The Park County Republican Party’s Central Committee wants to see Republican candidates in general election races pledging to “substantially” adhere to the county and state Republican Party platform if they’re going to monetarily support them this fall.

At a Sept. 1 meeting the central committee decided to send out questionnaires to all Republican candidates. Chairman Martin Kimmet said the party has $3,000 to spend and will divvy it up equally between all candidates who respond and meet the bar, which Kimmet said would in essence be candidates who agree with at least 80% of the platform.

“As long as they support the platform, we will give them money,” he said. 

Kimmet expected the central committee would be making decisions on who to support by the October meeting. 

He said there was discussion on whether funding should reflect whether the candidate in question is in a contested or even a tight race, but he said they determined to not factor any of that in. Instead, he said the determination will be simple.

“If they support the party, we’ll gladly support them,” Kimmet said. “If they want to be counterfeit, we can’t support them, then we’d be just as guilty.”

The Park County Republican Party platform includes 12 planks, from support for equal protection under the law to the First and Second amendments and adherence to the U.S. Constitution, private property rights and opposition to abortion, among other planks.

“We believe there are Timeless Truths that will always inform and direct our party and our country regardless of current events and circumstances, changing strategies, goals, and leadership,” the platform introduction reads. “These Truths, put into action, maintain, protect, and defend our unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”