While some state delegations remain opposed to Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, the delegates from New Mexico appear to be behind the candidate.
The Albuquerque Journal reported from Cleveland none of the 24 delegates or 21 alternate delegates publicly will voice opposition to the controversial candidate.
Republican National Committee committeeman Harvey Yates told the paper that a proposed roll call vote on the rules, giving anti-Trump delegates a chance to show their opposition, was a bad idea. The former state party chairman explained, “We are a bottom-up party.”
The chances of the roll call vote actually overturning the rules, specifically the rule binding delegates to one candidate, adopted by the RNC rules committee last week were slim to none.
To trigger the roll call vote, a majority of seven state delegations needed to sign petitions to that effect. Organizers of the anti-Trump efforts said at one point they had such petitions from eleven state delegations.
However, when the big moment came, “they were foiled at the last minute” according to Buzzfeed.
But when the issue came to the floor on Monday after an initial ruckus on the floor with pro- and anti-Trump delegates both shouting, the announcement from the stage was bad news for the rebels: Only received petitions from nine states, the chair announced, and then three states had fallen below the signature threshold and been withdrawn. In other words, the roll call vote on the rules would not occur, and the rules package was going to be voted on in a voice vote.
Chaos reigned on the floor for a few moments as anti-Trump delegates reacted to the news. A text message went out on the text messaging system being used by the anti-Trump delegates: “Rigged election. Walk out.” Sen. Mike Lee, who has emerged as one of the most prominent members of the movement in favor of unbinding delegates, shouted “NO!” and later “point of order!” trying to be heard by the chair. Meanwhile, convention whips and Trump staff hovered on the floor, monitoring the situation.
New Mexico was not, obviously, one of the states that sought the roll call vote on the rules.
Some high profile Republicans are part of the RNC delegation. Gov. Susana Martinez, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and Speaker of the House Don Tripp all won election to the party positions earlier this year.
