Artists Hit the HQ on North 24th Street in Phoenix After GOP Chair Shuts Doors to Precinct Committee Persons Who Call for a Closed GOP Primary. Effort is seen to help McCain.

John McCain’s battle with the GOP right flank is heating up over the issue of closing the Arizona primary to anyone but registered GOP voters. An executive meeting in Phoenix today has been closed to even GOP Precinct Committee Persons (PCPs).

McCain says he wants a ‘big tent’ in the primaries, but the conservatives in the party believe the long time senator is too liberal and want a choice in the primary election.

The Arizona Republic reports the group of McCain detractors believe the Senator wants the open primary to dilute the impact of conservatives:

The bad blood between McCain and many members of the Republican Party’s right wing is legendary. In January 2014, the state GOP formally censured him as too liberal on issues such as immigration reform. Many of McCain’s critics support the push to close the primary, with the suggestion being that the closer-to-center McCain benefits from the independents voting in the Republican primary.

How much a closed GOP primary would hurt McCain is unclear. In 2008, McCain, the eventual GOP White House nominee, was able to effortlessly win Arizona’s Republican-only presidential preference election, or primary.

A group called ‘End the Reign of John McCain’ is behind the effort to close the primary.