Fort Bend GOP update

The poor, discombobulated Fort Bend GOP may be able to get out of limbo by the end of this month.

The Fort Bend County Republican Party Executive Committee is planning a special meeting, possibly on Nov. 29, to take the action necessary to name an interim chairman in the wake of Gary Gillen's surprise resignation announcement last week.

Citing untenable political differences with what he termed a "fringe element" in the local party, Gillen told a group of elected Republican officials and others attending a West Fort Bend Republican Women's luncheon on Thursday that he has resigned, along with party Treasurer Richard McCarter, Secretary Nancy Porter and Parliamentarian Dick Hudgins.

While Gillen did not name her, county GOP General Counsel Farha Ahmed also resigned on Thursday, party sources say.

County GOP Executive Committee members and State Republican Party officials were scrambling on Friday, when they realized they didn't immediately have written notice of Porter's resignation.

According to the Texas Election Code, if the county party chairman's position becomes vacant, the party secretary is to call a meeting "for the purpose of filling it." But with no party secretary either, it's up to the Texas Republican Party chair, "on written request of a member of the county executive committee," to call a meeting to fill the county chairman vacancy.

However, state GOP officials informed local executive committee members a written notice of the party secretary's resignation was required before the state could step in and call a special meeting.

And as of Friday, county Executive Committee members said they had nothing in writing.

On Monday, however, party sources said the documentation is in hand, and the local Executive Committee and state GOP officials are working out arrangements for a meeting, likely on or around Nov. 29, at which an interim chairman would be chosen.

Without a chairman, prospective candidates for local office might have difficulty filing to run in the March 2008 primary election. Also, without a chairman or treasurer, the party would have difficulty paying bills or writing checks.

I'd mentioned the fact that primary season opens real soon - in fact, just a few days after that meeting - in my prior post. I have to assume the FBGOP will have a chair and a full slate of officers in place by then, but what happens if they don't? Does the state Elections code deal with this situation? I see that 172.022 states that

AUTHORITY WITH WHOM APPLICATION FILED. (a) An application for a place on the general primary election ballot must be filed with:
(1) the state chair, for an office filled by voters of more than one county; or
(2) the county chair or the secretary, if any, of the county executive committee, for an office filled by voters of a single county.

but it doesn't say anything about what happens if there is no chair or secretary. Anybody know the answer?

Meanwhile, a long-awaited audit of the county GOP's financial records may be delayed further because of the resignations. Gillen, as chairman, was point man for communication with the auditors, and until he is replaced, it's unclear to whom the auditors would report.

Boy, I'll bet that has some potential for havoc in it. Could it be that the time is right for Tom DeLay to get back in the game? One can only hope.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on November 14, 2007 to Local politics