Republicans In Cumberland

Open Letter to

Lawrence Tabas, Esq.

Chairman Republican Party of PA

3501 North Front Street Suite 200

Harrisburg, PA 17110

ltabas@pagop.org

July 6, 2023

Dear Chairman Tabas,

As you are likely aware, I am the President of the Pennsylvania Patriot Coalition, which is comprised of over one hundred Patriot groups across the state.

I am writing to you today in response to a number of complaints we have received in relation to county Republican Party chairs, across this Commonwealth, seeking to remove duly elected committeepersons due to their support in the Primary of unendorsed Republican candidates.

As I am sure you’re aware, Crawford County, Pa was the birthplace in 1842 of the direct primary election, as a result of numerous members of the Democratic Party feeling disenfranchised by the convention nomination/endorsement. While our Party would not adopt the direct primary process until 1860, like the Democratic Party, we found ourselves facing substantial fractures and our Party’s potential demise if we did not ensure every Republicans’ voice was heard in the picking of our candidates. Since that time, we have understood that the robust discussion and debate that takes place during the primary process is absolutely necessary for party unity and success. Only when Party members know that they have had a chance to participate and speak freely can they ultimately unite around the eventual nominee.

Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen growing fissures in our Party, as members seem to have forgotten the underlying purpose of the direct primary system. We have seen elected Republican chairpersons and committeepersons at the state and county levels, who have pledged not to support our Party’s presidential and gubernatorial candidates in the General election, even though they were successful in the Primary.

And what action was taken, even though such is directly contrary to the Pa Republican State bylaws? Nothing. But when several committeepersons elect to support an unendorsed Republican candidate in the Primary, we now have those same chairpersons and committeepersons, who did not honor their pledge to support the Republican candidates in the General, seeking to remove these committeepersons from their duly elected positions, simply because they supported a different Republican candidate.

Our Party will not survive, if we cannot come to terms with the fact that during a primary, we are all entitled to support our Republican candidate of choice, without fear of retribution or retaliation, and after the Primary, we all unify in our support our candidates in the General. This is exactly what the Democratic Party does; yet, we have seemingly lost sight of it.

The reason I am telling you all of this is that I am truly concerned for the upcoming November election and beyond. We have numerous members and groups, who are talking about boycotting the upcoming and future elections, if committeepersons are removed for their support of unendorsed Republican candidates in the past Primary. Many have echoed the same basic mantra “if they don’t want us, then they don’t need us” in relation to future elections. As you and I both know, the recent elections have not boded well for our Party and if these fissures continue to grow and fewer Republicans come out to vote, Pennsylvania will be a blue state. I don’t have to tell you what that will mean for future Presidential elections.

So, I am asking you, please bring our Party together. Please send a letter to all state, county, and local Republican chairpersons and committeepersons informing them that no committeeperson shall be threatened, harassed, or removed for his/her support of a particular Republican candidate in a Primary, regardless of endorsed status, as it is imperative that all of our members have their voice heard and be given an equal say. Please also remind them that, after the Primary, we are all to unite in the General in support of whoever are the Republican candidates for the sake of our Republic.

While I recognize that we may have different views on particular issues and who should be our Party’s candidates, I hope we share the same conservative values. I also hope you understand how imperative it is that we end the divisiveness and work towards bringing our Party together, under one tent. The future of our Party depends on us allowing our members an unfettered voice in the Primary and having a unified voice in the General.

Sincerely,

Charles S. (Sam) Faddis

President,

Pennsylvania Patriot Coalition