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“The house is on fire”: Texas GOP plots its next chapter amid civil war, depleted staff, funding drops
Read full article: “The house is on fire”: Texas GOP plots its next chapter amid civil war, depleted staff, funding dropsUnder outgoing chair Matt Rinaldi, the party’s donor base has shrunk as it aligns with two far-right megadonors.
Extremists have turned Texas into a hotbed for hate, report finds
Read full article: Extremists have turned Texas into a hotbed for hate, report findsThe report blames an “alarming rise in extremist ideology and activity” on white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ+ groups that are active or headquartered in Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s two most vocal GOP challengers have long sought to push their party to the right
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott’s two most vocal GOP challengers have long sought to push their party to the rightFormer state Sen. Don Huffines and ex-Republican Party of Texas Chair Allen West have each made careers out of championing conservative values.
Greg Abbott edges out Beto O’Rourke’s fundraising in first head-to-head reporting period
Read full article: Greg Abbott edges out Beto O’Rourke’s fundraising in first head-to-head reporting periodThe two were neck and neck for the first 20 days of January, but Abbott has the advantage of a massive war chest that’s more than tenfold O’Rourke’s total cash on hand.
Beto O’Rourke announces $7.2 million in fundraising in first 46 days of campaign; Greg Abbott touts $18.9 million over last six months
Read full article: Beto O’Rourke announces $7.2 million in fundraising in first 46 days of campaign; Greg Abbott touts $18.9 million over last six monthsThe latest fundraising figures in the governor’s race confirm what’s long been seen as the state of play: O’Rourke is a strong fundraiser, but Abbott, with over $65 million saved up, is on another level.
Gov. Greg Abbott says critics are "playing politics" over Texas National Guard suicides
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott says critics are "playing politics" over Texas National Guard suicidesAbbott said the suicides are being investigated and thinks it will come out that not all “actually occurred during Operation Lone Star.”
Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border duty
Read full article: Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border dutyLegislative leaders overseeing the Texas Military Department say they are looking into reports of suicides, habitual pay problems and poor working conditions on Gov. Greg Abbott's highly touted border mission.
Allen West blasts Gov. Greg Abbott over suicides, pay problems among National Guardsmen at the border
Read full article: Allen West blasts Gov. Greg Abbott over suicides, pay problems among National Guardsmen at the borderAbbott’s political challenger said guard members deployed to Operation Lone Star are facing late pay, being exposed to COVID-19, experiencing supply shortages and dealing with added stress that has led to multiple suicides tied to the mission.
“Extremely influential” or “delusional ideas of grandeur”? GOP primary foe Don Huffines sees impact as Gov. Greg Abbott pushes rightward
Read full article: “Extremely influential” or “delusional ideas of grandeur”? GOP primary foe Don Huffines sees impact as Gov. Greg Abbott pushes rightwardHuffines has been the most vocal fellow Republican taking on Abbott, pressuring him over his COVID-19 response, the border and other hot-button issues.
Texas governor orders ban on private company vaccine mandate
Read full article: Texas governor orders ban on private company vaccine mandateTexas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Monday to prohibit any entity, including private business, from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on workers and called on state lawmakers to pass a similar ban into law.
The Latest: Fauci says fine to trick-or-treat this year
Read full article: The Latest: Fauci says fine to trick-or-treat this yearThe government’s top infectious diseases expert says families can feel safe trick-or-treating outdoors this year for Halloween as COVID-19 cases in the U.S. decline, especially for those who are vaccinated.
Allen West, GOP candidate for governor, says he has pneumonia caused by COVID-19
Read full article: Allen West, GOP candidate for governor, says he has pneumonia caused by COVID-19West, the former chair of the state Republican party, tweeted that his oxygen levels are low and he will likely be hospitalized, but says his condition is “not serious.”
Allen West, Texas GOP gubernatorial hopeful, has COVID-19
Read full article: Allen West, Texas GOP gubernatorial hopeful, has COVID-19A tea party firebrand who is running for the Republican nomination for governor of Texas says he has received monoclonal antibody injections after being diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia.
Correction: Virus Outbreak-Allen West story
Read full article: Correction: Virus Outbreak-Allen West storyIn a story published Oct. 9, 2021, about Allen West being diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia, The Associated Press misspelled Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s last name in two references in the story and once in the summary.
