And if a Presidential candidate withdraws?

Robert Reich
8.3.2016

Several of you have asked what happens if Trump withdraws from the race or otherwise disappears down a rat hole.

Answer: Rule 9 of the Republican National Committee rules, entitled "Filling Vacancies in Nominations" (see below) stipulates that if the party's presidential or vice presidential candidate leaves the ticket for whatever reason, the hole may be filled either (1) by a reconvening of the national convention or (2) by the Republican National Committee itself. (The vice presidential nominee is given no preferential consideration, if the presidential candidate withdraws.)

If the RNC fills the vacancy, members representing a given state are entitled to cast the same number of votes as that state was entitled to at the convention. If the RNC members from any state are not in agreement about casting of their votes, the votes of that state are divided equally among members of the RNC voting.

Finally, no candidate may be chosen to fill a vacancy except by receiving a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the RNC election.

That means if the Donald withdraws or disappears, the Republican candidate probably won’t be Mike Spence. I’d put odds on Paul Ryan or Ted Cruz.

(By the way, the Democratic Party's charter and bylaws give the Democratic National Committee responsibility for filling vacancies in the nomination for president and vice president. According to those rules, "a special meeting to fill a vacancy on the National ticket shall be held on the call of the Chairperson, who shall set the date for such meeting.”

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