Washington delegates attend smaller Republican National Convention

It's a far cry from 2016 when a big delegation of Washington Republicans danced among thousands at their national convention in Cleveland.

Today, only 300 or so Republicans from all the 50 states were in the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina.

Among them was a Republican committeewoman from Ellensburg, Marlene Pfeifer. She attended the 2012 Republican convention.

“There is no comparison,; there’s none obviously with all of the crowds and the hoopla,” she said in a Zoom interview from her Charlotte hotel room.

With indoor gatherings a high risk for spreading COVID-19, Republicans took precautions. Everyone had to be tested before they left home.

“We’re all tested. We were tested before we came. We were tested upon arrival, and we’re not really venturing out. We’ve been with each other. I mean, we’re not going to separate places where, you know, so I would think I’m much safer here than I am at home, much safer. So yes. It’s been worth the risk.”

It was almost no surprise that President Donald Trump made a surprise visit just before Washington voted in the roll call of the states.

Washington Republican Chair Caleb Heimlich announced his delegation’s votes, “On behalf of the Evergreen State proudly named after our first president, the most beautiful state in the nation, we cast all of our votes for President Donald Trump.”

Pfeifer reflected, “The hoopla — that was not here. But maybe because it was because it was so much smaller, it feels more intimate and special and personal, I guess. So yes. It’s definitely been worth it.”

Pfeifer was planning to return home after today’s vote. Instead, she got a surprise invitation to the White House to watch  Trump give his acceptance speech on Thursday night.

Cox Media Group