Thurston County Republican activists not sold on Trump

Donald Trump is winning Republican contests in state after state, and he’s likely to pick up at least some of Washington’s delegates on May 24.

But he wasn’t especially popular among the die-hard Republicans who gathered Saturday to vote in the Black Hills High School gymnasium during the Thurston County Republican Convention.

The group, hailing from a slice of the county that includes downtown Olympia, elected 20 delegates to the state GOP convention, which will open May 19 in Pasco.

None of the winners expressed a clear preference for businessman Trump. Most preferred one of his surviving competitors, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas or Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Among contenders for the slots who spoke in the gym, only one was an avowed Trump supporter.

“For me, what that says is the Republican Party is more responsible than the community that calls themselves Republicans,” said Bill Frare of Lacey, who wasn’t chosen as a delegate but was picked as an alternate.

Like Frare, newly minted state delegate Jack Bell said he could support either Cruz or Kasich. At 18, Bell will be among the youngest delegates in Pasco and wants to go all the way to the national convention in Cleveland.

Bell told the voting group in the gym that he’s probably the only Olympia High School senior with a Ronald Reagan poster in his bedroom.

The gym group made up one of three districts picking state delegates at the county convention Saturday.

Attendance was sparse, likely because the presidential primary election will make Washington’s decision on presidential candidates. Voting will begin May 6 in that contest.

But there were enough participants to award all 63 of the county’s state delegates, plus some alternates. Three others will go to the state level by virtue of their party positions.

Trump has a commanding lead in the delegate chase nationally. For anyone else to prevail, it could require a “brokered” or “open” national convention in which no candidate can summon a majority on the first ballot.

In such a scenario, Washington’s delegation to the convention no longer would be bound by primary results. The delegates — three party leaders plus 41 to be chosen in Pasco — could vote for whomever they wish.

“We’re not a Trump county. We’re not a Trump state,” said Garry Holland, the Thurston County GOP chairman and a Cruz supporter.

Holland’s allegiance caused a bit of a stir as a few participants wanted someone impartial to lead the convention.

But Holland said Trump is “not a Republican” and ridiculed his plan to have Mexico pay to build a border wall and his prediction of riots if he’s rejected at the convention.

Dan Compton is among the state delegates who back the firebrand conservative Cruz.

“I particularly like his assertiveness, his tenacity and his courage to stand for his values even though it goes against what may be the majority opinion,” Compton said.

Jaime Rowland and Kelley Hays support Kasich, who is seen as more moderate. Hays likes his status as “a pro-lifer.” Rowland likes his “executive experience.”

Many of the delegates have seen their first or even second choices drop out of the race. Compton liked surgeon Ben Carson. Rowland was for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, then U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

Meanwhile, a few state lawmakers at work in the ongoing special session in Olympia have started to back the front-runner.

“I think that Donald Trump is the closest thing we have to anybody who’s building the Ronald Reagan coalition again,” said state Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale.

Back at the convention, Republicans heard speeches from some local lawmakers, including Reps. Andrew Barkis of Olympia, Ed Orcutt of Kalama, Dan Griffey of Allyn and Sen. Randi Becker of Eatonville.

Also speaking to the crowd were GOP candidates for three statewide positions whose Democratic incumbents are not running for re-election, giving Republicans an opportunity: state Sen. Mark Miloscia, a candidate for state auditor; Phillip Yin, for lieutenant governor; and Michael Waite, for state treasurer.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman spoke and was elected as a state delegate from her home county.

Wyman joked about how hard it is to go public as a Republican in a county dominated by Democrats.

“We all know, here in Thurston County,” she said. “It’s a lot like coming out.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2016 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Thurston County Republican activists not sold on Trump."