Texas GOP bets on hard right turn amid changing demographics
Read full article: Texas GOP bets on hard right turn amid changing demographicsRepublicans in America’s largest conservative state for years racked up victories under the slogan “Keep Texas Red,” a pledge to quash a coming blue wave that Democrats argued was inevitable given shifting demographics.
Texas GOP bets on hard right turn amid changing demographics
Read full article: Texas GOP bets on hard right turn amid changing demographicsRepublicans in America’s largest conservative state for years racked up victories under the slogan “Keep Texas Red,” a pledge to quash a coming blue wave that Democrats argued was inevitable given shifting demographics.
New Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi winning over critics of Allen West’s tumultuous era
Read full article: New Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi winning over critics of Allen West’s tumultuous eraSome party activists had worried Rinaldi would be more of the same after West left the chairmanship to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this summer.
Dallas police defend DWI arrest of GOP gubernatorial candidate Allen West’s wife as her lawyer questions their evidence
Read full article: Dallas police defend DWI arrest of GOP gubernatorial candidate Allen West’s wife as her lawyer questions their evidenceAn affidavit obtained by The Texas Tribune shows Angela Graham-West showed signs of intoxication in some — but not all — portions of a field sobriety test. Her lawyer attributes some issues to a previous brain aneurysm Graham-West suffered behind her right eye.
Gubernatorial candidate Allen West says his wife was wrongfully arrested in Dallas area
Read full article: Gubernatorial candidate Allen West says his wife was wrongfully arrested in Dallas areaGubernatorial candidate Allen West said his wife, Angela, was wrongfully arrested and jailed in the Dallas area late Friday night.
Allen West, GOP candidate for governor, calls wife’s DWI arrest in Dallas “insidious”
Read full article: Allen West, GOP candidate for governor, calls wife’s DWI arrest in Dallas “insidious”Angela Graham-West, wife of GOP gubernatorial candidate Allen West, was arrested by Dallas Police Friday night for allegedly driving while intoxicated. Allen West said she hadn’t been drinking, that her three-month-old grandson was in the car with her, and called the arrest “insidious.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blames Democrats for low vaccinations among Black residents, but more white Texans are unvaccinated
Read full article: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blames Democrats for low vaccinations among Black residents, but more white Texans are unvaccinatedIn Texas, the vaccination rate among Black people is low compared with other racial and ethnic groups, but in terms of raw numbers, the biggest group of the unvaccinated is white people.
Analysis: There’s plenty still to play out ahead of 2022, but Greg Abbott is starting to run up the score
Read full article: Analysis: There’s plenty still to play out ahead of 2022, but Greg Abbott is starting to run up the scoreWith a big endorsement and a record-setting fundraising period behind him, Texas' governor is in a political sweet spot.
Former state Rep. Matt Rinaldi wins Texas GOP chair election
Read full article: Former state Rep. Matt Rinaldi wins Texas GOP chair electionThe State Republican Executive Committee met Sunday to pick a successor for Allen West, the chairman who resigned last month after a drama-filled tenure and is now running for governor.
Allen West’s final days as state GOP chair filled with intraparty drama
Read full article: Allen West’s final days as state GOP chair filled with intraparty dramaWith only days before he steps down from the helm of the state GOP, West is embroiled in a fight with his vice chair and under attack by county GOP chairs.
In a period of conflicts and crises, Gov. Greg Abbott goes all in on the border
Read full article: In a period of conflicts and crises, Gov. Greg Abbott goes all in on the borderThe governor's announcement Thursday that Texas would build its own border wall was Abbott's boldest move yet in an intensifying focus on the region.
Allen West resigns as chair of Texas Republican Party, says he's mulling statewide run
Read full article: Allen West resigns as chair of Texas Republican Party, says he's mulling statewide runWest declined to say whether he was eyeing any particular statewide office, though he told a radio host earlier Friday morning that the host was "safe" to assume West was mulling a gubernatorial run.
Texas officials speak at Qanon-affiliated event where Trump adviser Michael Flynn encouraged military coup on U.S. government
Read full article: Texas officials speak at Qanon-affiliated event where Trump adviser Michael Flynn encouraged military coup on U.S. governmentTexas GOP Chairman Allen West, Republican U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller each delivered remarks at the event. Marketing for the event included a logo featuring a cowboy hat with the letters “WWG1WGA” around its band, a QAnon motto.
