Converting Louisiana back to a closed primary election system has been an issue that has been on and off the political radar over the past year. But a group of high-ranking Republicans are hoping to keep it on and are quietly touring the state to build support.
Sources tell LaPolitics that the state’s Republican National Committeeman Ross Little is working with other members of the GOP central committee to gauge support of lawmakers and donors. Meetings are actively taking place, guided by a supportive resolution from the central committee.
While there’s a chance the issue could surface in legislation during the spring session, the only consensus among those involved so far is that the conversion shouldn’t happen until after 2016.
Whether state and federal races should both be included is still a point of contention, as is what to do with independent voters.
The effort could face opposition from Secretary of State Tom Schedler, who said in an earlier interview, “There’s a divided sea on that particular issue. I personally like the open primary system. I think it works well for Louisiana.”
He added that the temporary switch back to closed primaries in 2010 was confusing for voters.
Still, there’s an undeniable appeal for Louisiana Republicans. Reverting back to closed primaries would certainly force more white voters to the GOP side. Currently, most have no incentive to change their party registration, even if they’re voting Republican.
There’s definitely an existing trend to build on, with 225,000 white Democrats defecting over the past 10 years.