Liz Kolstad says she is the chair of the Fresno County Republican Party.

She’s not alone. Peter Halajian says he’s the chair of the Fresno County Republican Party.

The dueling claims stem from the party’s organizational meeting Jan. 7, where it appeared the party’s executive committee re-elected Kolstad to another two-year term by a 15-14 vote over Halajian.

Halajian’s supporters said two voters were kept out of that meeting, making the vote illegitimate. The supporters “reconvened in compliance with bylaws” in a subsequent meeting at a Clovis Denny’s, where Halajian and his slate were elected to the Fresno GOP’s executive board by a 16-0 vote.

The issue may be decided by the state party. Halajian transmitted his vote result to the California GOP. He wants either recognition of the vote or that the state party oversee a new election.

Halajian said the state responded that they received the documentation. He is willing to accept a state ruling.

“We don’t believe that this election was valid. We don’t believe it was right, and we want to ensure that Republican voters know that, hey, we did all we could,” Halajian said.

Kolstad said she too has been in contact with the state party, who told her they don’t have “purview” over the matter. She interpreted a state party bylaw that says county parties “operate under their own bylaws.”

“We’re moving forward,” Kolstad told GV Wire on Wednesday. She wants to focus on electing more Republicans and supporting President-elect Donald Trump.

State party chair Jessica Millan Patterson did not return messages from GV Wire.

Gregory Gandrud, the state’s treasurer, said it is possible a state party member may help informally resolve the dispute. He said the state party’s bylaws does not have a formal leadership vote resolution process.

The state party holds its spring convention March 14-16 in Sacramento. County chairs appoint delegates. Gandrud said any credential challenge — such as a dispute about who is the county chair making the appointment — would be decided by the Proxies and Credentials committee.

‘Illegitimate’ and ‘Complainers’

In a news release last week, Halajian called the vote Kolstad won “illegitimate.”

Kolstad, in a Monday news release, called the dissidents “complainers” and called the Denny’s meeting “happy-hour activities.”

“(The second meeting has) as much merit as five people getting together at IHOP and voting themselves in as the new Fresno County Board of Supervisors,” Kolstad said.

Would Vote Have Flipped?

At the first meeting, Halajian’s supporters said Kolstad excluded committee member Connie Brooks because she was late; and excluded Austin Gilbert — an alternate representing former state Senate candidate David Shepard — because Shepard has moved out of California.

Halajian — a district representative with Assemblymember David Tangipa, R-Clovis — said Kolstad’s actions “undermine the organization’s bylaws and party’s values of integrity.”

Kolstad previous explained that Robert’s Rules of Order — a guideline used to conduct many meetings, public and private — prevent a voter participating after the vote has started.

“Mr. Gilbert was not even there to be excluded,” Kolstad said in the news release.

Despite implying in an interview with GV Wire last week he was at the first meeting, Gilbert later clarified he was not there. A second alternate in Shepard’s place, Josh Babcock, was not accepted as eligible to vote. Gilbert did attend the Denny’s meeting.

Halajian said if those two votes were counted, it would flip the vote 16-15 in his favor. He said because Kolstad was not properly elected, she could not properly adjourn the meeting, allowing a majority to “reconvene.”

“There is nothing in the bylaws that say we can’t,” Halajian said. He also said there is nothing in the bylaws or Robert’s Rules of Order that would prevent Brooks from voting, even if she was late but arrived before the vote concluded.

Gandrud said he was not familiar with the Fresno County GOP bylaws, but said other counties determine that if a member like Shepard moved out of state, that would vacate the position. It would not matter who the alternate would be. Filling vacant seats in county parties is usually the second order of business in a leadership meeting.

Kolstad also said business continued at the regularly scheduled meeting with “none of the Complainers challenged the authority of the Chair or Committee to pass the budget. Instead, they accepted the authority of the Chair and Committee to act for the Party.”

“That’s our job,” Halajian said. “What would the alternative have been? For us to just turn around and leave and not do our jobs?”

Tangipa and Fresno County Supervisors Nathan Magsig and Garry Bredefeld added their names to the Halajian news release.

The Halajian central committee plans to hold a regular meeting Jan. 27 at the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant in Clovis. The Kolstad central committee — which she said is the official Fresno County Republican Party meeting — will meet Jan. 30 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fresno.