Social network Gab fuels latest conflict among Texas Republicans
Read full article: Social network Gab fuels latest conflict among Texas RepublicansA fight has broken out among Texas Republicans over Gab, the embattled social network favored by the far right. That sparked fierce criticism from the company — and new questions from fellow some Republicans about Abbott's own commitment to fighting perceived censorship by social media giants. Gab promotes itself as a "free speech" alternative to social media behemoths like Facebook and Twitter. Earlier this year, Gab was among the alternative social media sites where Trump loyalists plotted the storming of the Capitol. "TexasGOP has no plan to deplatform from any of our social media accounts," the tweet said.
Cat Parks paves own path as Texas GOP vice chair under bombastic Allen West
Read full article: Cat Parks paves own path as Texas GOP vice chair under bombastic Allen WestCat Parks, Republican Party of Texas vice chair, stood for the Pledge of Allegiance last month before speaking to The Woodlands Republican Women’s Club. Now Parks is turning heads again as she paves her own path at the state party under Allen West, the bombastic former Florida congressman who has alienated some fellow Republicans with his sharp-elbowed leadership as chair. We should be the big-tent party,” says Republican Party of Texas vice chair Cat Parks. She likes to say her first Republican meeting in Texas was in 2017 — and it was the one where she was appointed county chair. If they are Republicans, we need them.”AdOne of Parks’ early supporters for vice chair was David Covey, the Orange County GOP chair whom she met through the Texas Republican County Chairmen’s Association.
Christianity on display at Capitol riot sparks new debate
Read full article: Christianity on display at Capitol riot sparks new debateThe Christian imagery and rhetoric on view during this months Capitol insurrection are sparking renewed debate about the societal effects of melding Christian faith with an exclusionary breed of nationalism. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)WASHINGTON – The Christian imagery and rhetoric on view during this month’s Capitol insurrection are sparking renewed debate about the societal effects of melding Christian faith with an exclusionary breed of nationalism. The rise of what’s often called Christian nationalism has long prompted pushback from leaders in multiple denominations, with the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty forming the Christians Against Christian Nationalism coalition in 2019. “But as a Christian, my highest allegiance is to Christ.”Yet some supporters of former President Donald Trump say that denunciations of Christian nationalism are a way of attacking them politically. Ad“The fact that we saw QAnon, white supremacy and white Christianity all carried together in a violent attack on the Capitol means that particularly white Christians have got some real soul-searching to do,” said Jones, author of two books on white Christianity in America.
Mix of extremists who stormed Capitol isn't retreating
Read full article: Mix of extremists who stormed Capitol isn't retreatingFILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol in Washington. Militia members, white supremacists, paramilitary organizations and fervent supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stood shoulder to shoulder, unified in rage. I’m afraid that we’re going to have to be prepared for some worst-case scenarios for a while," said Amy Cooter, a senior lecturer in sociology at Vanderbilt University who studies U.S. militia groups. To understand the mix of extremists in the Capitol melee, it helps to look at history. ___This story has been corrected to show that the “Texas Militia” group gathered at the Statehouse in Auston while Trump was at the Texas border.
The Texas Legislature convenes for its 2021 session Tuesday. Here are 5 things to watch.
Read full article: The Texas Legislature convenes for its 2021 session Tuesday. Here are 5 things to watch.The 2021 session of the Texas Legislature will commence Tuesday amid pervasive uncertainty. The Texas Department of Public Safety is reportedly deploying additional resources and personnel to the state Capitol, and Gov. The Senate, meanwhile, has been more tight-lipped on what precautions will be in place during the legislative session. Beyond that, debates over police funding and reforms following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed in Minneapolis police custody, are expected to play a central role during the legislative session. During his first session as lieutenant governor in 2015, the Senate dropped the threshold from two-thirds, or 21 members, to three-fifths, or 19 members.
Join The Texas Tribune for a live interview with Dade Phelan, presumptive speaker of the Texas House
Read full article: Join The Texas Tribune for a live interview with Dade Phelan, presumptive speaker of the Texas HouseDade Phelan, presumptive speaker of the Texas House, sits down with The Texas Tribune for a live conversation on Jan. 11. Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central Jan. 11 for an interview with Dade Phelan, presumptive speaker of the Texas House, moderated by Tribune CEO Evan Smith. Phelan announced on Nov. 4 that he had secured enough votes to become speaker of the Texas House for the 2021 legislative session. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.
