Republican National Convention

Since 1856, the Republican National Convention has served as a presidential nominating event. Every four years, Republicans gather during this convention to formally nominate a presidential candidate and their running mate. Like the Democratic Party, the presidential nominee is chosen by pledged delegates who are selected through state caucuses and primary elections. However, the Grand Old Party (GOP) does not have superdelegates. Instead, the political party awards Bonus Delegates to voting districts. Granting Bonus Delegates is contingent on two factors—the majority of a district’s electoral college votes must have gone to a Republican in the previous presidential election, and the district must prove it has a history of electing Republicans during state and congressional elections. 

While there was a vast pool of Democratic contenders, Donald Trump has been the sole standout candidate from the Republican Party. Few Republican Senators challenged Trump for the 2020 election, of which include Bill Weld, a former Massachusetts governor who has criticized his presidency and called for reform within the party. However, these efforts have proven to be futile. The GOP has announced they will officially renominate Trump as President and Mike Pence as Vice President at the Republican National Convention in August. 

This year, the RNC will take place in Jacksonville, Florida from August 24 to August 27. COVID-19 could prevent the event from becoming one of the vast productions many have come to expect from Trump’s camp. In preparation for the event, the RNC team has shared they will be closed off the reporters and limiting the amount of guests allowed at the Convention. It is said they will have established a maximum capacity to 7,500.  

With the General Election steadily approaching, and with COVID-19 cases spiking across the United States, many Americans have mounting concerns about how the government and some state legislatures have handled the pandemic. And, as many Republican states that had relaxed social distancing rules are seeing rises in confirmed cases, voters seem to be more concerned about public health than ever before.