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Reince Priebus bangs the gavel to signal the end the general session of the Republican National Committee Spring Meeting on April 22. | AP Photo Priebus to GOP: America is watching

Americans won't vote until November, but Republicans should be aware that undecided voters are watching the party's primary and unite accordingly, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus suggested Friday during his address to the RNC's annual spring meeting in Hollywood, Florida.

Priebus also said the party will not have a nominee who does not earn the necessary number of 1,237 delegates at the party's convention. Donald Trump has repeatedly called the RNC's delegate selection process "rigged" against him in favor of the establishment.

"Our candidates are running for the nomination of the Republican Party. They’re trying out for our team. No one is forcing them to wear our jersey. We expect our candidates to support our party and our eventual nominee," Priebus said.

While not naming any candidates in particular, Priebus commented, "our candidates are going to say some things to attract attention," calling that "part of politics."

"But we all need to get behind the nominee. Unity makes the impossible, possible. Division makes the possible, impossible," Priebus said, going on to invoke the Bible. "Scripture warns us about how the 'root of bitterness' can easily damage unity in the church. But the Psalms also describe how 'good and pleasant it is when God’s people dwell in unity.'"

The same principle applies to the Republican Party, Priebus asserted, noting that while millions of Americans will not vote until November, "they are making decisions right now about who they will vote for down the line."

"The sooner Republicans unite, the sooner we will show America we are the only party ready to lead the course correction America is waiting for," Priebus said, according to his prepared remarks.

Priebus vowed that the party would not "hand the nomination to anyone with a plurality, no matter how close they are to 1,237."

"You need a majority. Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," the chairman said, referring to the fight over the Affordable Care Act in 2009 when it looked like President Barack Obama was going to fall just votes short. "We didn't say, 'Oh he's almost there, let's give it to him.' He had to get a majority."

By failing to do that, Priebus said, the party does a disservice to majority rule, "one of the bedrock values of American government" and "as American as apple pie or Opening Day."

"If no candidate reaches a majority of bound delegates during the primary process, we will go to an open or contested convention," Priebus said.