Unlike Tarrant case, top Texas Republicans quick to condemn recent racism from leaders
Texas Republican leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, were quick and decisive in their recent condemnations of two party leaders’ uses of racial slurs.
It’s an encouraging development, especially after the long, divisive battle over a Muslim party member that scarred the Tarrant County GOP earlier this year.
First, there was state Rep. Rick Miller. The Houston-area lawmaker told the Houston Chronicle that two of his primary opponents were running against him because they are Asian Americans in a district where that population is growing.
Abbott quickly rescinded his endorsement of Miller, and within a day, the incumbent had abandoned his re-election bid, apologizing for his comments and expressing a desire to not be a distraction to his colleagues.
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Then, Galveston County GOP Chairwoman Yolanda Waters was reported to have used a racial slur in a text message referring to a black member of the State Republican Executive Committee, a Texas GOP leadership group. She called it a typo and noted her own African American and Latina heritage, but Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Land Commissioner George P. Bush and state party chairman James Dickey asked her to resign. So far, she’s resisting the calls.
The contrast to the Tarrant County fight over party vice chairman Shahid Shafi is hard to overlook. Attacks on Shafi and efforts to remove him from his leadership post simmered for months before Abbott, on the eve of a vote by precinct chairs, weighed in publicly.
When he did, the governor strongly endorsed religious freedom and tolerance. And ultimately, Tarrant County precinct leaders voted overwhelmingly the keep Shafi in place. But the drawn-out fight reflected badly on the party, drawing nationwide attention.
Cynics might suggest the quicker reaction from GOP leaders is driven by politics after Texas Republicans suffered losses in 2018 legislative and congressional races and are bracing for tough battles in 2020. After all, longtime state politics observer Ross Ramsey at the Texas Tribune drew up a list of racially charged comments spanning nearly a decade that drew little notice from top Republicans.
But no matter. What’s important is that it’s the right thing to do. These slurs have no place in Texas politics, and the more elected officials and party leaders do to make that clear, the better.
After all, the state grows more diverse every day. If Republicans want to keep power, they have to speak to a broader audience. Plenty argue that parts of their agenda, like defending economic freedom and protecting life, should naturally appeal to many minority groups.
Now that the state appears to be politically competitive in ways it hasn’t been for decades, they have a chance to prove it. Their leaders should continue to ensure that the battle is fought over ideas, not identities.