August 3, 2016

6:44 PM

Updated: Scramble begins to replace new Dallas County GOP

Chairman after abrupt resignation
Huffines brother and former vice chairman Bingham enter race; some Texas House
members in tight races could be collateral damage in the fall
Editors note: After the original publication of this story, Sen. Huffines spokesman denied the
senator had supported the election of the chairman who just resigned. The story has been updated to
reflect that SB
DALLAS Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Mark Montgomery resigned after only a
month on the job, sending the partys warring factions scrambling to find a new leader only a few
months before whats expected to be another tough general election for the local party. His
resignation is effective immediately.
As the Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday, Montgomery leaves behind a party with $180 in the
bank amid dwindling support from contributors who seem frustrated by the tug of war between
archconservatives like Sen. Don Huffines and mainstream party donors.
Montgomery defeated former Chair Wade Emmert in the March primary with backing from Sen.
Huffines and some Tea Party activists.
When Quorum Report first reported Huffines was looking to install as the next chairman his brother,
Phillip Huffines, many activists questioned Huffines real intentions for backing Montgomery in the
first place. On Wednesday, Phillip Huffines announced his bid in an e-mail to the party faithful and
asked for their support.
Wednesday evening, Sen. Huffines spokesman Matt Langston took issue with the assertions of
those Republican activists.
"Neither Senator Huffines or Phillip Huffines backed Mark Montgomery. In fact, they were not
involved in the Dallas County GOP Chair race this last primary," Langston said. "That is false and
whoever gave you that information is lying."
We need decisive, conservative leadership in the State of Texas, and it must include a Dallas County
Republican Party that is efficient, professional, and most importantly, well-funded, Huffines said.
To achieve that, we must immediately prove to Republicans in North Texas that our party is a good
investment to advance the Republican cause.

But hes not alone in the race. Former vice chairman and party activist and lawyer Elizabeth
Bingham also announced her candidacy.
She was shocked and disappointed when she heard the news about Montgomerys resignation. A
chairman should be out in front with events, Bingham said. Most importantly, a party chair should
not be an ideological gig, but about competence and fitness. Its not Tea Party versus the
Establishment.
A county party is important, she said, because it provides infrastructure that candidates otherwise
would not have in the form of data, phone banks and advertising.
They should be clearinghouses, Bingham said of the local parties.
Former Dallas GOP Chairman Jonathan Neerman agreed. But Neerman added its a different
world with PACs than it was 30 years ago.
County parties by their nature stay neutral in primaries. If Huffines ascends to the chairmanship, the
grassroots would probably be uneasy if the party became more active in primaries.
The Huffines brothers were not shy during this past primary season.
Their North Texas Conservative Coalition PAC backed unsuccessful challengers to incumbent
Representatives Jason Villalba and Cindy Burkett. Villalba on Tuesday night lashed out at Sen.
Huffines on social media, saying he "is singularly the worst senator SD16 has ever experienced. And
now he is trying to dismantle the party to install his brother."
Huffines did not target Republican lawmakers who could potentially be vulnerable this fall like
Representatives Kenneth Sheets and Linda Koop.
Theres a schism between Huffines and the Dallas County House delegation, Neerman said.
Those concerns are valid if the senator has plans to use the party in primaries. Its one thing for
Huffines to use his own funds to primary incumbents. Its another thing to use the county party to get
involved, or use funds, to primary incumbents.
Former Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, compared the current state of the Dallas Republican Party to
former Republican Party of Texas Chairman Cathie Adams 10-month stint.
[Adams] took it into bankruptcy, didnt engage voters and isolated traditional fundraisers. The
business community was disengaged, Deuell said. Dallas County is a microcosm of that race.
Former chairman Emmert was great. But the Tea Party, including Huffines, savaged both former Sen.
John Carona and myself.
A broke county party should be cause for worry, but demagoguery should too, Deuell said.
Theyre nasty and angry, which is how Donald Trump got the partys nomination, he said.
Theyre also like Ted Cruz, who doesnt care about the GOP or fitness for office, just
demagoguery.

The people who built the party now want nothing to do with it, Deuell said. If the Dunns, Wilks,
Huffines and the rest want to be responsible for the party then let them fund the beast and see how it
works for them, Deuell said.
Precinct chairs and the partys executive committee are slated to choose the next party chair on
August 18.
By James Russell

IID 25562
Copyright August 03, 2016, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved