From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 27 min
Date: November 5, 2024 |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
The Republican Party held its national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15-18, 2024.[1]
Former President Donald Trump (R) won a majority of delegates at the convention on July 15, 2024.
The national nominating convention is the formal ceremony during which the party officially selects its nominee and adopts a party platform. The delegates are individuals chosen to represent their state or territory at the convention.
The convention began two days after a shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage where Trump was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was not seriously injured. On Truth Social, Trump said he "was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of [his] right ear."[2][3] Click here to read more about the attempted assassination.
This page provides the following information:
Click the following links for more information about the Republican presidential nomination process in 2020:
This section contains the list of speakers for the convention program from July 15-18, 2024, at the Republican National Convention.[4][5][6][7]
Procedure
Speakers
Speakers
Speakers
Speakers
Monday: Make America Wealthy Once Again
| “ | During the first Trump administration, America experienced an unprecedented economic boom. President Trump’s America First economic policies slashed cumbersome regulations, cut tax rates, and reworked trade deals to create a fairer playing field for American industry and workers. Under the Biden-Harris administration, all of this progress has stalled or reversed – real wages for American workers are lower than before Biden took office, meanwhile inflation and high energy prices thanks to the Biden’s Green New Deal-inspired, anti-drilling agenda have made everyday life unaffordable for working-class Americans. The second Trump administration will turn the page on the mindless “Bidenomics” agenda and usher in a new age of prosperity.[8][9] | ” |
Tuesday: Make America Safe Once Again
| “ | Once iconic American cities and communities have become hollowed out, dystopian nightmares thanks to Joe Biden and Democrats’ “woke” soft-on-crime and open border policies. In Joe Biden’s America, unvetted illegal aliens and deranged criminals are free to roam the streets and terrorize everyday Americans, all while law enforcement is demonized. Cartels have overrun our border, flooding our neighborhoods with enough deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine to kill every American multiple times over. President Donald J. Trump will stand up for our law enforcement and put an end to the senseless crime spree and drug flow that plague America.[10][9] | ” |
Wednesday: Make America Strong Once Again
| “ | Under Joe Biden, the weakest commander-in-chief in our country’s history, America has become a global laughingstock. From our dumpster fire of a southern border to the botched Afghanistan withdrawal to the Hamas-Israeli war to enabling the Iranian terrorist regime, Biden has repeatedly made the wrong move on the world stage. Under President Trump’s vision, America will once again be strong and secure and put an end to the Biden-Harris administration’s weakness. President Donald J. Trump will secure our borders, curb Chinese and Iranian threats, and restore America’s rightful standing on the world stage.[11][9] | ” |
Thursday: Make America Great Once Again
| “ | President Donald J. Trump will usher in a new golden age for America. At home and abroad, America’s standing will be restored. American families will once again experience prosperity, safety, and strength. Our decaying and decrepit cities and communities will experience a resurgence. Americans will once again have reason to harbor hope and optimism for the future of our country. President Trump will Make America Great Once Again![12][9] | ” |
| “ |
Family:
Entertainers, Celebrities, & Industry Leaders:
RNC Leadership
GOP Officials & Candidates:
|
” |
| “ |
Annette Albright – Former School Teacher & Corrections Officer Robert “Bobby” Bartels, Jr. – Business Manager, Steamfitters Local 638A David Bellavia – Decorated War Hero Madeline Brame – Criminal Justice Reform Advocate Jim Chilton – Rancher Linda Fornos – Mother & Life Insurance Industry Worker Diane Evans – Property Manager & Trump Force 47 Captain Vanessa Faura – Mother and Activist Anne Fundner – Mother Benjamin Josephs – Small Businessowner Shabbos Kestenbaum – Jewish American & Alumnus, Harvard University Erin Koper – Community Activist David Lara – Businessowner & Community Activist Mark Laws – Grandfather & Retiree Michael Morin – Rachel Morin’s Sibling Scott Neil – Decorated War Hero & Founder, Horse Soldier Bourbon John Nieporte – Head Golf Pro, Trump International Sgt. William Pekrul – Decorated War Hero Sarah Phillips – Petroleum Engineer Carrie Ruiz – Golf General Manager, Trump National Doral Lorenzo Sewell – Pastor Randy Sutton – Founder & Chairman, Board of Wounded Blue & Retired Law Enforcement Officer UNC Fraternity Members Sara Workman – Mother |
” |
The following table contains the number of delegates each candidate received during the presidential nomination roll call at the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024. It was updated live during the event.
