This past Saturday, the State Republican Executive Committee met at the RPT headquarters in Austin to elect our new National Committeewoman to represent Texas in the Republican National Committee alongside National Committeeman Dr. Robin Armstrongand State Chairman Steve Munisteri. Three candidates ran to fill the vacancy for National Committeewoman including Kendall County GOP Chair Toni Anne Dashiell, SREC Secretary Mandy Tschoepe, and Denton County GOP Chair Dianne Edmondson.
The meeting began with the three candidates taking part in a candidate forum in which they were given the opportunity to answer questions submitted by members of the SREC on how they would further the Republican Party, questions about RNC rules changes that affect the grassroots participation, and how to make the national party more effective in Presidential elections. Since only members of the SREC were allowed to vote in this election, only members of the SREC were allowed to submit questions.
Following the candidate forum, the general session was called to order with an invocation by Pastor Rex Johnson along with the Pledges of Allegiance led by SREC members Bonnie Lugo (SD-13) and Joy Ellinger (SD-24). Chairman Munisteri then addressed the SREC on the process of electing a new National Committeewoman as well as proposed supplemental rules determined by the Officials Committee. Once the SREC had voted in favor to adopt the proposed supplemental rules, candidates were officially nominated for the position of National Committeewoman by members of the SREC. Before voting began each candidate was given 5 minutes to address the SREC and discuss why they were running for the position and how they would fight to bring the proven Texas model of successful Republican politics to the RNC beginning with the RNC meetings taking place in Los Angeles this week.
Under the rules adopted by the SREC earlier in the meeting, the voting would be done via a secret ballot, different from the standing vote the SREC typically uses throughout its meetings, and the SREC would continue to repeat voting for all three candidates until one of them received more than 50%. After voting on two ballots, however, Denton County GOP Chair Dianne Edmondson pulled her name from consideration for the position and encouraged her supporters to vote for either of the remaining candidates, citing that either would make a great representative for Texas on the RNC. She received standing applause from everyone in the room before voting on the third ballot began.
After three rounds of voting, a winner had been decided in the very close race between the final two candidates with the winning candidate receiving just 54% of the vote. It was a very hard fought yet clean and friendly election, all of the candidates were extremely qualified, and each one of them would have done an amazing job serving as our next National Committeewoman. Unfortunately only one of these great ladies can fill the vacancy and we are proud to announce that the former President of TFRW and current Kendall County GOP Chair, Toni Anne Dashiell, has been chosen to serve as National Committeewoman through the end of the 2016 Republican National Convention. We are looking forward to working with her in her new position and are very excited to see what she will be able to accomplish as the newest member of the Republican National Committee.
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