THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA REPUBLICA PARTY ELECTIO RULES A D PLA FOR THE 2012 PRESIDE TIAL PREFERE CE PRIMARY

The District of Columbia Republican Presidential Preference Primary will be held in Washington, DC, on April 3, 2012, and shall include elections for DC Republican National Committeeman and Committeewoman, for members of the DC Republican Committee, Council candidates for At-Large, Wards 2, 4, 7 and 8, Delegate to the US House of Representative, Shadow Senator and Shadow Representative, and Delegates and Alternates from DC to the 2012 Republican National Convention. The District of Columbia Republican Committee ("DCRC") and/or our local candidates shall report all expenses and contributions with the Federal Election Commission and/or the DC Office of Campaign Finance. The DCRC and our local candidates will not accept contributions received from Constituent Service Funds, contributions due to Council or Mayoral solicitations on taxpayer funded letterhead, unreported political accounts and cash and/or money order contributions to circumvent the legal contribution limits. The DCRC and our local candidates will not accept invitations to hold partisan meetings inside the John A. Wilson Building or One Judiciary Square. The DCRC and our local candidates will not accept volunteer help by John A. Wilson Building or One Judiciary Square District employees inside DC Government buildings during normal working hours. Pursuant to its authority under the bylaws of the DCRC, the DCRC hereby adopts the following Rules and Plan for these elections: I. General Rules A. Candidate Qualifications 1. Candidates seeking DC Republican National Committeeman and Committeewoman must be a registered Republican residing in the District of Columbia for at least 1 year prior to the filing of petitions.

B.

Slates 1. No candidate for Convention Delegate or Alternate or for the DCRC may appear on more than one (1) slate for each office. Candidates wishing to run for party offices on the Official DC Republican Committee Slate, which shall be the only slate entitled Official DC Republican Committee Slate, must submit their resumes of political qualification to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee of the DCRC. The Nominating Committee will make recommendations to the DCRC and an appropriate number will be selected to appear on the ballot as nominated by the Committee in accordance with Article VII of the DCRC by-laws.

2.

3.

Slates and candidates seeking the Republican nomination (excluding the position of President of the United States) shall be permitted to be identified as "endorsed by the DC Republican Committee." In order to be "endorsed by the DC Republican Committee," slates and candidates shall be voted upon and endorsed by the DC Republican Committee.

C.

Write-In Candidates 1. Write-ins will be permitted only when there are not sufficient candidates qualified for the ballot to fill the different party offices; no write-in candidates will be permitted for any office where one or more contenders for that office have duly qualified by meeting all requirements.

II.

Plan for the 2012 Presidential Preference Primary and for the Election of Delegates and Alternates to the 2012 Republican ational Convention A. otification of Presidential Candidates The DC Republican Party Chairman will inform all declared Republican Presidential Candidates: of the date of the Primary in the District of Columbia; of the process of access to the ballot; that petitions may be obtained from the DC Board of Elections & Ethics beginning on November 11, 2011 and submitted by January 4, 2012. B. Presidential Preference Candidates No candidate for the office of President of the United States may receive or file petitions without submitting a slate for election as Delegates and Alternates with the Board of Elections & Ethics and the DCRC. C. Slates of Delegates and Alternates 1. The DCRC is authorized to elect a total of 16 Delegates and 16 Alternates to the 2012 Republican National Convention. Each Presidential candidate shall file a complete slate of 32 persons (16 Delegates and l6 Alternates) before receiving nominating petitions. Each person listed on a slate: a) Shall be a registered Republican in the District of Columbia for at least 1 year prior to the start date for the 2012 Republican National Convention; Shall be authorized to represent that candidate at the Republican National Convention;

2.

b)

Page 2 of 7

c)

Shall have provided the candidate a Statement of Acceptance and indicated permission to use his or her name in that capacity, which the candidate shall file; and Shall be pledged to that Presidential candidate and bound until released by that candidate.

d)

3.

