Battle brewing over control of state GOP
- Sunday, September 6, 2009, 11:50
- Texas Politics
- 265 views
- 1 comment
By Enrique Rangel
AUSTIN – The bitter gubernatorial race between Republican incumbent Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is already worrying high-ranking GOP leaders such as Texas House Speaker Joe Straus.
But another intra-party fight – for control of the Texas Republican Party – is brewing and Tom Mechler of Amarillo is one of the protagonists.
Mechler and Mark McCaig of Katy are challenging state GOP Chairwoman Tina Benkiser in next year’s election because, in his opinion, Texas Republicans need a new leader.
“Under her leadership we have lost what was once a solid majority in the Texas Legislature,” Mechler said mainly in reference to the 89-61 Republican majority in the Texas House five years ago, which is now 76-74. “That’s a failure in leadership.”
“Having lost seats in the last two general elections, Republicans are now poised to lose our two-seat majority in the Texas House of Representatives if a serious correction is not taken prior to the 2010 general election,” Mechler wrote in an early June letter e-mailed to Republican stalwarts.
“If we lose our majority, Republicans will be at a great disadvantage in the redistricting battle, which will occur after the 2010 census,” Mechler added.
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We urge all Independents, Democrats and Hispanics to vote for Kay Bailey Hutchsion in the PRIMARY, We have to get rid of toll road Perry. Lets make history and end it for Perry in the primary. Then vote for the candidate of choice in the general election.