As the March primary election quickly approaches, two candidates are vying for the Republican Party chairmanship in Harris County.
Harris is the largest county in Texas and home to 15 percent of the state’s registered voters.
Cindy Siegel is the incumbent, having served as Harris County GOP chair since 2022. She previously served as the mayor of Bellaire.
Bobby Orr, a businessman and local activist, is challenging Siegel for the seat.
Texas Scorecard reached out to quiz both candidates on their plans for the local party. Their responses can be viewed in full at the bottom of this article.
When asked what her top priority as chair would be, Siegel said securing Harris County elections, which have been botched several times in the past few years. Additionally, Siegel highlighted the need to turn out Republicans and right-leaning Independents to vote in local elections.
Orr said his top priority would be recruiting qualified Republican candidates for each race, as some local races in Harris County have a Democrat running unchallenged.
When asked specifically about election security, Siegel said the county party must “continue to grow our Rapid Response program, which has seasoned election workers at our headquarters during every Election Day to assist our workers and voters at a moment’s notice.” She also said raising funds for the party poll watcher program will allow people to keep an eye on the election process in real-time.
“A successful election integrity effort includes: educated, organized, and experienced election workers and a transparent, business-like approach to avoid problems before the election,” said Orr. He said he will also push for a closed primary—where only registered Republican voters can vote to select the candidate.
Amid criticism that the Harris County Republican Party is losing one-third of its precinct chairs, Texas Scorecard asked Siegel how she plans to fill the vacant positions.
Siegel said this happens every election cycle as “precinct chairs forget to reapply, move out of Harris County, or decide to retire from their position after years of service.” She said the party’s vacancy committee has already received commitments from “nearly half of the precinct chairs who did not reapply to re-up for another term.”
“They are also active in recruiting people to ‘adopt’ a precinct under our Adopt a Precinct Program,” Siegel added. “We have found that oftentimes, the individuals who adopt a precinct are actually the ones who find a new chair while they’re working the area they’ve adopted, making the program essential to recruiting as many new precinct chairs as possible. Under my leadership, the Harris County GOP had the most precinct chairs it has ever had, with over 550 precinct chairs, and I know we will get back to that number and even higher in no time.”
Orr has been facing backlash for an audio recording circulating social media where he discussed not wanting to talk to a Republican women’s group in Tomball. Texas Scorecard asked him if there was any additional context he wanted to provide for those statements.
“The video captured a portion of a private conversation with a friend who sought employment by my campaign,” said Orr.
Siegel, answering Texas Scorecard’s question about why people should vote for her over her opponent, criticized Orr for his statements regarding Republican women’s clubs.
My opponent has exhibited a deep disdain for our grassroots. He is on record saying awful things about our precinct chairs, women’s clubs, and more. The truth is he is more comfortable at a high-end fundraiser than at a block walking event or working the polls. This automatically disqualifies him from leading the grassroots in the largest county in Texas.
She also cited her experience in Republican politics and her record of “historic victories” as reasons for her re-election, which include, “flipping several school boards and city council seats, delivering county-wide victories for the first time since 2014, and raising the most money in the party’s history during our 2023 annual fundraising dinner.”
“Our grassroots, candidates and voters deserve someone who is one of them, not someone who looks down on them,” she added.
Orr, in response to the same question, cited his business acumen.
My work experience and running a company with a budget that is much larger than the Harris County Republican Party’s budget makes me the clear choice for Harris County Republican Party Chair. I will run the party like a business to Win Back Harris County.
The Republican primary election is March 5. Early voting begins February 20.
All questions and candidate responses in their entirety are printed below:
TS: What would be your top priority as chair?
Siegel: My top priority as chair would be to secure our elections and drive Republican—and Independents who lean Republican—turnout in the general election so we can get as many Republican victories in Harris County as possible. Over 50 percent of voters in Harris County identify as Independents, and we have already started identifying the ones who lean right. We must message them on how Republicans are tackling critical issues such as immigration, the economy, crime, and more. Our goal is to deliver this message to them in a way so that when they go to the polls during the general election, they vote for Republicans down the ballot.
Orr: My top priority is to win by recruiting a qualified Republican candidate in every race. Right now, twelve Democrat judges do not have Republican opponents, which means that they have a free pass to another four years on the bench. Radical Marxist judge Nata Cornelio allowed a convicted murderer to remain free on bond to get a haircut. Radical Marxist judge Te’iva Bell released a defendant charged with domestic violence on a $1 bond. Radical Marxist judge Nikita Harmon released a violent offender on multiple felony bonds. These judges have no Republican opponent in the 2024 general election. This is unacceptable and must be fixed immediately and is my top priority.