Slates of undeclared (uncommitted) nominees of Delegate and Alternate may not be submitted.

D.

Method of omination 1. Slates of Delegates and Alternates shall qualify by submitting a valid petition of at least 1,000 duly registered and qualified Republican voters from the District of Columbia, or one (1) percentum of the duly registered members of the Republican Party, whichever is less and submit a contribution of $5,000 (see Exhibit A) made payable and sent to the "DC Republican Committee" no later than 1 week after requesting petitions from the DC Board of Elections and Ethics in order to appear on the April 3, 2012 DC Republican Primary ballot. Candidate that fail to send a contribution of $5,000 may request a 1 time extension, no later than December 28, 2011, from the DCRC for no more than 7 day (or 5 business days). Petitions must be filed on behalf of the entire slate with the Board of Elections & Ethics by January 4, 2012. Or candidates may forgo the petition process in exchange for a $10,000 contribution to the DCRC no later than January 4, 2012. Only one nominating petition for each Presidential candidate and his or her slate of Delegates and Alternates will be required

2.

E.

Ballot Format 1. The ballot shall list, and provide an opportunity to vote for, the name of each Presidential candidate who has qualified a slate pursuant to the petition requirements contained herein. The names of persons on a slate of Delegates and Alternates corresponding to a presidential candidate shall appear on a separate reference sheet that shall be provided to the voter with the ballot. Such names shall be listed according to the instructions of an authorized representative of each Presidential candidate provided at the time of filing petitions.

2.

F.

Withdrawal by Candidates, Slates or Individual ominees 1. Any qualified candidate, or individual nominee for delegate or alternate, may withdraw prior to the Primary by filing with the Executive Director of the Board Page 3 of 7

of Elections & Ethics and the Chairman of the DCRC a signed statement unequivocally stating their withdrawal. The deadline for filing a withdrawal in order not to appear on the ballot (or upon the separate reference sheet for the slates), shall be determined by the Executive Director of the Board of Elections & Ethics and made known to the Chairman of the DCRC. 2. If at any time an eligible Delegate or Alternate withdraws or is unable to fulfill his or her duties, the Presidential candidate, with the consultation of the DCRC, may select another eligible individual to complete the slate In the event that Delegates and Alternates are elected (either because the candidate in whose name they are representatives receives the greatest number of votes, or no other slate files) and that candidate withdraws subsequent to the Primary or is unable to continue through some incapacity, the elected slate will become uncommitted.

3.

G.

Certification of Election of Delegates and Alternates 1. The Executive Director and/or Republican Board Member of the DC Board of Elections shall certify the results of the Presidential Preference Primary to the DCRC's Chairman. Upon such certification, the Chairman of the DCRC shall then certify to the Republican National Committee the elected slate of Delegates and Alternates pledged to the Presidential candidate who received the greatest number of votes at the Primary. In the event no candidate files for the office of President of the United States, the DCRC shall select the Delegates and Alternates to the Republican National Convention.

2.

III. Plan for Election of ational Committeeman and ational Committeewoman A. Ballot Access 1. Candidates for National Committeeman and National Committeewoman may run as individuals or together on a slate, and/or with the candidates for the DCRC. Candidates shall qualify by submitting nominating petitions, either individually or as a slate, containing a total of at least five hundred (500) persons duly registered and qualified Republican voters, or one (1) percentum of the duly registered members of the Republican Party, whichever is less. Petitions must be filed with the Board of Elections & Ethics no later than January 4, 2012.

2.

Page 4 of 7

B.

Filing Requirements Declaration of Candidacy and an Affidavit of Qualifications must also be filed with the Board of Election & Ethics no later than January 4, 2012.

C.

Ballot Format and Voting Procedures 1. 2. Ballots shall provide for voters to vote for candidates individually. If a slate or individuals are officially endorsed by the DC Republican Committee, they may use an identifying moniker on the ballot such as "endorsed by the DC Republican Committee."

D.

