News & Press

It's Finally Time for Our

Senatorial District Conventions!

As you know, the Republican Party of Texas has been directed by the San Antonio District Courts to conduct our Senatorial District and County Conventions on either April 14 or April 21st.   Your County Chairmen along with your county executive committee have been working on the specific date for your conventions and their location. Because we cannot have precinct conventions and Senatorial conventions in the usual manner due to the primary elections being moved back to May 29th, there will be some important changes to the process by which delegates and alternates can be picked on the way to the state convention in June.

Many counties have opted out of having precinct conventions prior to the Senatorial District conventions due to cost so potential delegates will go directly to their Senatorial conventions to be seated with their precincts. From there the delegates will be elected to stay at that convention and then be elected to go on to the state convention. Everyone will still have the opportunity to submit their resolutions before or during the Senatorial convention. There will be no change in that process.  

The process of credentialing to be a part of your Senatorial District convention will be slightly different this year. In order to become a delegate or alternate you must have a valid voter ID (VUID) number within your county. You will also be required to swear and sign an oath of affiliation to the Republican Party and fill out your current residence information. The list of voters from the last Republican gubernatorial primary election will be the basis for credentialing. However, newly registered voters within the county since the last election will be able to participate as long as they have a voter ID (VUID) and sign the oath. In other words, ANYONE can come to the Senatorial District convention as long as they are on the list of registered voters within the county and they sign the Oath of Affiliation to the Republican Party of Texas.

Section 162.014, Texas Election Code, provides that a person commits a Class C Misdemeanor offense if the person knowingly votes or attempts to vote in a primary election or participates or attempts to participate in a convention of a party after having voted in a primary election or participated in a convention of another party during the same voting year. A vote in a primary election is void if the voter previously voted in a primary election of another party or participated in a convention of another party during the same voting year."

A person who participates in a convention or primary election of a party other than the Republican Party during the same voting year is disqualified from participation as a delegate, alternate, party officer, or nominee of the Republican Party at any level during the voting year.

The Republican Party of Texas will seek prosecution for all violations to the maximum extent of the law.

Another requirement to participate in the Senatorial District convention is that one must have been registered to vote by March 22, 2012.

Many of you have had questions regarding the new convention process:

1. How do I become a delegate to the State Convention if I cannot attend the Senatorial Convention? You should be able to fill out a request for delegate form from your convention temporary chair to be submitted as a delegate or alternate from your precinct or an at-large delegate. You will also be required to fill out the oath of affiliation form and show your VUID.
2. What if I don't become a delegate or alternate at my Senatorial District convention and still want to go to the state convention as a delegate in June? You can still become a delegate or alternate by interviewing with the Nominations committee at the Senatorial Convention for an at-large position.
3. How can I be more involved in the Senatorial District convention process other than just becoming a delegate or alternate? Contact your temporary chairman for the Senatorial District convention and let them know you would like to be on one of the committees; Nominations, Rules, Credentials, Resolutions, Organization. Other volunteers for set up, food sales, student volunteers are also needed.  
4. When I become a delegate or alternate to the State Convention how will I register for lodging and to attend the convention? The Republican Party of Texas will send you information once your Senatorial District convention chairman submits all names and addresses within the week after the Senatorial District convention.
5. I wasn't chosen to be a delegate or alternate to either convention. Can I still go to both the Senatorial District and State conventions? Yes you can stay as a guest at the Senatorial convention and you may go as a guest to the State convention but you may not have floor privileges for voting. You may only be seated in the designated guest areas. There will be plenty to do at the State convention with workshops, dinners and the vender booths to keep you busy.
6. My high school student wants to be a volunteer at the State convention. Who do I contact? Your SREC committee members will have forms that must be signed by us before you can submit them to the RPT.
7. How can I be a volunteer at the State Convention? The RPT website will be posting information to sign up next month.

For any other questions regarding the upcoming convention process please don't hesitate to call me or the RPT headquarters in Austin.

The SREC will be meeting this weekend to work on final preparations on the State Convention and close out any committee duties for the 2 year term. This will be the final meeting of the SREC for 2010-2012 term. The upcoming State Convention promises to be the most exciting convention ever planned. Please try to attend. You will have a memorable experience.

I will be sending out more information regarding the State Convention very soon.

Paid for by Tina Gibson, SREC SD 17 Committeewoman.  No paid for by the Republican Party of Texas or any candidate or candidate committee.