Paxton Faction Backs Indian Immigrant
for State Party Chair as Rinaldi Eyes Exit
Capitol Inside
March 15, 2024
A conservative activist who migrated to the U.S. from India received the heir apparent treatment from the MAGA establishment on Friday when he launched a bid to run the Texas GOP after current party Chairman Matt Rinaldi announced he'd be leaving without a re-election race in 2024.
Abraham George of Allen threw his name into the ring of potential Rinaldi replacements without delay - citing his experience as the Collin County Republican chairman for two years before a Texas House race that he lost to State Rep. Candy Noble of Lucas by 5 points in the primary election last week.
George picked up instant endorsements from Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rinaldi - a former Texas House Republican who's led the state party for nearly three years. State Reps. Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth and Tony Tinderholt of Arlington, House nominees Mitch Little of Lewisville and Brent Money of Greenville and an array of other Paxton allies served up plugs for George as well - speaking in some cases as though his coronation as the new state GOP chief was a foregone conclusion.
But George could hit a potentially insurmountable obstacle if Governor Greg Abbott has someone else in mind for the contest, which will be decided by delegates in a vote on the floor of the Texas Republican Convention in San Antonio on May 25. Abbott has been riding high after a series of monumental power grabs - from his usurping of the federal government on immigration enforcement at the border to his quest to oust House Republicans who defy his demands.
Abbott could decide that he should pick the next party chair - and he could go for a more typical contender who's white and has lived in the U.S. all their life. Allen West, who's Black, was the only exception to that tradition during a stint as state Republican chair for a year when the party was in disarray during the covid pandemic.
Abbott may look to one of several House Republicans who lost to challengers in the primary election last week with the governor leading cheers for them. Abbott invested substantial time and donor money into State Rep. Jacey Jetton's unsuccessful fight with Matt Morgan - another Paxton recruit like George had been when he gave up his local party post to challenge Noble in House District 89.
Jetton served as the Fort Bend County GOP chairman before his initial election to the Legislature's lower chamber in 2020. Abbott was a huge fan of State Rep. Kronda Thimesch of Lewisville in round one before she was unseated by Litte in HD 65.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick may expect to have a say in the state party leadership competition as well. Any candidate with at least two of the big GOP three of Abbott, Patrick and Paxton could be tough to beat in the party leadership sweepstakes.
Paxton enlisted George last fall in a push to punish Republican representatives like Noble who voted for his impeachment last spring. Noble had a massive advantage in campaign cash with contributions of almost $650,000 - almost five times the amount that George rounded up as the lone challenger in HD 89.
Noble also had Abbott in her corner at a time when his support was worth dramatically more than it had ever been in the past.
George moved to the U.S. with his family before the general election in 2008 when he cast his first vote in a presidential election with a thumbs down for Barack Obama. George may feel compelled to explain why he thinks immigrants like himself should have the right to leave the American dream when he and other Republicans are fighting to deprive people from Mexico and other nations that are poor from doing so.
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