The chairman of the Montana Republican Party predicts the state GOP will emerge more united from its platform convention this weekend.
Will Deschamps says over 300 Montana Republicans are expected at this weekend's bi-annual convention in Billings.
Conservative and more moderate Republicans on both the statewide and national levels are debating the best course for the party's future. Deschamps suspects that conversation will also be had in Billings this weekend.
"...but I think that it's going to make a lot of the media sad because I suspect we'll come out of this thing fairly unified. There are people that are reaching out to other people, which is a good thing and I think we're going to find some very strong, unifying proposals that will bring us even closer together."
Convention delegates are expected to consider a resolution this weekend that would allow only registered Republicans to vote in Republican primaries. The goal is to prevent Democrats from "crossing over" and influencing GOP races. Deschamps describes it as an "interesting proposal", but one he personally feels would best be left up to the legislature to settle.