New Jersey Republicans will see the size of their delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention drop from 49 to 9 for violating a national party rule requiring delegate selection to be completed by May 31, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.
The New Jersey primary is scheduled for June 4. Bob Hugin, the GOP state chairman, had sought a waiver to allow the state to have its full complement of delegates, but the Republican National Committee had no provision to grant the type of waiver New Jersey was seeking
That means New Jersey will go to the convention in Milwaukee with the same number of delegates as Guam and American Samoa. All nine delegates will be elected at-large. (Additionally, Hugin and the two national committee members from New Jersey have votes as delegates.)
The loss of district delegates is a huge blow to the New Jersey GOP; many party insiders look forward to attending national conventions every four years.
In September, the Republican State Committee voted 34-0 against Hugin’s plan to cancel the primary and replace it was a state convention where roughly 650 party insiders would select the delegates.
Hugin’s hands had been tied: only the Democratic-controlled legislature and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy could move the date of the primary. State law requires primary elections to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June.
The loss of 40 delegates will be a tough issue for New Jersey’s Republican National Committeeman, Bill Palatucci, who voted in favor of the May 31 deadline, knowing New Jersey’s primary was set for June. He’s up for re-election this year; tentatively, the election is set for June 27.