Republicans who vote in Minnesota’s new presidential primary next year will have only one choice on the ballot. Even though he’s not the only announced candidate, only Donald Trump’s name will appear.
Last month, the state Republican Party notified the Secretary of State that the “list” of candidates for the March 3, 2020, primary will be a short one – just Trump.
That’s a bad decision adding more evidence to the claim that Trump aspires to be an autocrat and can’t tolerate criticism or challengers.
Trump continually brags he’s going to flip Minnesota and win the state that he lost by less than 2 percent to Hillary Clinton in 2016. Behind the scenes he’s apparently not so sure.
A Republican presidential candidate has won the state only once since 1956. A September Minnesota Poll showed him trailing all the leading Democratic candidates.
If he’s so confident a majority of Minnesotans will vote for him next year, he shouldn’t worry about members of his own party abandoning him.
Primary elections are essentially party elections for the purpose of selecting its candidates. So the parties can monitor who votes and validate the choices, the March 3 election will operate under rules Minnesotans are not used to following.
Unlike many states, voter registration in Minnesota doesn’t include declaring a party. But for the new presidential primary, voters will be asked to request the ballot of the party of their choice. If a voter refuses to select a party, they will not be able to vote in the presidential nomination primary.
A voter’s choice of party ballot will be recorded and is private data. However, a list of who voted in a presidential nomination primary and the political party each voter selected will be provided to the chair of each major political party. How a voter voted on the ballot will be secret. The presidential primary results must bind the election of delegates in each party.
Precinct caucuses on Feb. 25 and local and state nominating conventions will still take place to conduct other party business. In an Aug. 11 primary election, voters will select nonpresidential candidates to appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Trump’s campaign has successfully killed the Republican Party primaries in Arizona, Kansas, Nevada and South Carolina. Incumbents often want to deprive challengers of a chance to build support because historically challengers threatened their re-election.
Three Republican candidates will not be on Minnesota’s primary ballot. While long shots, they are prominent political names running active campaigns: former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois.
Despite boasting he is the most popular Republican since Abraham Lincoln, perhaps some of Trump’s handlers have advised him that primary challenges don’t end well for incumbent presidents.
A strong showing in 1968’s New Hampshire primary by Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy forced President Johnson out of the race. Ronald Reagan challenged President Ford in 1976 and Ford lost to Jimmy Carter (Ford also faced headwinds from Watergate). Four years later, Sen. Edward Kennedy weakened Carter’s re-election bid and he lost to Reagan. In 1992, Pat Buchanan challenged President George H.W. Bush. Later that year, Bush lost the presidency to Bill Clinton.
In 2016, Trump finished third in Minnesota’s Republican presidential caucus, trailing Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
State party leaders are worried a contested primary would show Trump isn’t as popular as he claims. Instead of casting a vote – North Korean style – for Trump, Republicans should just stay home on March 3. Minnesota voters are the biggest losers in the Republican party decision.