The Mississippi Democratic Party has its state convention on June 7, Saturday. A big topic will be whether to file a new lawsuit to obtain a closed primary. The party’s first case on this subject, filed in 2006, was rejected by the 5th circuit earlier this month because the party hadn’t passed Bylaws (and hadn’t had them cleared by the US Justice Department) explaining exactly what it wants. Thanks to Steve Rankin for this news.
Meanwhile, the Idaho Republican Party case on the same subject is alive, but moving slowly. The case was filed on April 11 but the attorney for the Republican Party didn’t serve the papers on the Secretary of State until May 22. Because of the manner of service used by the Republican Party, the state need not respond until July.
The Idaho Republicans’ convention is on June 14. Former state Sen. Rod Beck, the sparkplug behind the efforts to close the primary, is challenging the incumbent state chairman, Kirk Sullivan, who has opposed closed primaries.
The reporter who covered the state Democratic convention for The Clarion-Ledger says that she heard no talk about the issue of keeping Republicans out of Democratic primaries.
The executive committee will elect a new state chairman on July 12, likely to be former state Rep. Jamie Franks, age 35 and the 2007 nominee for lieutenant governor.
My guess is that the party will take no action on the closed-primary issue until after the November election– if it takes any at all.