The Bandera County Republican Party held its Precinct and County Conventions on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Pipe Creek Community Center.
Rules for the convention were distributed by email prior to the event and passed by a 4-3 vote of the incumbent Precinct Chairs.
On Friday before convention day, volunteers from the Bandera County Republican Women’s Club (BCRW) joined the former County GOP Chair and the current County GOP Chair in setting up the venue with tables and chairs. They also provided printed material for each Precinct as guides during the conventions.
On Saturday morning, the opening ceremonies commenced with an Invocation by Dennis Teitge. The US Pledge of Allegiance and Texas Pledge were recited by all attendees. Each of the ten Precincts convened their conventions starting at 10:00 AM. They were called to order by Temporary Precinct Chairs, six of whom were the incumbent Precinct Chairs of the current County Executive Committee. They each elected a Permanent Chair and Secretary.
The Precincts elected Delegates to the County Convention from their attendees. Resolutions to be submitted for consideration during the County Convention were discussed and voted on.
The ten Precinct Conventions were all adjourned by 11:30. The written records of the Precinct Conventions were available for view by participants and media for 30 minutes following adjournment. The names of forty-seven delegates and the minutes of the Precinct meetings were submitted to the incumbent County Chair, who served as the Temporary Convention Chair, and his appointed Temporary Convention Secretary. The Precincts’ Resolutions were submitted to the Resolutions Committee.
The Bandera County Republican Women provided coffee, pastries, donuts, and drinks during both Conventions and a sack lunch during the break for a donation.
The County Convention was convened at 12:00 noon. The first order of business was to elect a Permanent Convention Chair. Two nominees were submitted for this position: the incumbent County Chair and the Chair-elect.
Between 11:45 AM shortly after 12:00 noon, numerous people came in the door to attend the convention, including the Bandera County Sheriff. They had been informed by email from the Bandera County Conservative Coalition PAC that the convention started at noon.
Since they had missed their Precinct Conventions, they were not named as delegates to the County Convention and therefore not permitted to vote in the County Convention. Heated discussion ensued. The Sergeant-at-Arms, Dennis Teitge, and the County Sheriff had to intervene to keep order.
Since the Bandera County Republican Party had complied with State Law and Election Code by posting the correct starting time on its website, providing the same notice with the County Clerk to be posted on the County bulletin boards, and providing the correct information at the polls during the Primary Election, no fault could be attributed to the Party. Close to twenty Bandera County Republican voters were disenfranchised by disinformation put forth by the BCCC PAC.
After three counts, Dave Allen was elected Permanent Chair of the County Convention. He named his Secretary and Committee Chairs to serve during the convention.
Over sixty resolutions were considered. The Resolutions Committee compiled a list, filtering duplicates. Each was read to the assembly. Some died due to a lack of a motion to approve, even from the people in the precinct that proposed them. Some were voted down, and 46 were approved by the delegates.
Each of the Precincts submitted names to be considered for delegates at the Republican Party of Texas State Convention. Bandera County was allotted seventeen delegates and seventeen alternates by the Republican Party of Texas. In the final count, seventeen delegates and four alternates were chosen to attend that convention in San Antonio from May 23-25. Per the adopted rules, delegates and alternates shall be present during the entire convention, thus ensuring that Bandera County takes full advantage of our seventeen votes in all issues brought to the floor.
The County Convention was adjourned at 3 PM.
The same people who took time to set up the venue stayed to help clean up with some additional volunteers. Trash was removed, chairs and tables put away, and the floor swept.
The Pipe Creek Community Center was restored to its original state and the lease deposit was returned to the County GOP.
Dave Allen Bandera County GOP Chair I was dismayed to read that the Bandera GOP is still giving oxygen to people seeking leadership roles who use the term “scumbag” in a public meeting. This behavior is a sign of an inability to use good judgment and manage emotions, and unfortunately is being modeled by the “leader” of the GOP on a national level. We all lose when we stop showing common courtesy and respect for each other.
Susan Hull Bandera, Texas
