In yet another win for Donald Trump in his march to the Republican presidential nomination, supporters in Greene County handed the former president an easy victory on March 2.
The caucus was a new voting experience for many in attendance at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield.
Greene County Republicans overwhelmingly backed Trump in Saturday’s caucus, awarding him all of the county’s delegates. With less than 8% of the caucus participants in support, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was eliminated from the contest. Florida businessman David Stuckenberg, the only other eligible candidate in the caucus, failed to receive a nomination.
The Associated Press called the Missouri Republican caucus for Trump before noon, less than two hours after the caucuses began and with only a small fraction of the votes reported. The Missouri Republican Party later announced that Trump won in all of Missouri’s 114 counties.
Billy Long nominates Trump, touts relationship to former president
Following a recognition of veterans, first responders and teachers, and introductions to Greene County officeholders and Republican organizations, former U.S. Congressman Billy Long inspirited the crowd by taking a selfie of everyone with their thumbs up to send to Trump.
Long, who has campaigned for Trump in Iowa and New Hampshire, encouraged the caucus to help out in the former president’s reelection bid however they can.
After attendees approved the credentials report, and named a secretary and chair, the caucus commenced with nomination speeches from Long for Trump and Becky Thomas for Haley.
In his speech, Long touted his claim to coining of the phrase “Trump Train” and his relationship with the former president.
“To me, it was obvious that he was going to be the guy [in 2016] and it's obvious he's gonna be the guy this time,” Long said. “He’s the only one who can save our country.”
Thomas said she wants “a choice,” and that her husband, away on National Guard duty, and a lot of Republican friends were unable to participate in the caucus.
“I have voted for Donald Trump twice, I don't want to vote for him again. He lost me at the end of his term and he has not regained me,” Thomas said to scattered applause, adding that all she cares about is “beating Joe Biden.”
As supporters of the two candidates split off into two groups, it became clear Trump had won Greene County Republicans in attendance. Though Haley supporters were allowed to participate in the remainder of the caucus, many headed toward the exits when the final tally was announced. Of the 517 participants, only 38 backed Haley.
Caucus-goers prefer Trump, primaries
For many voters, the caucus was a unique experience. In 2022, the Missouri General Assembly voted to eliminate the state-run presidential preference primary, leaving the responsibility of the presidential selection process to Missouri’s political parties.
Though the Missouri Republican Party holds a caucus every presidential election to select delegates to attend party conventions, the last time Missouri Republicans selected a presidential nominee through a caucus without a binding or non-binding primary election was in 1996.
Charles and Michaleme Dischinger, 75 and 80, went into their first caucus on Saturday with open minds, though concerned of the caucus method's limited reach.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who didn’t even know this happened,” Michaleme Dischinger said.
Though they both caucused for Trump, to his wife’s surprise, Charles Dischinger said he had considered supporting candidates who have since dropped out of the running.
“We need more normal people,” he said. “The politicians, I think they lose track when they’re in Washington D.C.”
Charles Rowell, 59, also weighed other candidates, but “not the ones that are left.” Though familiar with the caucus system, he prefers primaries.
“It’s just kind of open-ended,” Rowell said. “You’ve got to make your whole Saturday open.”
Pam Dickson concurred: “I’m not as happy with it. I would rather just go vote.”
Long, who was a “Trump Caucus Captain” in Iowa, said he also prefers primaries.
“I’m not the biggest fan,” Long said of caucusing. “I like to be able to have people be able to go and vote. I know a lot of people are out of town that couldn’t vote absentee.”
Nate Lewis, 38, also came to support Trump in his first caucus. Lewis said he is 16 years removed from voting in a Democratic presidential preference primary.
A self-identified populist, Lewis feels that the policies of the Democratic Party are too restrictive and bureaucratic.
“The Democratic Party that I knew, they’ve kind of closed up,” he said. “Republicans are more willing to listen to ideas that aren’t establishment, conservative ideas, they’re more willing to listen to a populist message.”
Long open to working for a Trump administration
Long plans to stay active in Trump’s campaign through the general election, both in Missouri and across the U.S., suggesting the primary was all but over.
“At this point, it’s over, it’s effectively over,” Long said of the Republican primary. “I thought it was over from day one.”
The former U.S. Representative from Missouri’s 7th Congressional District, who lost in a crowded Republican primary for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2022, has no plans to run for office again, but would consider working in a second Trump administration.
“He’s mentioned that he wants me to do that, but he says a lot of things,” Long told reporters. “A lot of people get in his head between now and then. There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip. I’m not saying I am working in the Trump administration, but if he offered it, I’m going to do anything I can to help him and help this country.”
Participants name delegates, shape party platform
Saturday’s caucus also kicked off the delegate selection process in Missouri. Greene County Republicans selected 42 delegates and 42 alternates to participate in the congressional and state conventions, where the final slate of delegates will be selected to represent the caucus results at the Republican National Convention.
The delegate selection process was a little more competitive than selecting a presidential nominee, dividing the remaining Trump supporters between the “V45” slate and the “Trump Victory” slate.
“Many of us have many sleepless nights concerned about this country. We have got to step up, we have got to vote,” Michelle Herring said in an impassioned speech nominating the V45 slate of delegates, which ended up winning over the remaining caucus-goers 250-178.
Dozens of supporters of the V45 campaign wore neon green shirts donning a large V — for “vetting” and “victory” — on the front and “45” on the back.
Of Missouri’s 54 delegates, 11 are awarded at the statewide level and five from each of the state’s eight congressional districts, with Missouri Republican Party chairman Nick Myers, Republican National Committeeman Gordon Kinne and National Committeewoman Carrie Almond making up the remaining three delegates. A candidate needs 1,215 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president. Trump is leading with 244 delegates. Haley has 24.
In addition to selecting delegates, county GOP parties across the state advanced their suggestions for the 2024 Missouri Republican Party Platform, which will undergo a similar process before being voted on by a platform committee.
During deliberation on the platform, Herring suggested adding an amendment to require Republican candidates sign a pledge to the platform and officeholders maintain a voting record that complies with the platform or be disassociated with the party.
The amendment failed to garner enough support from the dwindling number of caucus-goers after state Rep. Darin Chappell, of House District 137, argued that parts of the platform are “not perfect,” and need to be corrected before implementing a vetting process.
“You’re asking me to sign onto something that tells you that I will do something that I’m telling you right now I won’t do, depending on which part of the platform it is that we’re talking about,” Chappell said. “Frankly, this is why we struggle with vetting.”
The Missouri Democratic Party is holding a presidential preference primary on March 23, from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. In Greene County, all voting will take place at Teamsters Union Local No. 245, located at 1850 E. Division St. in Springfield.
