House Speaker Paul Ryan has laid to rest any speculation that he would accept a Republican presidential nomination. Reno Public Radio’s Anh Gray reports the upheaval in GOP leadership that’s playing out on the national stage is also taking place in Washoe County.
Ryan’s announcement comes amid anxieties of an anticipated contested GOP national convention this summer. Political scientist FredLokken is with Truckee Meadows Community College.
“He [Ryan] has been referenced many times by those who sort of imagined he’d be the white knight rushing in to rescue the Republican party and the mess that it finds itself in," Lokken says. "But I think at this point in time, Ryan feels it’s premature.”
Lokken says the Washoe GOP is also seeking a leader to unify the party. Four of the group’s elected officials are stepping down this month. Several officials have criticized the local party's ineffectivenesssaying there was a lot of squabbling over the main direction the group should be heading.
“If anything, what’s going on nationally is reflected very much in what’s going on in the state of Nevada and its Republican party as well," Lokken says. "Hopefully we see leadership bubbling up within the county, within the state, and ultimately the Republicans have to hope there is leadership at the national level.”
Washoe GOP Chairman Adam Khan has been outspoken about the deep divisions within the party both nationally and locally.