SAN ANTONIO – Texas Republicans chose a new leader Friday and approved policies designed to reshape the GOP electoral process by closing the party’s primary contests to non-Republican voters.
Abraham George, the former Collin County GOP chairman, was elected party chair in a six-candidate race — a vote that is expected to keep the party on its rightward path and make it difficult on incumbents who aren’t in lockstep with the party’s agenda.
Amid a power struggle exemplified by primary challenges to a group of incumbents who ran afoul of party leaders, delegates and officials called for a united front to elect former President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in November.
“The mood here is very optimistic and upbeat,” said Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hara shortly before Friday’s general session convened. “Republicans are ready to win the White House with Donald Trump and make sure Ted Cruz remains our senator. They are ready to stop the lunacy that the left is pushing on our country.”
Friction was evident, particularly with hotly contested Republican primary runoffs Tuesday that will go a long way toward determining the makeup of the Texas House — and its leadership. House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, heavily criticized at the convention by some statewide leaders and delegates who questioned his conservative credentials, is fighting for political survival against former Orange County GOP Chairman David Covey.
“Iron sharpens iron,” O’Hara said. “I don’t mind telling you I’ll be glad when Tuesday’s over, and then we can then all come together and go beat the Democrats.”
Along with picking a new leader, Republicans voted to close their primaries and ban candidates and incumbents who have been censured by the state party from running for office. Most analysts say closing primaries would require legislative approval, though some delegates insist the process could be achieved without it.
Outside the convention center Friday, Texas Democrats decried Republican priorities, including “school choice” legislation allowing taxpayer money to be used on private school tuition.
State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, said Republican talking points now resemble Nazi priorities, referencing several Republican leaders who have called the surge in illegal immigration an “invasion” — language shared by mass shooters in El Paso and Allen.
“After Allen, Texas, we said, ‘Please cut the white supremacist rhetoric out. Stop it. Your actions drive violence in our communities.’ They did not,” Wu said.
A draft of the state Republican Party platform had multiple references to an invasion at Texas’ border with Mexico. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, urged Texas voters to reject Republican extremism.
“This Republican state government continues to take away freedom after freedom, and the people of Texas have a choice: whether they’re going to continue to go along with that extremism or whether they’re going to take a different path,” Castro said. “We offer that different path.”
Texas Republicans had their most hotly fought leadership contest in years.
George, who in November lost a Texas House primary race to state Rep. Candy Noble, R-Lucas, was endorsed by Attorney General Ken Paxton and outgoing Texas Republican Party Chairman Matt Rinaldi.
After hours of voting, George finished first and advanced to a floor vote with Republican Party Vice Chairwoman Dana Myers and San Antonio businessman Wes Martinez.
George finished ahead of the field in an initial floor vote, then beat Myers in a runoff.
The vote signaled the direction most delegates have in mind for their party. Candidates like Myers and Travis County Republican Party Chairman Matt Mackowiak complained the party’s finances were in shambles and said an overhaul was needed to help power candidates in general elections.
George, an ally of Rinaldi, is part of the movement within the party that focuses more on holding elected Republicans accountable. When he led the Collin County GOP, he sharply criticized Republican House members who voted to impeach Paxton.
Paxton backed George’s candidacy.
The leadership contest was the culmination of a long day of political sausage-making.
Late-running Senate district caucus meetings delayed the start of Friday’s general session as delegates in Senate district caucuses cast initial votes for their next party leader.
Candidates and elected leaders also addressed caucus meetings, including U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.
Two years ago, Cornyn was booed at the state GOP convention in Houston after running afoul of some grassroots activists for his work on a bipartisan proposal to curb mass shootings.
When asked whether tomatoes were thrown at him during Friday’s stops at the caucuses, he laughed and replied: “I didn’t see anything, let’s put it that way.”
Cornyn called for party unity, acknowledging the Texas GOP is going through a tough primary season.
“What we got here in Texas is too important to squander by fighting the fights of the past as opposed to looking forward to winning in November,” he said.
Gov. Greg Abbott was scheduled to address the convention via satellite from Rockwall, where he was headlining a rally for Republican runoff candidate Katrina Pierson, who’s challenging state Rep. Justin Holland of Rockwall.
Abbott’s speech was wiped out when the Senate district caucus meetings went long.
Delegates accepted proposals that would radically change the way the party chooses its nominees.
They approved a plan to close Republican primaries to block Democrats and independents from crossing over to participate. Advocates said the proposal would deliver GOP candidates who better reflect Republican values.
“It just avoids the possibility of people crossing over and possibly tampering with the results of the Republican process,” said Joseph Black, a delegate from Dallas.
Stephen McKeown, a delegate and math professor from Dallas, said a closed primary would be a mistake.
“Open primaries are a good way to bring people into the party,” McKeown said. “If they start becoming interested in Republican issues, they can come vote in the primary and make a change. It brings new ideas and new perspectives into the party.”
Texans do not choose a party affiliation when they register to vote. Under the proposal, Republican primary voters would be required to register with the party, could not be affiliated with another party, and could not vote in other primaries.
Delegates also approved a rule that would direct leaders of county Republican parties to reject ballot applications from candidates who had been censured by the state GOP. Censured candidates, including incumbents, would be barred from running as a Republican for two years.
The convention will adjourn Saturday, when Cruz will address delegates.
Staff writer Philip Jankowski contributed to this report.