The chairman of the Orange County Republican Party allegedly broke standard rules and procedures to stop local precinct chairs from voting to censure the Speaker of the Texas House, Rep. Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont).
Phelan has received significant criticism from both Texas Republicans and observers from across the nation for backing the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, appearing to be drunk while on the House dais, giving institutional power to Democrats, and failing to advance Republican legislative priorities.
A recent poll from his own House district showed that 48% of respondents desired a “more conservative” candidate. Only 28% said they would vote for Phelan again, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Orange County is located in Phelan’s district.
Reportedly, a sufficient number of precinct chairs in an Orange County GOP meeting sought to call a vote on a resolution of censure against Phelan for alleged mismanagement of the House and undermining Republican initiatives.
Specifically, the precinct chairs pointed to Phelan appointing a number of Democrats to House committee chairs, failing to pass strong border security legislation, elevating Republican members who oppose school choice to leadership positions, and lending support to LGBTQ ideology, reported the Texas Scorecard.
County GOP Chairman Leo LaBauve allegedly killed the motion by refusing to take it up, violating the party rules governing the meeting.
Following the incident, fourteen of the county’s twenty precinct chairs issued a statement:
“We are deeply disappointed that after following the correct RPT rules to censure Dade Phelan, and having over the needed two-thirds vote to successfully censure Phelan for appointing Democrat chairs and working against Republican principles at every level, we were not even allowed a vote. A motion was made and seconded, still the chairman would not allow a vote. It was against party bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order, and the majority of the Republican Party of Orange County.”
Phelan will face a primary challenge for his House seat from former Orange County GOP chairman David Covey, who recently announced his campaign.
“As a lifelong Texan and resident of Southeast Texas, it would be my honor to be your champion in the fight for our conservative values. For me, God comes first, then family, and everything else after those two,” Covey said in a press release.
“I’m a Republican because, like you, I believe in limited government, fair elections, and our God-given 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms … I am your choice if you believe Republicans should not compromise with liberal Democrats and lock arms with them to kill conservative legislation,” he claimed.
Regarding the killed motion to censure Phelan, Covey suggested that it “shows [he] lost the support of a supermajority of Republicans in his county when he turned from conservative values and teamed up with Democrats to fight Republicans,” Texas Scorecard reported.