Tarrant County Republican Party activists adopted a resolution supporting the censure of Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan for violating the principles of the Texas GOP.
Locally elected precinct chairs who make up the party’s executive committee approved the resolution Thursday night. The measure supports the official censure of Phelan passed by the Orange County GOP in July and will be sent to the State Republican Executive Committee.
Precinct chair Amie Super also proposed a resolution to censure State Rep. Craig Goldman (R–Fort Worth).
Super is the Tarrant County GOP’s area leader for House District 97, which Goldman represents.
Her resolution cited multiple actions by Goldman that she believes qualify him for censure.
Republican Party of Texas rules allow a county party to censure an elected official who takes three or more actions in a biennium that are in opposition to either the party’s core principles as stated in the platform or the legislative priorities adopted at the party’s most recent state convention.
The Goldman censure resolution failed to receive the approval of two-thirds of the precinct chairs present and voting, as required by state party rules.
Yet Super contends Goldman is not living up to constituents’ expectations and believes the district can do better.
Since he was first elected to the Texas House in 2012, Goldman has dropped from an “A” to an “F” rating on the Fiscal Responsibility Index and earned a 52 for his votes on fiscal issues in this year’s regular legislative session.
He has shown a similar decline in Texas Right to Life’s legislative ratings, dropping from an “A” to an “F” over the years.
The American Conservative Union also shows Goldman’s votes trending more liberal over time, with ratings declining from 100 in 2013 to 77 in 2021.
Some who disapproved of censuring Goldman said such censures drive away support from Republicans who help the party raise funds, including Gov. Greg Abbott.
The executive committee ran out of time to consider other proposed resolutions, including one condemning U.S. Rep. Kay Granger for voting with Democrats on spending, immigration, and education issues, as well as for being a member of the World Economic Forum.
The resolutions may be considered at a future executive committee meeting.
Tarrant County GOP precinct chairs also expect to select new leadership at a future meeting. Chairman Rick Barnes announced in June that he is challenging Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Wendy Burgess in the March 2024 Republican primary.
Barnes has not yet resigned as party chairman. When he does, the party will have 20 days to elect a new chair. Bo French, Warren Norred, and Fred Tate are potential candidates for the position.
