Another candidate has announced his intention to run for chair of the Republican Party of Texas.
Ben Armenta, who ran unsuccessfully for Land Commissioner in 2022, made the announcement Tuesday, saying, “As a proud, Texas-first patriot, I’m announcing my candidacy for Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. I’m raising my hand to say, ‘I’ll do the dirty work, the hard work, the urgent work.’ It is time we put together a strategy to rebuild our Party, not from the establishment on down, but from the grassroots on up.”
He went on to say his priorities would include “closing our primaries, investing in and supporting candidates at all levels, increasing fundraising efforts, and holding our elected officials accountable.”
“Our state, and the values we hold as Texans are constantly under attack from the radical left. We must be proactive in defending these beliefs to keep Texas strong and The Republican Party of Texas should be the leader in that fight. As Chairman, I’m prepared to fight and defend Texas values,” said Armenta.
Armenta joins current vice chair Dana Myers in announcing for the position, which will be decided by delegates at the upcoming Texas GOP Convention in San Antonio.
The current chair, Matt Rinaldi, took the position in 2021 after being elected by the State Republican Executive Committee to fill the remainder of former Chair Allen West’s term. Rinaldi was then re-elected at the 2022 Texas GOP Convention without any opposition. He has not yet formally announced whether he will seek re-election.
Armenta finished in last place in an 8-way primary election for Land Commissioner in 2022, earning 3 percent of the vote.
When asked by Texas Scorecard for comment, Rinaldi said he did not know who Ben Armenta was.
