Several days before the Republican National Convention kicks off in Cleveland, party leaders are shutting down any last minute effort from delegates hoping to stop Donald Trump.
“The RNC Council came out Wednesday and said Rule 16 of our own rule still applies,” Michael Joyce with the Republican Party of Texas said, “meaning everyone still according to our rules have to remain bound to their candidate.”
This comes after a “Free the Delegate” movement picked up steam this month in Texas. Sondra Ziegler, a delegate representing District 19, wrote a letter to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus asking permission to vote for the candidate of her choice, instead of Donald Trump.
“Our rules of our party say that we are the highest authority of the convention, and that it’s the delegates who select our nominee,” Ziegler said. “So I am urging other delegates to vote their conscience, and I am definitely hoping we come out of that convention with a different nominee who can win. I don’t think Donald Trump can win.”
Party leaders responded this week saying a conscience vote is not allowed.
The Republican Party of Texas said they are relying on the 155 Texas delegates to put their emotions aside and come together this week in support of Donald Trump.
“I really think in Cleveland our delegation will help kind of bring the party back together,” Joyce said. “When our delegates sit down and get together in Cleveland they are going to understand that and we are going to line up in support of Donald Trump and move forward and take back the White House.”
The Lone Star State has the second highest delegate count in Cleveland, making up 6.27 % of the total delegation.
“We consider ourselves to be a beacon of conservatism,” Joyce said, “and you know as Texas goes, so goes the rest of the country. We kind of take pride in being the leading state in the entire country.”
Texas is without its top representative heading into next week’s convention. Governor Greg Abbott was forced to bow out of the trip due to severe burns on his legs. Joyce said the 155 delegates from Texas will now have to meet on Monday in Cleveland and vote on a new chairman of their delegation.
