TEXAS GOP HAS NEW CHAIRMAN AS OF SATURDAY

  

The Texas Republican Party has a new Chairman in Travis County Republican Chairman James Dickey as of Saturday. The victory comes after a narrow win over Rick Figueroa of Brenham.

The vote was 32-31 in Dickey’s favor, held by the State Republican Executive Committee.

The vote was held in light of Tom Mechler’s sudden resignation just two weeks ago; Mechler called a “snap election” to have his successor named.

Dickey has been suggested to have connection with grassroots activists, and backing from those who felt Mechler was not “aggressive” enough at the Capitol in pushing the state party’s platform.

Mechler expressed his “shock and disappointment” in the result.

Figueroa would have been the first Latino head of the Texas Republican Party. From growing up in public housing in Bay City the youngest child of a single mother, Figueroa is now a wealth management executive who runs his business out of Houston and lives on a ranch with his wife and four children.

The next state convention will take place in June of 2018, and will decide whether or not to ratify the choice made Saturday, or elect someone else.

Figueroa, however, stated he has no intentions of challenging Dickey in 2018. That “is not who I am,” he said.