Curly Haugland
Erling George Haugland | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Curly Haugland |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, politician |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for | Republican National Committee committeeman from North Dakota since 1999; chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party; member of the RNC Rules Committee since 2009 |
Erling George Haugland, commonly referred to as Curly Haugland, is an American businessman and politician. Since 1999, he has represented North Dakota as the Republican National Committee committeeman. In the same year, Haugland was chosen as chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party, serving one term before being re-elected to three consecutive four-year terms as committeeman.
Haugland has been a member of the RNC Rules Committee since 2009. His previous roles include serving on the advisory board of the Bank of North Dakota from 1993 to 2000 and holding the position of Commissioner for the Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission between 1994 and 1996.
2008 campaign for chairman of the Republican National Committee
During 2008, Haugland pursued the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee but was unsuccessful. He opposed efforts to appoint an outsider to lead the committee and joined those resisting then-President George W. Bush’s attempt to install Senator Mel Martinez as RNC chairman, expressing concerns over Martinez’s moderate approach to illegal immigration. Haugland maintained that committee regulations prevented Martinez from assuming the chairmanship since he was not among its 168 members. The contention ended with Kentucky banker Mike Duncan being elected chairman, while Martinez was designated as "general chairman," a position that was later eliminated following Martinez’s exit in 2007.
2016 Republican Party presidential primary election
As a member of the Rules Committee during the 2016 Republican presidential nomination process, Haugland stressed that it is ultimately party delegates—not primary voters—who determine the nominee. He remarked, "Political parties choose their nominee, not the general public," underscoring the decisive influence of delegates.
In April 2016, Haugland reiterated this point on NPR, emphasizing that nomination requires a majority vote from national convention delegates who are permanently seated, thereby diminishing the binding nature of primary election outcomes.
By May 2016, Politico referred to Haugland as "the mainstream GOP’s last hope to deny Donald Trump the Republican nomination in Cleveland."
In June 2016, together with Sean Parnell, Haugland co-wrote Unbound: The Conscience of a Republican Delegate. Released by Delegates Unbound, this book contends that delegates are not obligated to vote in accordance with primary results, state party regulations, or legal mandates.