Every two years, thousands (maybe millions) of volunteer hours go into crafting our Texas GOP Platform to represent the majority of about 9000 Republicans in the state of Texas. These 9000 volunteers are the delegates to our state convention.
Texas, being a red state, has seen many politicians benefit from running under the Republican banner in the Primary Election. They win, and they are a shoe-in when the straight party voters cast a ballot the following November. We know this is true because we label many of these politicians as RINOs (Republican In Name Only). Once they gain office, they execute their powers their own way.
How would you like to see a policy similar to the following adopted and enforced by the Republican Party of Texas?
“The Republican Party of Texas may vote to censure a Republican office holder for consistent actions taken in opposition to the core principles of the Republican Party of Texas as defined in our Platform. This censure may include a stipulation that the named office holder be declared ineligible to seek the Republican nomination for any public office for a period of up to six (6) years.”
How much would politics in Texas change if this were the case? Most voters don’t bother voting in the Primary, believing that it’s safe to let others deal with that and just vote for all Republicans in the November General Election. This produces an environment where many candidates run in the Republican Primary when they do not share Republican values, and if they are able to win the nomination they are easily elected. They then go on to propose and pass bad laws that violate the values and principles of the Republican Platform. The Republican Party needs to take more ownership of its brand and enforce its Platform, and this is one way to do it.
To implement a policy like this, we need a significant number of voters across Texas to participate in Republican Party Conventions to vote in favor of passing Resolutions that support this policy until it eventually becomes a new Party Rule adopted by the State Convention and enforced by the State Party Chair and the State Republican Executive Committee.
How a Resolution Becomes a Rule
1. Attend your Precinct Convention on March 4th after polls close (contact your County GOP office to find out where your Precinct Convention will be held).
• Bring a resolution supporting this policy change and convince a majority of the other attendees to vote in favor of recommending it.
• Get yourself elected as a delegate to the County Convention (or SD Convention, aka Senatorial District Convention), or elect others who will represent your views.
2. Prior to your County Convention (or SD Convention), attend Resolutions Committee meetings and speak in favor of the Committee recommending this resolution to the full County Convention (or SD Convention).
3. Attend your County Convention on March 22nd (ask your county GOP office where & time of your County Convention).
• Speak in favor of this policy change and convince a majority of the other delegates to vote in favor of recommending it.
• Get yourself elected as a delegate to the State Convention (June 2 – 7), or elect others who will represent your views.
4. Prior to the State Convention, attend Rules Committee meetings (32 member committee) June 2nd – 5th and speak in favor of this resolution, recommending this resolution be sent to the full Convention
5. Attend the State Convention June 2nd – 7th.
• Speak in favor of this policy change and convince a majority of the other delegates to vote in favor of adopting it as a new State Party Rule (around 4,500 votes needed).
• Elect members to the State Republican Executive Committee who will enforce this policy and rule.
Sample Resolution:
Whereas,
Whereas,
Whereas,
Whereas,
Resolved, we urge the delegates to the State Convention of the Republican Party of Texas to adopt a rule allowing the delegates at a state convention, or the State Republican Executive Committee, to vote to adopt a resolution censuring a Republican office holder for cause, including but not limited to consistent actions taken in opposition to the core principles of the Republican Party of Texas as defined in our Platform; allowing that such resolution of censure may include a stipulation that the named office holder be declared ineligible to seek the Republican nomination for any public office for a period of up to six (6) years; and providing for the enforcement of such declaration of ineligibility by the State Chair, all County Chairs, and the State Republican Executive Committee as appropriate.
Please, show up and make it worth it to be a part of the Republican Party. Let’s be Republicans and hold Republican officials accountable to us.
VOTE in the Republican primary then call your county GOP office. Find out where your Republican Precinct Convention will be held at 7:30pm on March 4th, then show up!
No Vote – No Voice!