Supreme Court rejects Republican attack on Biden victory
Read full article: Supreme Court rejects Republican attack on Biden victoryKathy Kratt of Orlando, Fla., displays her Trump flags as she and other protesters demonstrate their support for President Donald Trump at the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. Trump bemoaned the decision late Friday, tweeting: “The Supreme Court really let us down. Two days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed his suit, Trump jumped into the high court case. “If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage, the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history, and our Electoral Process will be respected again!” he tweeted Friday afternoon. Many Republican voters in several states won by Biden have demanded that their elected officials find a way to invalidate the president-elect's victories.
Texas politicians flock to Georgia to aid in fight for U.S. Senate majority
Read full article: Texas politicians flock to Georgia to aid in fight for U.S. Senate majorityNo candidate cleared 50% of the vote in the respective races, and Georgia law requires a runoff in such cases. Earlier this week, Castro, the former U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor, spent two days in Georgia stumping with both Ossoff and Warnock. Another high-profile Texas Republican, Crenshaw, has already visited the state and plans to return before the end of the month. The state party has been mobilizing volunteers on its Mighty Texas Strike Force to head to Georgia, with the largest deployment expected to happen after Christmas. In a sign of how the political world has gone all in on Georgia, the campaigners from Texas have not gone unnoticed by other out-of-state surrogates.
Allen West takes sharp-elbowed approach as Texas GOP chair, raising intraparty tension ahead of legislative session
Read full article: Allen West takes sharp-elbowed approach as Texas GOP chair, raising intraparty tension ahead of legislative sessionAllen West speaks at a Texas Public Policy Foundation event in 2018. Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas TribuneIn his first few months as Texas GOP chairman, Allen West has sued fellow Republican Gov. He argues he has done just that, crisscrossing the state and raising money to help candidates ahead of the election. Hinojosa promptly declined, but the impression left with political observers was clearer than ever: He was not going to be the typical state party chairman. I think that he’s doing what the people that elected him at our convention wanted him to do.”Others on the State Republican Executive Committee are not so sure. “It’s not just Chairman West and the SREC — it’s all the grassroots folks who took the time to weigh in at our convention.
Analysis: Texas Republicans and Allen West, their nettlesome party animal
Read full article: Analysis: Texas Republicans and Allen West, their nettlesome party animalAllen West is chair of the Republican Party of Texas. Their mutual toothache’s name is Allen West, and he is the chair of the Republican Party of Texas. It is utterly absurd and demonstrably idiotic that any Republican would join with Democrats to lead our Republican majority (83-67) Texas State House,” West wrote. They hold all of the statewide elected offices, along with majorities in the Texas Senate and Texas House. The state Capitol, for all its problems, is still a place where political party isn’t always the first order of business.
Texas GOP Chair says party will not "support or accept" Republican Rep. Dade Phelan as next House speaker
Read full article: Texas GOP Chair says party will not "support or accept" Republican Rep. Dade Phelan as next House speakerPhelan said last week he had support from a "supermajority of the Republican caucus" and a "broad coalition of support" from Democrats. West does not get to vote on the next speaker since he is not a House member. And past speaker candidates, including current Republican House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, who will retire at the end of his term, have claimed support from Democrats in their bids to help get to a majority of votes needed to preside over the House. Phelan, who has served in the lower chamber since 2015 and chairs the powerful House State Affairs Committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Phelan filed paperwork to run for speaker after a group of GOP members gathered and picked the lawmaker as their preferred candidate.
Record money pouring into Texas state house races
Read full article: Record money pouring into Texas state house racesHOUSTON – There is more money in Texas politics than ever before. No doubt in the case of Texas House races, where tens of millions have been raised. On Monday, the third-party group Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee announced over $10 million raised thus far in 2020. “There is no contest that is more significant than control of the Texas House in the entire country,” said Mark Jones, a professor of political science at Rice University. Once the smoke clears post-Election Day officials are expecting over $40 million to be raised and spent on Texas House races.
