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Leaders of the Republican Get together of Texas are upping the strain on Republican lawmakers who’re backing Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, within the contentious race for Home speaker.
This week, a number of Republicans obtained textual content messages from Republican Get together Chair Abraham George, calling for them to “unite” behind Burrows’ opponent, Rep. David Cook dinner, R-Mansfield.
“Before the Republican Party of Texas sends any direct mail into your district I wanted an opportunity to personally connect about your public position on the speakers race,” George wrote, in response to a screenshot of a textual content message shared with The Texas Tribune.
The textual content messages come amid an intra-party battle over the speakership that has solely intensified since earlier this month, when Cook dinner gained the endorsement of the Home GOP Caucus after which Burrows introduced that he had sufficient bipartisan assist within the 150-member chamber to win. The day of the caucus vote, the Texas GOP indicated it could censure any Republican lawmaker who doesn’t vote for Cook dinner as speaker — a transfer that, beneath new occasion guidelines, would bar these lawmakers from showing in a GOP major for 2 years.
Republican county leaders in Harris and Fort Bend have since vowed to censure their lawmakers in the event that they vote for Burrows, and the vice chair of the Montgomery County GOP has introduced that he’ll run in opposition to Rep. Will Metcalf in 2026 for his assist for Burrows. The Texas GOP has additionally begun to air assault advertisements in opposition to Burrows in his hometown of Lubbock.
The occasion has historically centered on fundraising, voter outreach and different efforts supporting its members. However lately — and amid an ongoing conflict for management of the occasion — leaders have taken a extra activist method, endorsing candidates and railing in opposition to lawmakers they deem “Republicans in Name Only.”
The Texas GOP declined an interview request on the latest textual content messages from George, who was elected occasion chair amid heated infighting earlier this yr.
George commented on the technique this week, nevertheless. “We want to spend our resources attacking Democrats,” he wrote on social media. “I’m hopeful that the small band of Republicans currently standing in our war way [sic] will seek unity over increased conflict.”
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The transfer has been decried by some occasion members, nevertheless — together with at the very least one pro-Cook dinner Home member.
“I’m solidly behind Cook & am confident he will prevail,” Rep. Matt Shaheen wrote on social media this week. “But the [party] must stop its constant attack on Republicans!”
