws passed and signed by them.
In closing his statement Chairman Kadenacy also said, “If our goal is to win elections in this next cycle, I fail to see the value of the State Party attacking the sole Republican Constitutional Officer.”
I am still learning all the players, but suffice to say the state party officer elections are going to be very interesting later this year. I’d look for the location and timing to be as inconvenient as possible if indeed Mr. McDonald thinks he is threatened.
If Clark County gets its’ act together and can coalesce its’ delegates – McDonald could be in serious trouble. Just as an aside, I met two members of the “Proud Boys” at the convention from Clark County, both claimed to have been recruited by Mr. McDonald to carry proxy votes. This could be a fascinating sidebar to what is going on in the big picture of the NVGOP.