Evening star., 1951-07-14
The Political Mil !
500 Votes to Be Needed
To Pick G. 0. P. Choices
Increase Due to Porty Rules
And Changes in Census
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

to nominate candidates for President
and Vice President in the 1852 Republi-
can National Convention-aS compared
to the $40 votes required for nomination
in 1948 While the delegate strength
of the coming convention and its ap-
portionment among the States has
yet to be fixed. estimates have been
made by the party's national headquar-
ters showing that the total number of
delegates will be nearly 1900, or an in
crease of 100 over 1913.
The increase is due to rules adopted
by the 1948 national convention allow
ing more bonus delegates to States which
gave majority votes for the 1948 presi-
dental candidate or elected q Republic
can Senator or Governor in 1850. Re-
publican successes last year in the SEN
atorial and gubernatorial races did much
to swell the total number of delegates.
Gains in several of the States, how
ever, were due to increases in population
as shown by the 1850 census. In this
respect California led the Nation. Its
delegate strength, in consequence, will
rise from SO to 10 in the COP, con-
vention. This puts California on a level
with Pennsylvania, which will have 10
delegates as compared to 73 in l948.
New York, which leads all the States.
will have 96 instead of 81 DELEGATES
Some OF the other States which have
had material increases in delegate
strength are Maryland, which leaps
from Is to "a; Arizona and New Mexico.
from to IA: Oregon from IL to Is;
the District OF Columbia from to 6.
0hio Tn Hau> n~I.~-k.
Ohio. the home of Senator Taft. VIII
ave DO delegates in the coming conven-
ION. gain OF 3 over 1948, and Illinois.
lone OF another potential candidate.
senator Dirksen, will have so instead
OF Sc. Minnesota, former home of
Harold E. Stassen, will have % dele
gates instead OF 25.
States which lose delegate strength
are led by Missouri, which drops from
33 to rs. Kentucky loses S, Mississippi
4. Montana 3, Arkansas 3, Oklahoma 4,
Tennessee 2, and Washington /.
Delegates to the national convention
are chosen in three ways, depending
on State laws. First, in primary cleo
ton; second, by congressional district
or State party conventions, and third.
by Republican State committees. Forty
two States use the convention method.
and Is, the primary election. The pri-
mary elections give popular tests of
strength Of candidates, and therefore
hold particular interest Delegates may
be instructed" too, when they are
chosen in conventions
Nebraska, which holds a pre-primary
convention at which Endorsement of
qualified candidates is made, on Febru-
airy 8, 1852. will give the first official
statement regarding the candidates.
First actual primary choice of delegates.
pledged to candidates, takes place in
New Hampshire on March IL, and Min
nesota holds its primary election for
delegates March 18 The New Hamp-
shire primary in 194S gave the Dewey
drive its kickoff, giving preference to
the Dewey slate of delegate candidates.
Primary Something New.
The early Minnesota primary is some
thing new. Any presidential candidate
for the Republican nomination or DEM
ocratlc-may have his name on the
ballot by filing with the Secretary Of
State between January Is and February
Is. The candidate can specify the names
Of the delegate candidates who are to
represent him. Or the name of a candi-
date and his delegates may be entered
in the primary by petition of 100 voters
from each. congressional district The
consent of the candidate is not required.
1t is expected that former Governor
Stassen will have his name and dee
gates entered. There has been talk of a
Taft entry into this primary, but that
might be dangerous experiment for the
Ohio Senator. 1t will be recalled, how
ever, that Mr.. Stassen in 1948 entered
the Ohio primary for the election Of
delegates, and picked up nine dele
gates. Senator Taft may return the
compliment by going into Minnesota
next year. Incidentally, the Minnesota
Republican primary is open to any reg
istered voter. whether Republican, Dem
ocrat. Farmer-Labor or independent. The
Democrats seem to want Senator Taft
for a Republican presidential nominee.