Reviewing 2024 and a Look Ahead
January 7, 2025 | Media Inquiries: press@mctxgop.org
by Republican County Chair, Gwen Withrow, mctxgop.org
What a year 2024 was. Montgomery County delivered a victory for Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. We are without a doubt the largest block of Republican voters in the country. I am so proud of President Elect Trump as he announces that he will be pardoning many of the J6ers and demanding the release of the hostages held by Hamas. Finally, a president with the fortitude to do the right thing.
Here in Montgomery County, we elected all of the candidates for local races which the party endorsed. Our endorsement is very valuable. With that in mind, I urge the Precinct Chairs to guard our valuable endorsement by carefully recruiting, selecting, and reviewing the candidates we choose to endorse in May and November.
Some of you think the fight is over and we can now rest. Nothing could be further from the truth. For 2025, we need to review candidates for local races in May and November. If we endorse, we need to make sure our candidates win. I would love it if we keep our winning streak intact for 2025. Over the summer we need to make sure we fill all voting locations with Republican judges to guard the integrity of our elections. The commissioners will approve the list we submit in June. We also need to work with the county elections department as we design the rules for closed primaries in March of 2026. In the Fall we will be accepting and entering candidates to run in the March 2026 Primary.
As a general rule, the party maintains neutrality in the Republican Party Primaries. Our Precinct Chairs can support as they see fit, but the party as a whole does not try to influence the Primary races. It is up to the Republican citizens to chose the Republican who represents the party in the General Elections. It appears this Primary will be very contentious and busy. I ask you to remember that this is a good thing—no elected officials should get the message that they are entitled to the office they hold.
In Montgomery County, it is a good thing that candidates are put through a crucible of answering questions from their constituents. Numerous debates and events to review the candidates are held. I urge everyone to make use of this time and assure that the best Republicans are selected for the ballot for the General Election. That is our job as citizens of this great country.
I urge respect for all candidates and their families who put themselves forward to serve by running for office. We should be grateful to each of them as they give you, the voter, a choice.
I would like to mention here tonight that there is an exception to the principal of the party to remain neutral in races of one Republican against another. That is when candidates have committed such grievous acts that the party votes to censure them. If candidates wish to run using the Republican label, we expect that Republican principles be followed.
Censure is an important party tool and is not to be used without careful consideration. It is not to be taken lightly. But it is important that the party hold elected officials to the highest standards and the Republican label is not to be used simply to gain office and then kicked aside for power and fortune.
Now serving in my third term on the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) for Senate District 4 (SD4), I have been part of and had a front-row seat to the struggle against Democrat Chairs. I voted to censure Dade Phelan last term for blocking Republican priorities. This is a fight we must win. If candidates do not want to work with the Republican Party they need to run as a Democrat or Independent. We are electing them as Republicans to further the Republican agenda. And that is the bottom line.
