What to Watch for in Michigan, Missouri, and Idaho’s GOP Caucuses on Saturday

Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Black Conservative Federation Gala in Columbia, S.C., on Feb. 23, 2024. Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Three states will hold caucuses on March 2 in the final set of votes before the Super Tuesday elections on March 5. Former President Donald Trump could take another step toward securing the Republican Party’s nomination.

Republican Party voters and officials in Michigan, Missouri, and Idaho will head to caucus sites to express their preference for the 2024 GOP nod. Both Missouri and Idaho used to hold a presidential primary election, while Michigan had one on Feb. 27.

Michigan

Two competing party meetings will be held on Saturday to award the majority—39—of the Wolverine State’s 55 delegates. President Trump won 16 of them on Tuesday night in the state’s presidential primary election.

According to the Associated Press, President Trump won 68.1 percent of the vote in the Michigan primary. His sole remaining major competitor, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, won 26.6 percent.

The state’s caucus, sanctioned by the Republican National Committee, will take place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Former Michigan congressman Pete Hoekstra, the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, will lead that event. That caucus will determine to whom the remaining delegates will pledge their allegiance.

Meanwhile, ousted Michigan GOP leader Kristina Karamo will host a rogue event in Detroit. Also on Tuesday, a judge ruled that Ms. Karamo was properly removed from her position when replaced by Mr. Hoekstra earlier this year.

On Feb. 27, Ms. Karamo posted on her X account that there was “no reason” to move the pre-planned Detroit event to Grand Rapids.

Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event on Feb. 23, 2024, in Moncks Corner, S.C. South Carolina held its Republican primary on Feb. 24. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Missouri

The Show-Me State, which isn’t hosting a primary because of a new election integrity law, will begin a lengthy process of awarding its delegates on Saturday.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Missouri Republican Party Chair Nick Myers said the Missouri General Assembly didn’t take the necessary steps to reestablish a primary election, so it’s up to the state’s party to host its event.

All told, there will be at least 115 caucuses held around the state on Saturday. Those events will take place in each county and St. Louis City and begin at 10 a.m. Central Standard Time. Mr. Myers said the caucuses will include a presidential preference vote along with other party matters. Anyone who is a registered voter and is willing to sign a pledge stating they are a “strong and faithful Republican” is welcome to participate.

Voting will take place as caucusgoers stand up and move to a side of the room to indicate their preference for a candidate. A candidate must win more than 50 percent of the vote to win their caucus. Mr. Myers expects all of the caucus results to be turned in by about 5 p.m. Central Time, and the party will announce the winner shortly afterward.

Mr. Myers said the candidate voters prefer on Saturday will have delegates pledged to them as the Missouri GOP conducts further meetings in the spring ahead of the Republican National Convention,  July 15–18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Idaho

Like Missouri, the Gem State does not have a primary in 2024 due to a legislative vagary.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Kiira Turnbow, the executive director of the Republican Party of Idaho, said the Idaho Legislature passed a bill in March 2023 that was intended to move the state’s primary from March to May. That same bill accidentally removed the presidential preference primary entirely.

The 210 Idaho caucuses will take place around the state starting at noon Mountain Standard Time. Ms. Turnbow said she expects the results to be announced by 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. Mountain time.

Like Missouri, the Idaho caucus votes are a winner-take-all contest, with the delegates going to whoever gets more than 50 percent of the vote. Unlike Missouri, caucusgoers will cast a ballot with their preference. To participate in the caucus, the voter must be registered as a Republican with the state.

Trump’s Triumph?

Both Mr. Myers and Ms. Turnbow declined to say how they think the caucus will turn out. Mr. Myers said he could only predict an “orderly caucus that will express the will of the active, grassroots Republicans who attend.”

In previous elections, President Trump won Missouri and Idaho easily.

In 2016, President Trump beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by more than 18 percent in Missouri and by 31.7 percent in Idaho. In 2020, he bested Joe Biden by a 15.4 percent margin in Missouri and by a 30.8 percent margin in Idaho.

So far in 2024, President Trump has yet to lose a state primary or caucus. Ms. Haley has said she will stay in the presidential race at least through Super Tuesday.