Tenn. Republican Party leaders reject closed primaries

wkrn.com ^ | 2/7/15

[cotton1706]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The executive committee of the state Republican Party has turned back an effort to hold closed primaries in Tennessee.

The panel voted 37-29 on Saturday against the resolution aimed at requiring party registration to vote in primary contests.

Currently, Tennessee voters aren’t registered by party, and people sometimes vote in a particular primary because of campaign developments rather than party affiliation.

Supporters of closed primaries say crossover voting can unduly influence the outcome of nomination contests.

[duffee]

“If you notice, I didn’t say that jungle primaries were better than closed primaries;”

I wasn’t inferring you were for “Jungle Primaries” you mentioned them and I was giving my opinion and reason for not wanting them. Here in Mississippi some are calling for them after the debacle in our last republican primary and runoff. I was making a statement that I believe closed primaries are much better than “jungle primaries” and certainly “open” primaries.

[EternalVigilance]

Primaries should not only be closed, they should be fully-funded by the parties, not by the taxpayers.

[fieldmarshaldj]

The claim is that there wouldn’t be a GOP “majority” without them. Total baloney, of course. It just empowers the establishment wing of the GOP by having big gubmint types win pluralities in the primaries.

[Redbob]

Who needs Dinmocrats when you have ‘Pubbies like Alexander and Corker?

[Redbob]

"I believe “Jungle” primaries work to the advantage of the incumbents..."

Yes, I believe it was Mary Landrieu said that, wasn't it?

[duffee]

Mary didn’t have a democrat challenger to split her vote and she made a “runoff”. The Jungle Primary could have well discouraged a democrat opponent and may well have increased Cassidy’s vote and decreased the Maness vote for the reasons I stated. I believe we’re better off with each party having their own primary.