| Republican presidential nomination roll call, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Trump | Abstentions | Total votes | ||
| Totals | 2,388 | 41 | 2,429 | ||
| Alabama | 50 | 50 | |||
| Alaska | 29 | 29 | |||
| American Samoa | 9 | 9 | |||
| Arizona | 43 | 43 | |||
| Arkansas | 40 | 40 | |||
| California | 169 | 169 | |||
| Colorado | 37 | 37 | |||
| Connecticut | 28 | 28 | |||
| Delaware | 16 | 16 | |||
| District of Columbia | 19 | 19 | |||
| Florida | 125 | 125 | |||
| Georgia | 59 | 59 | |||
| Guam | 9 | 9 | |||
| Hawaii | 19 | 19 | |||
| Idaho | 32 | 32 | |||
| Illinois | 64 | 64 | |||
| Indiana | 58 | 58 | |||
| Iowa | 40 | 40 | |||
| Kansas | 39 | 39 | |||
| Kentucky | 46 | 46 | |||
| Louisiana | 47 | 47 | |||
| Maine | 20 | 20 | |||
| Maryland | 37 | 37 | |||
| Massachusetts | 40 | 40 | |||
| Michigan | 51 | 4 | 55 | ||
| Minnesota | 39 | 39 | |||
| Mississippi | 40 | 40 | |||
| Missouri | 54 | 54 | |||
| Montana | 31 | 31 | |||
| Nebraska | 36 | 36 | |||
| Nevada | 26 | 26 | |||
| New Hampshire | 22 | 22 | |||
| New Jersey | 12 | 12 | |||
| New Mexico | 22 | 22 | |||
| New York | 91 | 91 | |||
| North Carolina | 62 | 12 | 74 | ||
| North Dakota | 29 | 29 | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands | 9 | 9 | |||
| Ohio | 79 | 79 | |||
| Oklahoma | 43 | 43 | |||
| Oregon | 31 | 31 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 67 | 67 | |||
| Puerto Rico | 23 | 23 | |||
| Rhode Island | 19 | 19 | |||
| South Carolina | 50 | 50 | |||
| South Dakota | 29 | 29 | |||
| Tennessee | 58 | 58 | |||
| Texas | 161 | 161 | |||
| Utah | 40 | 40 | |||
| Vermont | 17 | 17 | |||
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 4 | 4 | |||
| Virginia | 42 | 6 | 48 | ||
| Washington | 43 | 43 | |||
| West Virginia | 32 | 32 | |||
| Wisconsin | 41 | 41 | |||
| Wyoming | 29 | 29 | |||
On July 15, 2022, the Republican National Committee's Site Selection Committee voted to recommend Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the host city for the 2024 Republican National Convention. On August 5, the RNC voted to give final approval to the selection.[15][16]
The Republican National Committee's Executive Committee voted on July 8, 2024, to approve the 2024 platform below. Republican National Committee delegates voted to officially adopt the platform at the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024.
In 2024, there were an estimated 2,429 delegates: 2,325 pledged delegates and 104 unpledged delegates.
To win the Republican nomination, a presidential candidate had to receive support from a majority of delegates—an estimated 1,215 delegates.
Pledged delegates, also called bound delegates, are bound to vote on at least the first ballot at the national convention based on the results of their states' primary or caucus. The Rules of the Republican Party, as passed in July 2020 and amended in July 2022, state the following:
| “ |
Any statewide presidential preference vote that permits a choice among candidates for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in a primary, caucuses, or a state convention must be used to allocate and bind the state’s delegation to the national convention in either a proportional or winner-take-all manner for at least one round of balloting, except for delegates and alternate delegates who appear on a ballot in a statewide election and are elected directly by primary voters or delegates bound to a candidate that withdraws from the presidential race. [9] |
” |
| —Rule 16(a)(1), The Rules of the Republican Party[17] | ||
There are four distinct types of pledged Republican delegates:[18]
Pledged district delegates are distributed and elected at the congressional district level. The Republican Party assigns three district-level delegates to each congressional district.
Pledged at-large delegates are distributed and elected statewide. The Republican Party assigns 10 at-large delegates to each state.
Pledged party leaders: The Republican Party gives delegate status to three party leaders from each state and territory—its national committeeman, national committeewoman, and state party chair.
Pledged bonus delegates: Bonus delegates are assigned to states whose electoral votes went to the Republican nominee in the last presidential election and to states in which Republicans hold: the governorship, at least half of U.S. representative seats, a majority of a state legislative chamber, a majority of seats in both legislative chambers, or a U.S. Senate seat (elected within the past six years).
Unpledged delegates, also called unbound delegates, are not bound by the results of state primaries or caucuses. Some state and territory party rules dictate that some or all of their Republican delegates are unbound.[19] The following was an estimate of unbound Republican delegates as of March 2023.
The Democratic and Republican parties do not formally nominate candidates until delegates vote at the party's national convention. The Democratic National Convention took place from August 19-22, 2024, and the Republican National Convention took place from July 15-18, 2024.
