One of the candidates for the Republican State Committee is calling upon the Lebanon County GOP to do something it has come to loathe – hold an open primary.

“The time has come for the local GOP committee to step out of the way and allow rank-and-file Republican voters to decide who should represent them at the state committee level,” said Margaret Firoozmand of Cleona.  “The open primary process is the only true recognition that Republican voters, not the party bosses, are the final authority in the Republican Party.”

Firoozmand, who is seeking one of three seats on the Republican State Committee from Lebanon County, said that as a GOP committee person at the local level she has heard from a broad group of constituents who feel the local GOP organization is out of touch with regular members of the party.

“As I go door-to door getting signatures on my nomination petition, the voters are telling me loud and clear that they are still upset about the Brightbill, Zug, and Paterno endorsements,” she said.  “There is a strong undercurrent of discontent within the ranks of the GOP and the local committee leadership either does not realize it or does not care.”

Firoozmand said she was stunned at a recent committee meeting when some members of leadership expressed contempt for the criticism that the rank-and-file Republicans have for the local GOP committee and it’s endorsement process.

“Some of the committee leaders have the attitude that they know more about politics than the public does and they use that as justification for endorsements,” Firoozmand said. “Some in leadership have even gone so far as to claim the county GOP bylaws prohibit open primaries when the truth is that the bylaws don’t even address the subject.”

Firoozmand said an open primary is neither uncommon nor unprecedented, and cited the fact that several county committees in the region have opted not to endorse candidates for a number of races this year.  

“Quite simply, the local Republican voters are far more informed on the issues than the local GOP leadership wants to give them credit for,” she said.  “Technology has changed significantly in just the last 10 years – from TV to talk radio to the internet - that Republican voters in Lebanon County are perhaps some of the most informed.”

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