Certification of Election The Executive Director and/or Republican Board Member of the Board of Elections & Ethics shall certify the results of the election for National Committeeman and National Committeewoman to the Chairman of the DCRC at the earliest possible date.

IV.

Plan for Election of Candidates to the DCRC A. Composition Members of the DCRC shall be elected on one or more At-Large slates. Slates shall provide for balanced representation from all wards. B. Ballot Access 1. Candidates for the DCRC shall qualify as a slate by submitting nominating petitions containing a total of at least five hundred (500) duly registered and qualified Republican voters, or by one (1) percentum of the duly registered members of the Republican Party, whichever is less. Petitions must be filed with the Board of Elections & Ethics no later than January 4, 2012.

C.

Ballot Format and Voting Procedures 1. The ballot shall list the name of the slate or slates that have qualified for the ballot. The names of persons on a slate shall appear on a separate reference sheet that shall be provided to the voter with the ballot. Such names shall be listed according to the instructions of an authorized representative of each slate provided at the time of filing petitions.

2.

Page 5 of 7

3.

Voting shall only be for a slate. There shall be no voting for individuals on a slate. The slate that receives the most votes shall be declared the winning slate and the individuals listed on that slate shall be the elected Members of the DC Republican Committee.

4.

D.

Certification of Election The Executive Director and/or Republican Board Member of the Board of Elections & Ethics shall certify to the Chairman of the DCRC the results of the election for members of the DC Republican Committee at the earliest possible date.

E.

Exemption from Filing 1. Because candidates for this position are not public officials, they are exempt from filing the District of Columbia Financial Disclosure Statements with the Office of Campaign Finance. Because candidates for this position will run as a slate and are not public officials, individual candidates are exempt from filing the District of Columbia Statement of Candidacy Form with the Office of Campaign Finance.

2.

V. Plan for Election of candidates for the local positions such as the DC Council positions, the Delegate position and the Shadow positions. A. Ballot Access 1. Candidates for At-large must submit 1,000 signatures or 500 for Ward positions or (1) percentum of the duly registered members of the Republican Party, whichever is less. Petitions may be obtained on November 14, 2011 from the DC Board of Elections and Ethics and must be filed with the DC Board of Elections & Ethics no later than January 4, 2012. If a non-Republican candidate loses his/her primary and seeks ballot access as a Republican for the General Election, he/she must change party affiliation to Republican no more than 30 days after the April 3, 2012 Primary and notify the Chairman of the DC Republican Committee. The DC Republican Committee reserves the right to decline such offer to appear on the General Election ballot as a Republican. If a candidate for At-Large and/or for the Ward positions does not participate in the April 3, 2012 Primary, the DC Republican Committee may appoint that Republican candidate for the General Election and that candidate shall appear on

2.

3.

Page 6 of 7

the General Election ballot. The candidate must be a registered DC Republican voter at least 6 months prior to the General Election. B. Certification of Election The Executive Director and/or Republican Board Member of the Board of Elections & Ethics shall certify to the Chairman of the DCRC the results of the election for AtLarge and/or Ward positions at the earliest possible date.

VI. Resolution of Disputes The provisions of the DC Board of Elections Act, and decisions of the DC Board of Elections not challenged by vote of the DC Republican Committee, shall govern any dispute relating to the DC Code or DC Municipal Regulations, Title 3: Elections and Ethics. The DC Republican Committee Rules and Plan, as implemented by vote of the DC Republican Executive Committee, shall govern any other disputes. I CERTIFY THE ABOVE CONSTITUTE THE ELECTION RULES AND PLAN OF THE DC REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE FOR THE 2012 DC REPUBLICAN PRIMARY.

Date

_____________________________________ Robert Kabel, Chairman, DC Republican Committee

Paid for by the DC Republican Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Craig Engle, Treasurer. A copy of our Report is filed with the Director of the DC Office of Campaign Finance. 1275 K Street NW, Suite 102 I Washington, DC 20005 I www.dcgop.com

Page 7 of 7