TS: As many residents feel their vote may not be taken into account, how will you work to further election security in Harris County?
Siegel: Under my leadership, we have already made great strides to further election integrity, including getting two Election Administrators fired and advocating for legislation, SB 1750, that abolished the office entirely, returning the duties of running elections to elected officials instead of an appointed bureaucrat. We also helped get SB 1933 passed, which allows the Texas Secretary of State to step in and run local elections if egregious problems are not corrected.
Nonetheless, a lot must be done to make Harris County voters feel confident when they head to the polls. For example, in the next legislative session, we plan to correct the unintended consequences of SB 924 so we can return to split primaries. On the ground, we continue to grow our Rapid Response program, which has seasoned election workers at our headquarters during every Election Day to assist our workers and voters at a moment’s notice. We also continue to raise funds for our poll watcher program to deploy as many workers as possible to locations around Harris County to keep an eye on what’s happening in real time.
Orr: Election integrity is crucial to taking back Harris County. A successful election integrity effort includes: educated, organized, and experienced election workers and a transparent, business-like approach to avoid problems before the election. For example, I worked with a group of smart activists who crafted a plan of action after 2020. I tried to implement it when I was Finance Chair and was told – “we have it handled.” When elected, I will make sure we have advocates in Austin to support election integrity bills and talk to our elected officials. Additionally, I support a closed Republican primary, which means that Republicans will nominate Republicans as opposed to democrats and independents choosing the Republican nominee. On my opponent’s watch, Republican votes were lost, and Republican precincts ran out of paper ballots. My opponent voted to approve Clifford Tatum as the Election Administrator. Now, the 2024 Harris County Republican Primary is a joint primary for the first time ever. This must change now. And should never have happened.
TS Question for Siegel: Amid criticism that the Harris County Republican Party is losing 1/3 of its precinct chairs, what is your plan for filling the vacant positions?
This is not something out of the ordinary that happens each cycle. Precinct chairs forget to re-apply, move out of Harris County, or decide to retire from their position after years of service. Thankfully, we have an extremely active vacancy committee whose sole purpose is to recruit new precinct chairs. In fact, they have already received commitments from nearly half of the precinct chairs who did not reapply to re-up for another term. Overall, our vacancy committee is extremely active in recruiting new precinct chairs. They are also active in recruiting people to “adopt” a precinct under our Adopt a Precinct Program.
This program is utilized when someone lives in a precinct that already has a chair but still wants to be involved. So, they “adopt” a nearby precinct and work it until we can recruit someone who lives in the precinct they’ve adopted to become the precinct chair. We have found that oftentimes, the individuals who adopt a precinct are actually the ones who find a new chair while they’re working the area they’ve adopted, making the program essential to recruiting as many new precinct chairs as possible. Under my leadership, the Harris County GOP had the most precinct chairs it has ever had, with over 550 precinct chairs, and I know we will get back to that number and even higher in no time.
TS Question for Orr: A video of you saying you didn’t want to talk to a Republican women’s group in Tomball is circulating on social media. Is there any additional context or an explanation for this video that you would like to provide?
The video captured a portion of a private conversation with a friend who sought employment by my campaign. There is truth in my words – my opponent is a show horse, not a work horse. My opponent has run the party into the ground – more expenditures than contributions, failing to fill the ballot, and taking credit for election victories that belong to real grassroots conservatives. Right now, the Harris County Republican Party is a top-down organization that is built on consultants, PowerPoints, and public appearances. The Executive Committee meetings conclude without resolutions being heard and current election efforts do not include the precinct chairs. I want to change that immediately. The Harris County Republican Party belongs to Harris County Republicans – I want to include every single Republican in taking back Harris County.
TS: Why should people choose you over your opponent?
Siegel: My opponent has exhibited a deep disdain for our grassroots. He is on record saying awful things about our precinct chairs, women’s clubs, and more. The truth is he is more comfortable at a high-end fundraiser than at a block walking event or working the polls. This automatically disqualifies him from leading the grassroots in the largest county in Texas. I have been an election judge, candidate, Republican club president, and officeholder. I have delivered historic victories and set unprecedented records during my tenure leading the Harris County Republican Party, including flipping several school boards and city council seats, delivering county-wide victories for the first time since 2014, and raising the most money in the party’s history during our 2023 annual fundraising dinner. Our grassroots, candidates and voters deserve someone who is one of them, not someone who looks down on them.
Orr: My work experience and running a company with a budget that is much larger than the Harris County Republican Party’s budget makes me the clear choice for Harris County Republican Party Chair. I will run the party like a business to Win Back Harris County.
