Following a weekend of deliberations and the election of a new state chairman, the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) is expected to release an official policy platform in the coming days proposing sweeping reforms in the state.
Fox News Digital spoke with several prominent Republicans in the state to get their thoughts on the new platform and the new speaker.
Former Republican Party Chairman Abraham George, of Collin County, received endorsements from former Chairman Matt Rinaldi, Attorney General Ken Paxton and several state lawmakers, defeating party vice chair Dana Myers in a six-way race.
“As we head into the November election, my goal is to win more seats in the Texas House and Senate,” George told Fox News Digital. “With Ted Cruz and Donald Trump running, their campaigns are very important to RPT. We’re working on strategy, fundraising and execution.”
Pictured from left to right are Williamson County Republican Party Chair Michelle Taff Evans, State Representative Caroline Harris Davila, Travis County Chair Matt Mackowiak and RPT Chair Abraham George.
George will be navigating a party that is deeply divided and reliant on an increasingly thin donor base, particularly West Texas oil tycoons Tim Dunn and Farris Wilk. Donations It has ballooned to 25% of the party’s income. $450,000 From Dunn’s Hexagon Partners LTD From $350,000 Defend the Texas Liberty Pack April federal filingsThe RPT reported $2.8 million in revenue for 2023 and beyond, which is three-quarters of what the party raised in the 2019-2020 election cycle.
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“I’m not worried, but I see my job as the new chairman as expanding that pool of money to the next group,” George said. “To be honest with you, I haven’t had a chance to talk to any of these major donors or donors, but we’re going to be creating a finance committee that can actually do the fundraising across the state of Texas without relying on one or two people.”
“But big donors will always be important to the party because they can raise a lot of money with just one phone call. But I want the party to be a grassroots party, not a party of a few individuals.”
Texas Sen. John Cornyn called for unity in a speech to the caucus, saying “what we’ve gained in Texas is too important to squander on past fights instead of looking forward to victory in November.”
While there’s always speculation that Texas will be dominated by Democrats, George said he doesn’t see a threat from the left anytime soon.
Senator John Cornyn arrives for a luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on February 7, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“I honestly don’t see much of a threat,” George countered. “The grassroots movement is strong and we have more Republican volunteers than ever before. South Texas is coming to us, we’re starting to pick up seats there and we’ll be working with the county chairs there. We’re in a great position to start. A lot of people want to talk about it, but I don’t see Democrats gaining ground anytime soon.”
Local party leaders and state representatives share a similar sentiment. Williamson County Chair Michelle Tahu Evans told Fox News Digital, “The biggest threat to the Republican majority is complacency among both elected officials and voters. I think the people who feel the division in the Republican Party most acutely are those who are losing control of the party, those who see the grassroots as a threat to the power they’ve held for so long, and those who fear populism.”
One of the most ambitious proposals in the RPT’s new platform is to close the Republican primary and ensure that only Republicans can vote in the Republican primary. “We believe closing the primaries is one of the most important policy outcomes of the convention,” George explained. “My job is to make sure we get that done. We’ve been in discussions with our legal counsel and I’m hopeful that’s going to be a big step forward in the coming months.”
Opponents worry that this could lead to the RPT giving in completely to the far-right wing of the party. Moderate Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Dade Phelan, recently narrowly defeated Trump supporter Dave Covey in a runoff election. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick attributed Phelan’s victory to the open primary system, saying, “Dade Phelan, who focused his recent campaign on appointing the Democratic Party Chair, can only be re-elected Speaker with the support of a minority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats.”
But the most significant proposal came in the form of a new constitutional amendment. The proposed amendment would require state officeholders to win a majority of Texas counties, a proposal similar to the Electoral College. This would make it virtually impossible for Democrats to win statewide, as Republicans rely on a large number of rural, but less populous, counties. Texas Governor Greg Abbott won 235 of 254 counties in 2022, despite only winning the popular vote by +10%. Legal experts expect the bill to be challenged under the Voter Rights Act, but the platform also calls for the repeal of the Voting Rights Act.
“I think it’s great. There are eight of them. [policy focuses] “I would focus on school choice, as they’ve emphasized, and I think we have a great chance to get it done,” state Rep. Caroline Harris Davila told Fox News Digital about the policy’s alignment with her legislative priorities. “We want to be the best in education in Texas, and we have to do everything we can to ensure parents have the best education possible for their children, whether that’s public school or a great private school.”
Texas Rep. Caroline Harris (R-Williamson); (Caroline Harris from Texas)
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“While the legislative priorities have not yet been announced, I expect that border closures and election integrity will be important to us,” George said.
Not all Republicans are optimistic about the election results and the direction of the party. Travis County Chairman Matt Mackoviak, who ran against George in the election, told Fox News Digital, “RPT needs competent leadership for the first time in five years, and I don’t think that’s going to happen. RPT needs to unify the party, register voters for the first time in years, raise $5 million as quickly as possible, support our targeted elections and win elections. We’ll be working to advance our party platform and legislative priorities next year.”
“I think Republican voters are eager to see decisive action against the federal government’s incompetence on the border and the federal government’s excessive use of power when it comes to our civil liberties,” Taf Evans said.
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“My advice to the next chairman is to always remember that the party should serve the people, not politicians, and always stand by our principles,” former RPT chairman Matt Rinaldi told Fox News Digital.
