According to Ken Callahan, a North Dakota GOP activist who sits on the recommending committee, the 105 applicants appear split between 50 to 60 party regulars — from state and federal lawmakers to local GOP leaders — and 50 to 60 outsiders with little history within the party.

“The newcomers don’t get selected because they don’t score well,” Haughland said of the criteria.

And historically, those picked by the party have held enormous advantage. “The odds of those people getting beat — it’s only going to happen if it’s a huge floor fight,” said Gary Emineth, a former North Dakota state GOP party chairman who’s among the applicants for the 25 delegate slots. (Three additional delegates will go as members of the Republican National Committee.)

Chuck Walen, another member of the committee, added that those newcomers are likely to wind up as alternates, who only get a chance to vote if other delegates drop out of the convention.