Become a Precinct Committeeman – A Grassroots Way To A Conservative GOP

Part of the Conservative Battle Plan for 2010 is to have a conservative take over of the GOP. We NEED good candidates with strong conservative values to run in the next election. Without this, the GOP will continue to put forth candidates that won’t hold true to the wishes and concerns of the conservative base.

We all know that in order to change the things that we don’t like regarding taxes, schooling, health care, government regulation, gun control, abortion and deficits – we need to change the laws. To change the laws we need to change the law makers. We need law makers that will make laws and vote on bills before them in a conservative fashion all the time.

Exactly how do we ensure that we get good conservative candidates on the ballot? To answer this question, we first need to understand how the Republican party structure works. To get on the ballot in a general election, you must be nominated for office in a party primary election or convention. The winners of these primary elections or conventions are the ones that appear on the November ballot.

When it comes to the primaries, there are usually many candidates running for the same office. Most voters don’t take the time to research all of them and usually voter turnout is low on primary elections. Sometimes a candidate is endorsed by the party in the primaries and often times, he or she is the one that wins, as many voters will vote for a “party endorsed” candidate. To win the primary, you must get the support of people who make endorsements in the primary, who reliably vote in the primary, and who get out the vote of others in the primary. These people are Precinct Committeeman. You see, endorsements are usually made by the party’s county committee, who are elected by the Precinct Committeeman of the party every two years. The county chairman and the county central committee are the ones who make official endorsements. The more conservative the Precinct Committeeman are, the more conservative the county central committee will be and consequently, the more conservative the endorsed candidates will be. This is the very same strategy was used with great success by Obama to defeat Hillary in the 2008 election cycle for the Democratic nomination for President. This is the “grassroots” way of influencing  who the candidates will be in upcoming elections and it WILL work.

Many of the available Precinct Committeeman positions across the United States go unfilled because the party elites are often happy about the status quo of committeeman in office and are frankly afraid of any change in the makeup of the party as it is. The average Republican Party member isn’t even aware that these positions exist! These local political committees are the “best kept secret” in politics today. For the entrenched politician they are re-election machines.


The duties of a Precinct Committeeman are simple and may take a few hours a month and a little more during election time. The Precinct Committeeman is the person who is legally charged with getting out the vote on election day. To do the job well, you should get out and ring the bell of every voter in your precinct to ask questions to find out the party affiliation and views of your voters.  Before each election, the Precinct Committeeman should personally deliver campaign literature (such as a marked sample ballot) to every voter who is expected to vote for your Party or candidate. On election day the Precinct Committeeman should make sure that all his voters get to the polls.
If all the Precinct Committeemen do their job well, their candidate will win the election.

The benefits of becoming a Precinct Committeeman are that you will get to know your neighbors in a friendly manner. You will get respect and the ear of elected officials. In many cases you will have access and influence over a block of about 500 voters on average. A call or request  from a Precinct Committeeman to an elected official will usually not go unanswered. Your vote at local caucuses and conventions will make changes in party platforms and policies. The position will also be a great place to start if you decide to pursue other political offices.

It’s very easy to be elected to the office of Precinct Committeeman. The term Comitteeman refers to the office itself. It can be held by a man or woman. The way you get elected in a typical state is simple; call your county clerk and get the necessary forms, get ten of your friends to sign a Petition requesting that you be on the ballot in the Primary as a candidate for Precinct Committeeman, and file the Petition by the required date. It’s as easy as that! In most states, the petition process will start some time in February and end in March to be on the primary in May.

If there are more candidates for the office of Precinct Committeeman than openings (highly unlikely) then the winners of the primary will be put on the ballot for the general election in November.

If, like me, you have asked yourself, “How can I change things?” , you now know how you can make a difference and make your voice heard inside the party. Now is the time to make a change. I would like to ask that every reader seriously consider a run for this office as a way to influence change to the GOP and make a real difference in the party we love. Attending rally’s and Tea Party’s is a great thing, but getting in the trenches and forcing change is even better. Please make a difference and support the change that all Americans need right now!

** Please act soon, as most petition drives to run have started or will start soon for 2010 primaries. Contact your County’s Bureau of Elections to find out more.