Each of you know that we have a precinct and county convention scheduled for Saturday March 21, 2020. At the convention we accept resolutions from the grass roots to pass on to the state party to add, change or delete planks on the Republican Platform. We also select delegates to attend the state Republican Convention.
You are each also aware that the CDC and our President has said that we should not get groups together for the next 8 weeks to avoid many from being exposed to the COVID-19 virus. This puts us in a situation to have to make a decision on our convention. I know of no cases in Harrison County as of now. That does not mean that some in our group has not been exposed and are contagious. It is likely and the April 4 SREC meeting that the state convention scheduled for May 11 to 16 will be postponed until July 15 through 18. The convention center and the hotels have said would all accommodate the change. If this change is made then we will be allowed to hold our precinct and county conventions up until mid June. We can hold our conventions anytime between now and mid June. Even then, the convention is likely to be different from past conventions.
As chair of the Republican Party of Harrison County it my duty to safeguard the delegates in Harrison county. I want to avoid putting any of our delegates at risk in this environment.
I am exercising my right as chair to postpone our conventions until a later date. We will be constantly monitoring the situation in Harrison county to make the decision of when we feel it is safe to hold the conventions. In the meantime, if you have any resolutions to submit you may send them to me by email. If you wish to be considered a delegate to the state convention please do the following:
Send me your name, include your qualifications (voted in Republican Primary, what you have done for the party like donations to candidates; phone banked; walked etc.
If you have any proposed rule changes, sent them to me.
I intend to form temporary committees to begin working on rules, resolutions and nominating, so that whenever we do have the conventions, a lot of the work will be completed tentatively.
I pray that each of you can avoid being exposed to this virus.
-Lee Lester