Precinct Chair: what is it?

● Structural support for a political party

● Soil in which the grassroots grows

● A volunteer — elected or appointed — who coordinates political involvement in his own neighborhood within his own party.

A Precinct Chair can affect . . .

● Election integrity

● Voter turnout

● Candidates winning

● Party brand

● State policy

● The area’s influence with lawmakers

Political Party: what is it?

A political party is a group of like-minded voters organized for the purpose of implementing their shared beliefs as public policy

Divisions:

Precincts —> Counties —> State —> National

Party Organization

● State Party

    ○ Managed by SREC (State Republican Executive Committee)

● County Party

    ○ County Executive Committee (CEC)

    ○ CEC = County Chair & all the Precinct Chairs in that county!

● Commissioners Precinct Executive Committee

    ○ Precinct Chairs within a Commissioners Precinct  

Does your precinct have a Precinct Chair?

Identify your County & Precinct #

○ VoteTexas.gov —> “Am I Registered To Vote?”

● Go to county party website or contact county

chair

○ Info: www.texasgop.org/county_chairs/

○ Some county party websites list Precinct Chairs

If your precinct already has a Precinct Chair:

Ask if he/she is active

● Ask if he/she plans to run again

● If possible, before running against him/her:

○ Get to know your precinct chair

○ Ask if you can help him/her

Precinct Chair Obligations

(What do I have to do if I become Precinct Chair?)

Main Obligation: Participate in the CEC

CEC = County Executive Committee

○ Runs the business of the County GOP

● Attend meetings

○ At least quarterly

○ Usually more frequently in larger counties

● Vote; participate in debate

● Can serve on committees

CEC Responsibilities

Elections:

○ Oversee primary elections (county chair is

responsible; precinct chairs help)

○ Sometimes, select Republican nominee for ballot

● Conventions:

○ Set time for precinct conventions

○ Pick SD convention chair; set time & location

CECs often fill many additional roles to grow the part

Precinct Chair Opportunities

(What do I get to do if I become Precinct Chair?)

Guidelines & Suggestions

RPT Precinct Chair Handbook

● Your County Chair

● Other Precinct Chairs

● Be creative — effect change

    ○ Party of the grassroots

General

Get to know your precinct

● Recruit volunteers

● Grow the party

● Obtain voter data

     ○ County elections office

     ○ GOP Data Center

In general: ORGANIZE YOUR PRECINCT!

Neighborhood captains

● Walk / group leaders

● Recruit volunteers

● Give people tasks

    ○ Share tools & skills to achieve common goals!

Elections

GOTV!

● Work the polls

● Support Republican candidates

● Blockwalk, phone bank

And / or recruit volunteers to do all of the above!

Conventions

If present, serve as temporary precinct convention chair

● Educate your precinct, recruit delegates

    ○ Party Rules

    ○ Party Platform

    ○ Party Leadership

“But I don’t like what the (county / State) party is doing.”

Be the change

● Use position of precinct chair to improve structure, brand, outreach, tools

Qualifications

Resident of the precinct

● Qualified voter in that county

● NOT officeholder or candidate for

    ○ County, state, or federal public office

● Be affiliated with Republican Party

    ○ Vote in R primary election or runoff

    ○ Or give oath of affiliation

   ○ Must NOT participate in another party process

Disqualifications

Finally convicted of a felony

● Affiliate with another political party

(vote/convention/oath)

● Cease to be a resident of the precinct from which elected

● Abandonment of Office

○ miss 4 consecutive meetings & CEC follows process

Can be . . .

Elected (Done during the primary elections) or Appointed (By the executive committee during a regular meeting)

Source (Rachel Malone for Texas Young Republican Federation Fall 2019)

Issue Areas

Cornyn sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

Crime and Law Enforcement (22%)       Armed Forces and National Security (21%) Health (13%) International Affairs (12%)                       Government Operations and Politics (12%)       Science, Technology, Communications (7%) Families (7%) Taxation (6%)

Wrote the most laws compared to All Senators

Cornyn introduced 34 bills that became law, including via incorporation into other measures, in the 117th Congress. Keep in mind that it takes a law to repeal a law. Very few bills ever become law. View Enacted Bills »

 Got their bills out of committee the most often compared to Senate Republicans 

Cornyn introduced 51 bills in the 117th Congress that got past committee and to the floor for consideration. 

 Got bipartisan cosponsors on the most bills compared to Senate Republicans

In this era of partisanship, it is important to see Members of Congress working across the aisle. 96 of Cornyn’s 112 bills and resolutions had a cosponsor from a different political party than the party Cornyn caucused with in the 117th Congress. 