A party's presumptive nominee, meaning the candidate who receives an estimated majority of delegates after state nominating events, could be replaced at the convention. Delegates could elect a candidate who they were not initially bound to at the time of their state's election. Both state law and party rules govern how a delegate must vote at the national convention, including whether a delegate remains bound to a withdrawn candidate and for how many rounds a delegate remains bound to a candidate.[20]
Both parties also have delegates who are not bound to a particular candidate at the convention. The Republican Party has a total of 104 unbound delegates, and the Democratic Party has a total of 739 unbound delegates. Democratic unbound delegates can only vote if a convention proceeds past the first round of voting.
Rule 9 of The Rules of the Republican Party provides guidance on how to fill presidential and vice presidential vacancies.[21]
It says that the Republican National Committee (RNC) is authorized to select a new candidate by majority vote or by reconvening the national convention to fill the vacancy. In the former process, the three RNC members from each state—comprised of a state chair, a national committeeman, and a national committeewoman—would be able to cast the same number of votes as the entire delegation from that state to the convention.[21] Under Rule 9(c), if the three RNC members did not all support the same candidate, their votes would be proportionately distributed.[21] For example, each RNC member would cast 13 of Kansas' 39 delegate votes.
It is important to note, however, that states require political parties to submit names of presidential and vice presidential nominees and presidential electors before election day in order to certify them for the general election ballot. Deadlines vary by state and depend on the election calendar, including early voting, voting by mail, and absentee voting considerations.
The Republican Party is a private unincorporated association which operates through the agreement of its members rather than a set of bylaws or permanent charter. The party is instead governed by Robert's Rules of Order and any rules of order adopted at the party's most recent convention.[22][23][24]
Curly Haugland, a former member of the Republican National Committee (RNC), said the party's continued existence is dependent on the quadrennial convention of delegates to re-establish the party. Failing to properly convene the convention of delegates, therefore, would jeopardize the party's survival.[22][25]
He said the phrase "until the next national convention" in the third and final paragraph of the Preamble of the Rules of the Republican Party, as amended by the Republican National Committee on July 20, 2018, indicates the party's impermanent structure:
| “ |
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the following be and hereby are adopted as The Rules of the Republican Party, composed of the rules for the election and government of the Republican National Committee until the next national convention, the rules under which delegates and alternate delegates shall be allotted to the respective states in the next national convention, and the rules under which such delegates and alternate delegates shall be elected and under which contests shall be considered, and the rules of business of this national convention.[9] |
” |
| —Rules of the Republican Party (2018), Preamble | ||
Haugland said the RNC improperly used Rule 37(e) to proceed with a downsized and invalid national convention in August 2020. Rule 37(e) states the following:
| “ |
If the Republican National Committee determines that the national convention cannot convene or is unable to conduct its business either within the convention site or within the convention city, then and only then, the roll call for nomination for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States shall be allowed to be conducted according to procedures authorized by the Republican National Committee.[9] |
” |
| —Rules of the Republican Party (2018), Rule 37(e) | ||
Haugland said this rule, allowing for modifications to convention procedures, applied only to the roll call. In using it to alter the other activities of the convention, Haugland said the Republican Party failed to properly convene the 2020 Republican National Convention.[22]
Under this interpretation, no rules were adopted for the election of delegates to the 2024 Republican National Convention or the party's continued existence in 2020.[22][25]
If you are aware of an alternative interpretation of the Republican Party's rules, please submit a response to editor@ballotpedia.org.
The first Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1856, two years after the Republican Party formed. Before conventions were introduced, presidential nominees were selected at private caucuses open only to members of Congress.[26]
Click here for a breakdown of Republican national conventions through 2008.
The Republican Party held its national convention from August 24-27, 2020.[28]
Limited in-person events took place in Charlotte, North Carolina.[29] On July 23, 2020, President Donald Trump announced that high-profile convention events previously moved to Jacksonville, Florida, including his nomination acceptance speech, had been canceled for public health and safety reasons. Trump formally accepted the party's nomination from the White House.[30][31][32][33]
The convention was originally scheduled to take place entirely in Charlotte but statewide restrictions in response to the coronavirus pandemic led to the convention's planned relocation to Jacksonville.[34] The Republican National Committee Executive Committee voted to downsize the convention in Charlotte, reducing the number of in-person delegates from 2,500 to 336. The committee also decided to adopt the 2016 platform again since the Platform Committee would not be meeting.[35]
At the convention, party delegates typically select the Republican presidential nominee and vote to adopt a platform outlining the party's policy priorities and values. According to presidential historian Tevi Troy, however, "conventions today remain largely party advertising opportunities rather than fora for real decision-making."[36]
The 2016 Republican National Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio, from July 18-21, 2016. At the convention, delegates selected Donald Trump as the party's presidential nominee and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as its vice presidential nominee. Speakers at the event included Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus; runner-up candidate Sen. Ted Cruz; and several Republican senators, representatives, and governors.
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