No Hijacking Here: Just Elected Republicans Trying to Enforce Accountability
Response to Rep. Will Metcalf’s divisive campaign letter to Montgomery County voters.
February 20, 2026 | Media Inquiries: press@mctxgop.org
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX—State Rep. Will Metcalf’s February 11th “open letter to Montgomery County” claims the Montgomery County Republican Party and its County Executive Committee (CEC) have been “hijacked” by “imposters.” This is false and divisive campaign rhetoric from a censured incumbent.
The CEC, led by elected County Chair Gwen Withrow and one elected Precinct Chair per voting precinct, represents the grassroots Republicans who chose them in the previous Primary Election. They are dedicated to following party rules and guiding principles, the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) platform, and MAGA/Trump priorities to defend Texas and save America before it’s too late.
The local party has seen huge growth under the current leadership and urges Montgomery County voters to do their own research and choose candidates who uphold Republican principles.
Rep. Metcalf’s Letter Is From His Campaign
Rep. Metcalf’s letter urges voters to support his choice for County Chair and his preferred slate of Precinct Chair candidates in the March 3rd Republican Primary to “take back” the party.
Voters should be aware that Rep. Metcalf's letter purports to be an “open letter to his fellow citizens,” but is actually campaign material from a censured incumbent fighting to regain local party support amid reelection pressures. The letter is “political advertising paid for by the Will Metcalf Campaign.”
The CEC’s actions, which Rep. Metcalf knowingly mischaracterizes in his letter, reflect the elected local Republican Party majority attempting to enforce accountability, not a hijacking.
The Real Issue: The 2025 Speaker Vote
Rep. Metcalf and Rep. Cecil Bell were censured by the local party as a direct result of their votes for Rep. Dustin Burrows as Texas House Speaker in 2025. The Montgomery County Republican Party warned back in December 2024 that aligning with a candidate who needed a majority comprised of Democrat votes to win the Speaker’s race could lead to censure.
State party leadership also conducted a statewide tour to demand that our Texas House members follow Texas House Republican Caucus rules and vote for the Caucus nominee.
Yet still, Representatives Metcalf and Bell broke the Texas House Republican Caucus rules, abandoned the Caucus, and aligned with almost every House Democrat to elect Rep. Burrows as Speaker.
Rep. Burrows won with 36 Republican votes and 49 Democrat votes, defeating Caucus-endorsed Rep. David Cook who received 55 Republican votes. If all Republicans had unified behind Rep. Cook per Republican Caucus rules, no concessions to Democrats would have been needed in the 89th Legislative Session.
The CEC censured Representatives Metcalf and Bell in March 2025 by majority vote and voted to withhold party support in December 2025. These are standard actions under Texas GOP rules for disregarding party guidance. This is accountability, not interference or a “takeover.”
The CEC Is Not Blocking Any Candidates’ Campaigns
Is there any evidence Representatives Metcalf and Bell were even slightly hindered in getting their materials to constituents? The sheer volume of mailers flooding mailboxes, along with paid parking lot canvassers, suggests otherwise. No, the CEC simply voted by an overwhelming majority to deny hard-earned local party resources, funded by the local Republican Party, to censured members who refused to listen to their constituents.
Montgomery County Is Stronger, Not at Risk
In his campaign letter, Rep. Metcalf made the ridiculous claim that Montgomery County is inevitably “on the path” to flipping to become a Democrat county like Fort Bend. In fact, the opposite is true.
Unlike Fort Bend’s flip, which was driven by demographics, uncontrolled growth, and weak local leadership, Montgomery County remains solidly Republican and continues to grow stronger.
Under County Chair Withrow and the CEC, the party has raised a record $350,000 this biennium to Get Out the Vote, delivered the state’s largest net gain for Trump in 2024, and continues to boost voter turnout.
The letter uses Fort Bend as a scare tactic, but growth and voter trends in Montgomery County have favored Republicans under the current local party leadership.
Metcalf’s Record Is Selective
Rep. Metcalf highlights some conservative votes in his campaign letter, but the censure focuses on his Speaker vote and disloyalty to constituents, not his full voting record.
Even so, looking at his full voting record, conservative groups like Texas Eagle Forum (giving Rep. Metcalf a 2025 C-rating), Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (giving him a 2025 Fiscal Index of 78, below many peers), and others gave him mixed or low ratings for the 89th Legislative Session.
Many key conservative priorities stalled due to Democrat leverage enabled by the Speaker outcome, leaving Texans exposed on issues like ever-increasing property taxes, foreign land buys, electric grid security, parental rights, and threats from Sharia Law and Political Islam.
Do Your Own Research Before Heading to the Polls
The Primary is the time when Republicans pick the best Republican candidates to represent them. The term “purity test,” used in Rep. Metcalf’s letter, is meant to impugn the character of those who would simply hold our Republican representatives to a higher standard. The voters should expect nothing less from the Republican Party.
As Precinct 31 Chair Betty Anderson stated, “We know that the Marxists, the Leftists, and the Deceived are hell-bent on destroying our Republic by any of “1,000 different cuts.” We MUST vote for candidates who uphold our Judeo-Christian values, Constitution, life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness—for generations to come.”
Now is the time to vote based on loyalty to Republican principles, not divisive attacks. Please don’t buy into campaign claims without doing your own research.
Verify facts at mctxgop.org and texasgop.org. Watch candidate debates and do your research. Let’s keep Montgomery County red and strong.