Introduced the 3rd most bills compared to Senate Republicans

Cornyn introduced 112 bills and resolutions in the 117th Congress. View Bills » 

 Got bicameral support on the 3rd most bills compared to Senate Republicans  

The House and Senate often work on the same issue simultaneously by introducing companion bills in each chamber. 35 of Cornyn’s bills and resolutions had a companion bill in the House. Working with a sponsor in the other chamber makes a bill more likely to be passed by both the House and Senate. 

Got the 3rd most cosponsors on their bills compared to Senate Republicans

Cornyn’s bills and resolutions had 639 cosponsors in the 117th Congress. Securing cosponsors is an important part of getting support for a bill, although having more cosponsors does not always mean a bill will get a vote. View Bills » 

 Ranked the 3rd top leader compared to Senate Republicans 

 Got influential cosponsors the 3rd most often compared to Senate Republicans (tied with 1 other) 

13 of Cornyn’s bills and resolutions in the 117th Congress had a cosponsor who was a chair or ranking member of a committee that the bill was referred to. Getting support from committee leaders on relevant committees is a crucial step in moving legislation forward. 

 Ranked 10th most politically right compared to Serving 10+ Years 

 Joined bipartisan bills the 12th most often compared to All Senators 

In this era of partisanship, it is encouraging to see Members of Congress working across the aisle. Of the 379 bills that Cornyn cosponsored, 45% were introduced by a legislator who was not a Republican. View Cosponsored Bills » 

 Was 19th most absent in votes compared to All Senators (tied with 1 other) 

Cornyn missed 6.2% of votes (59 of 949 votes) in the 117th Congress. View Cornyn’s Profile » 

Committee Positions

Cornyn held a leadership position on 0 committees and 2 subcommittees, as either a chair (majority party) or ranking member (minority party), at the end of the session.

Bills Cosponsored

Cornyn cosponsored 379 bills and resolutions introduced by other Members of Congress. Cosponsor-ship shows a willingness to work with others to advance policy goals. View Cosponsored Bills » 

Issue Areas

Cruz sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

International Affairs (30%) Taxation (16%)                             Health (14%)   Government Operations and Politics (11%)                             Transportation and Public Works (8%)         Finance and Financial Sector (8%)   Immigration (7%)           Education (7%)

 Ranked most politically right compared to Serving 10+ Years 

 Joined bipartisan bills the 3rd least often compared to Senate Republicans 

Of the 337 bills that Cruz cosponsored, 17% were introduced by a legislator who was not a Republican. View Cosponsored Bills »

 Got bicameral support on the 4th most bills compared to Senate Republicans (tied with 1 other) 

The House and Senate often work on the same issue simultaneously by introducing companion bills in each chamber. 32 of Cruz’s bills and resolutions had a companion bill in the House. Working with a sponsor in the other chamber makes a bill more likely to be passed by both the House and Senate.

 Introduced the 6th most bills compared to Senate Republicans 

 Cruz introduced 103 bills and resolutions in the 117th Congress. View Bills » 

 Got bipartisan cosponsors on the 6th fewest bills compared to Serving 10+ Years (tied with 1 other) 

In this era of partisanship, it is important to see Members of Congress working across the aisle. 8 of Cruz’s 103 bills and resolutions had a cosponsor from a different political party than the party Cruz caucused with in the 117th Congress. 

Got the 8th most cosponsors on their bills compared to Senate Republicans

2 of Cruz’s bills and resolutions in the 117th Congress had a cosponsor who was a chair or ranking member of a committee that the bill was referred to. Getting support from committee leaders on relevant committees is a crucial step in moving legislation forward. 

 Was 19th most absent in votes compared to All Senators (tied with 1 other) 

Cruz missed 6.2% of votes (59 of 949 votes) in the 117th Congress. 

Laws Enacted

Cruz introduced 4 bills that became law, including via incorporation into other measures, in the 117th Congress. Keep in mind that it takes a law to repeal a law. Very few bills ever become law. View Enacted Bills » 

Bills Out of Committee

Most bills and resolutions languish in committee without any action. Cruz introduced 8 bills in the 117th Congress that got past committee and to the floor for consideration.

 Committee Positions

Cruz held a leadership position on 0 committees and 2 subcommittees, as either a chair (majority party) or ranking member (minority party), at the end of the session.

Bills Cosponsored

Cruz cosponsored 337 bills and resolutions introduced by other Members of Congress. Cosponsor-ship shows a willingness to work with others to advance policy goals. View Cosponsored Bills »