The Limestone County Republicans are drafting a questionnaire aimed at rooting out would-be candidates who are not in line with the local GOP.

Noah Wahl, chairman of the Limestone County Republican Executive Committee, confirmed Thursday the local Republican Party is in the process of drafting a questionnaire for candidates who are hoping to qualify to run for elected office next year.

Wahl said the questionnaire is based on one used in another state, but the Limestone GOP’s version will be its own. He said he could not share the current draft of the questionnaire, because the candidate committee is still working on it. However, he said he would share the final draft once it is complete.

It will be ready for the candidate qualifying period that begins in early January 2018.

One page of the draft document, which was anonymously emailed to The News Courier, asks would-be candidates how they think their election would benefit the people of Limestone County.

It also includes a GOP platform checklist, which asks candidates whether they are committed to keeping a balanced budget for their office, whether they would support Second Amendment rights, whether they are committed to protecting life at all ages, whether they would de-fund Planned Parenthood and whether they believe in the traditional definition of marriage, among other questions.

No questionnaire for Dems

Democratic candidates will not be required to fill out a questionnaire, said Mike Smith, chairman of the Limestone County Democratic Party.

“We do not do that,” Smith said. “A litmus test like that is dangerous, because we elect candidates based on what they can do for us in office. We are a big-tent party, and we don’t expect all candidates to be lock-step on issues other than that we believe people should be able to earn a living wage and that they should have access to affordable health care.”

Smith said voters can decide for themselves in primary elections and candidates are individuals, just like voters, who will never be asked to “conform to a party line.”

“We think a litmus test restricts the democratic process and renders legislators ineffective when they can’t weigh the pros and cons of a situation and vote accordingly because they have some lock-step party line,” he said.

Smith said the Republican National Committee once tried to enact a litmus test but scrapped it after it appeared Ronald Reagan could not have passed it.

“Conservatives have hampered the GOP,” Smith said. “… Legislators should be able to change their minds or to compromise, and they are not allowed to do that anymore. The litmus test mentality is why GOP voters in Alabama refused to look at the facts in the Roy Moore case.”