State GOP Chair Allen West, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller join anti-Greg Abbott protest outside Governor's Mansion
Read full article: State GOP Chair Allen West, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller join anti-Greg Abbott protest outside Governor's MansionTexas Republican Party Chair Allen West speaks to a crowd gathered at the Governor’s Mansion on Saturday to protest business closures and mask mandates. The "Free Texas" rally featured speeches from Texas GOP Chair Allen West and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, both of whom invoked the governor critically. "And if the governor did not get this resolution, I'm gonna leave it right here, at the gates of the Governor's Mansion." Alt text: Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller speaks to a crowd gathered in front of the Governor’s Mansion to protest statewide business closures and mask mandates. "I told him that true leaders don't pick and choose when they do what is right," West said.
State GOP Chair Allen West calls on Donald Trump to visit Texas before Election Day
Read full article: State GOP Chair Allen West calls on Donald Trump to visit Texas before Election DayAllen West at The Texas Tribune Festival in 2016 Credit: Erich Schlagel for The Texas TribuneTexas GOP Chair Allen West would like to see President Donald Trump visit the state again before Election Day to help rally support for down-ballot candidates, the Republican leader said during a Texas Tribune Festival interview that aired Tuesday. “I’ve got the message up to him,” West, a former Florida congressman, told the Tribune’s Patrick Svitek. “We’re seeing the Democrats really focus up here in North Texas, between Dallas County, Collin, Denton and Tarrant County for those state House seats,” West said, also referencing two contested congressional races in Texas’ 24th District and Texas’ 32nd District. West, who won the race for party chair in July, has at times openly disagreed with how Republican Gov. “We cannot live in a state where an executive believes that they can change established law by themselves.
Texas Republicans sue to stop Gov. Greg Abbott’s extension of early voting period during the pandemic
Read full article: Texas Republicans sue to stop Gov. Greg Abbott’s extension of early voting period during the pandemicAn early voting location in Houston on Feb. 21, 2018. Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas TribuneNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? In July, Abbott added six days to the early voting period, moving the start date up to Oct. 13 from Oct. 19, citing the coronavirus pandemic. West said in the same statement that he opposes the "extension of early voting through the decree of a single executive instead of through the legislative process." Using the same rationale, he previously extended early voting for the July primary runoffs. Abbott's expanded that option to the entire early voting period.
In Texas, Republicans fight voting by mail expansion while encouraging their voters to use it
Read full article: In Texas, Republicans fight voting by mail expansion while encouraging their voters to use itBut the ongoing attempts by the White House to sow doubt over the reliability of voting by mail has left Texas voters in a blur of cognitive dissonance. West and other prominent Texas Republicans have floated unsubstantiated concerns that increased mail-in voting creates opportunities for widespread voter fraud. Texas voters must also navigate a mismatch between the U.S. The Texas Democratic Party previously announced it was sending out more than 815,000 applications for mail-in ballots to eligible Texas voters in August. Court battles continueSixty days out from the election, the rules for voting by mail in Texas remain largely the same.
From the Iraq War to representing Florida in Congress to Texas GOP chair: Heres what you need to know about Allen West
Read full article: From the Iraq War to representing Florida in Congress to Texas GOP chair: Heres what you need to know about Allen WestMarjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas TribuneIncoming Texas GOP Chairman Allen West is fairly new to Texas, but he is not new to national politics. But if prior phases of his career are any guide, he is likely to bring strong fundraising and controversy to the state GOP. "We need a warrior at the top of the helm of the Texas GOP going into this election cycle and to help lead Republicans." His career has taken many twists on the way to leading the Texas GOP. West launched his bid for Texas GOP chair last August, aiming to unseat Dickey, who has served as state Republican chair since 2017.
Former Florida congressman Allen West unseats James Dickey to become Texas GOP chairman
Read full article: Former Florida congressman Allen West unseats James Dickey to become Texas GOP chairmanCongressman and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West was elected Texas GOP chairman. Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas TribuneAllen West, the firebrand former Florida congressman, has defeated Texas GOP Chairman James Dickey to lead the country's largest state Republican Party. "It's time to make sure that the Republican Party of Texas is relevant again, that our message is out, that our message is being heard." The State Republican Executive Committee first elected Dickey to the post in 2017, after the resignation of his predecessor, Tom Mechler. Before chairing the state party, Dickey led the GOP in Travis County, home to Austin.