By Emily Pierce
Congressional Quarterly

Electoral votes: 11

Delegates: 37

Chairman: Rep. Jennifer Dunn

Hotel: Holiday Inn King of Prussia (610) 265-7500

1996 Election:
Clinton – 50%
Dole – 37%
Perot – 9%

The Washington Republican Party is one of the most ideologically fractious in the country, with state conventions regularly showcasing painful divisions between the dominant conservative wing of the party and the largely sidelined moderate faction.

Yet the state's 37 delegates to the national convention in Philadelphia, many of them religious conservatives, appeared early this summer to be making a strong effort at putting their differences aside to answer Texas Gov. George W. Bush's call for unity at the convention.

"Are we marching in lockstep? No," said delegate Steve Strauss, who is co-chairman of the failed campaign of publishing magnate Steve Forbes in the state this year. "But any divisiveness, if there is any, has nothing to do with [Bush]."

The party's shift to the right gained initial national attention in 1988, when conservative religious broadcaster Pat Robertson won the state's precinct caucuses over Bush's father, then-Vice President George Bush. With the party establishment firmly against a delegation heavily tilted toward Robertson, the stage was set for a showdown between conservatives and moderates.

The conservatives eventually won the fight and have dominated party politics ever since. But the moderate faction has not given up.

In 1992, the state party convention devolved into walkouts and shouting matches between opponents and supporters of abortion rights. In 1996, social conservatives denied delegate spots to several moderate party members, including then-state party chairman Ken Eikenberry and 8th District Rep. Jennifer Dunn (who this year is chairman of Bush's state campaign and the convention delegation.)

During this year's delegate-selection process, conservative Sharon Bumala, who headed Forbes' campaign in the state, contested the Bush campaign's pick of Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro, a Republican moderate who has been vocal in his opposition to the conservative bent of the state party. The state Republican convention voted overwhelmingly to seat Bumala rather than Munro, who had to settle for an alternate delegate slot.

Dunn, however, called that just one incident and said that the party has been able to come together because of the strength of Bush's campaign. Both religious conservatives and moderates in the state, she said, "See in [Bush] a great leader and someone who is not going to tread on issues that are important to them."

Nonetheless, religious conservative members of the delegation made it clear early this summer what they expected from Bush - a vice presidential nominee who opposes abortion rights.

"I hope Bush will enhance his position with who he chooses [for vice president]," said Bumala. "The vice president needs to be working hand and glove with the president, otherwise it sets up friction in an administration."

Strauss said religious conservatives were trying to influence Bush's decision before the convention, because "it's just a token vote against it once you get to the convention. The convention is not going to turn around and say, 'No, we're not going to accept your [vice presidential] candidate.'"

Moderate members of the delegation seemed fed up with re-hashing the abortion issue. "That should not be the defining issue of the Republican Party," said alternate delegate Carol Paul, who is Lincoln County Republican chairman.

Both Paul and Dunn said Washington delegates are more concerned with Bush's positions on private property rights and on whether dams should be breached in Washington to save endangered salmon populations.

WASHINGTON NOTABLES: Rep. Jennifer Dunn, Bush's state campaign chairman and the delegation chairman; Rep. Richard "Doc" Hastings; Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro, an alternate delegate; Chris Fidler, vice-chairman of McCain campaign in Washington; Republican National Committeewoman Diane Tebelius; Della Newman, former ambassador to New Zealand; Vincent Lombardi, grandson of Green Bay Packers' coach; Reagan Dunn, son of Rep. Dunn.