Western Regional Presidential Preference Primary

(Introduced by the Executive Committee)

WHEREAS, western states make up approximately 64% of the total land mass within the United States and are home to 30% of the nation’s population; and

WHEREAS, when it comes to regional issues and media coverage in presidential primaries, there is a noticeable lack of attention given to most western states and those issues important to the West; and

WHEREAS, the West, with exception of California, has had the least amount of impact historically on the presidential primary process because these states have fewer delegates and many of these states have primary dates late in the process; and

WHEREAS, as a result, western issues are rarely mentioned by candidates and candidates spend little time campaigning in the region; and

WHEREAS, the use of a common presidential primary date would allow a candidate to win a very significant number of delegates and would require serious presidential candidates to address western issues; and

WHEREAS, Utah and Nevada have enacted legislation this year authorizing their respective states to appoint members to a western regional Primary Task Force; and

WHEREAS, once other western states have enacted similar legislation, the Task Force would convene with a focus on the 2000 elections; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force will be charged with

1. recommending a common date(s) for a joint presidential preference primary,
   
2. recommending mechanisms to increase attention to western regional issues and interaction with western voters on such issues as public land management, water policy and natural resource use (grazing, mining, timber) and
   
3. assisting participating states in review and consideration of legislation authorizing participation in a western Presidential Preference Primary on the same date(s);

WHEREAS, the regional primary could stand alone with States maintaining existing primary dates for State and Local races; and

WHEREAS, methods to express presidential preference would be left to individual states (i.e. traditional primary, mail-in balloting, party caucus, party convention);

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of State Governments - WEST joins with the Western Governors’ Association to encourage each western state legislature to consider enacting legislation to authorize their respective State to appoint members to a western regional Presidential Primary Task Force.

Adopted by the CSG-WEST Executive Committee on 12/5/98.