By Shelley Kofler, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-907143.mp3
Dallas, TX – Outgoing Republican Party Chair Cathie Adams told KERA Debra Medina played a big role in delegates electing a new party chair at this weekend's state GOP convention. Delegates replaced Adams with Houston Attorney Steve Munisteri. Medina says she organized votes because Adams has tried to muzzle her and supporters. KERA's Shelley Kofler has more on what happened and what the former candidate for governor is doing to influence republican politics.
Friday night as most convention delegates attended the official Barbeque and Boots banquet, some 500 anti-establish republicans raised the roof at a nearby hotel.
They were there to help former republican candidate for governor Debra Medina launch her new organization, We Texans.
"We better get new leadership in this party if we want this vehicle to advance the ideas of freedom, liberty and limited government," Medina told a thundering crowd.
Medina says she moved her headquarters to Dallas' Magnolia Hotel after state republican party leaders rejected her application for a booth in the convention's exhibit hall. Medina previously sued the party claiming it violated its own convention rules. A spokesman says the lawsuit is why Medina's request for a booth was denied.
Medina supporters believe it's more about party officials trying to stay in control.
"In the past they were not quite so interested in people who have not come up through vetted approved channels," said T.J. Lane a republican delegate from McKinney.
"Debra Medina got nearly 20 percent, 275,000 votes and to say we won't even take your money to allow you to sit down and present the views of that large part of the electorate it's just ridiculous," Lane complained.
Despite Medina's primary defeat, Danya Simmons, a delegate from Addison, continues to see her as a leader.
"We Texans, the organization, has been excluded from anything to do with the convention which is kind of scary. She is not Rick Perry but she has a lot of people who will support her and back her for whatever she decides to do next," said Simmons.
What's next for Medina is We Texans, an organization that will be able to accept corporate money to lobby for legislation. Medina says she's starting it with most of the $150,000 left from her governor's race. She'll focus on several cornerstone issues from her campaign.
"(We're) working on getting rid of private property taxes , securing private property rights in Texas and working on state sovereignty issues," said Medina.
Medina claims the Texas Republican Party has been controlled by an elite few who ignore grassroots activists like herself and those involved in the Tea Party.
"I think what we all want is to be left alone and there is the sense my government is too much in my life. Republicans have given that lip service for years and been guilty of the same kind of spending patterns and the same overly intrusive policies as our counterparts on the opposite side of the political aisle," said Medina.
As for whether she and her new group will have any traction, Medina points to the vote by convention delegates to replace state party chair Cathie Adams.
Medina says she organized her supporters to help elect new party chair Steve Munisteri believing he'll allow the activists a greater voice in shaping the Texas GOP.
Adams says Medina blamed her three months ago when a party committee ruled against Medina's request for convention changes.
"I have a lot of respect for her. I wish she hadn't made demands I couldn't do anything about," said Adams.