The financial problems at the Harris County Republican Party are well known and documented. What isn’t so well known is that because of those financial problem, anyone with a thousand bucks to spare (or $83.33 per month) gets to put a label by their name that says they are a part of the party’s “Leadership Council”. Now, between you, me, and the fencepost, that is a meaningless “council” but for people not familiar with the program, that label gives them a false confidence in the person displaying it.
Take, for example, current candidate for the Harris County Department of Education School Trustee, Pos. 3, At-Large Richard Johnson. Please, take him. I first met Mr. Johnson a couple of months ago at a RHCIA meeting at Café Adobe. First question I asked was if he was in favor of abolishing the department. Oh, no, he says! That is a vital department to make sure that kids get educated. Alrighty then.
A couple of weeks later, I see on Facebook that he is pushing something called the Harris County Republican Minority Leadership Council. I asked Mr. Johnson who was in the group. Turns out to be him and “a few buddies”. Okay, fine, he isn’t the first guy to start a group with no members.
Then, I see him at the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club a couple of weeks ago and he drones on for what seemed like hours about why he was a Republican. Something about the abolition of slavery. Okay, good enough, we all know that the Republican Party was at the forefront of that movement. I asked him after the meeting if he had ever voted in a Republican Primary or for a Republican. No, he says. I asked him why not? He told me he didn’t think you had to support Republicans to be one. Alrighty then.
So at this point, I dismiss him as a viable candidate and promised myself to research him and find out who he really was. No need. Colleen Vera, who writes at a blog called Texas Trash Talk.
What she found is shocking and should be a loud warning to everyone – do not believe that little symbol that says someone is a part of the Republican Leadership Council. Not only is this guy not a Republican, he is a long time Democrat that once thought about running for the Harris County Democratic Party chair, doesn’t appear to live where he is registered to vote, helped Quannell X recruit young boys for the Nation of Islam, and says he hasn’t spent any money even though he has a professional website and campaign literature.
Incredibly, State Rep. Debbie Riddle supports this guy – he held a fundraiser for her. Just today she called him a “strong leader” and sees “great things for him”. Yes, that Debbie Riddle – the one so supportive of Voter ID is supporting a guy that is registered along with five other people miles and miles from where he and his wife own a home in Spring. You just gotta shake your head.
Laughably, he also lists Dr. Steven Hotze as a supporter – can you imagine Hotze and Quannell X supporting the same candidate? Well, yeah – money trumps everything in politics.
Folks, THIS is why it is important for the Harris County Republican Party to be financially solvent and well organized! I mean, seriously, we have a Republican State Rep. actively supporting him! Think about that for a minute. Why didn’t someone in the party warn her? Because there is no one working there that could have warned her! Because they are flat broke due to poor leadership over a long, long time.
Gonna be a rude awakening for some Republicans in Harris County this November if the party doesn’t get its act together and get it together fast. Especially all those judicial candidates that have busted their tails for a year or more winning a primary and then funding the party’s campaign in the fall, only to be swept away by Harris County Democrats.
Please, take the time to read this:
How Many Democrats Have Bought Their Way Into Leadership of the Harris County GOP?
I did some checking, as I was interested that he says Dr. Hotze supports him. Dr. Hotze’s group has openly endorsed Mike Wolfe in this race it appears. Seems someone is not being quite honest about their endorsements.
is the title of the article misspelled ? did you mean to say Richard Johnson instead of Ricahrd Johnson??
Dang, Carls Bad, thousands of page views and only one person noticed that. Thanks.