In a divided year, unity was a recurring theme at this year’s Michigan Republican Party Convention.
“Are you ready to win in 2016!” shouted Michigan state GOP chair Ronna Romney-McDaniel at the convention in Lansing.
The chief duty of the state convention is to pick delegates to the national convention this summer. The three-way race has created divisions within the party.
Thanks to his showing in Michigan’s presidential primary, businessman Donald Trump received slightly more delegates than his fellow candidates, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov, John Kasich.
Those divisions could be very important if no one candidate collects enough delegates to win on the first ballot at July’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder declines to say who he’ll support for the nomination.
But in his speech to the state party convention, he stressed the need for Republicans to work together.
“What we need to do is make sure we respect one another. We work hard together. Because it’s most critical we win in November,” Snyder told the convention.
Others put it more bluntly.
One speaker stressed that their “enemies” will not be on the floor of the national convention, but instead are Democrats and progressives.