Primary runoffs are over but political activity to continue

The primary season is over but that doesn’t necessarily mean that, at least for the Panhandle and the South Plains, the political activity will take a break till the fall election.

Pretty soon you are likely to hear noise, particularly from the Republican Party, because Amarillo businessman Tom Mechler says he is just as committed to run for chairman of the state party as he was a year ago when then-Chairwoman Tina Benkiser was in charge.

“The problems that existed when I entered the race (last June) still exist today,” Mechler said this afternoon. In October Benkiser resigned to join the re-election campaign of Gov. Rick Perry and she was succeeded by Cathie Adams.

Mechler was ineligible to succeed Benkiser because state law stipulates that when a state chairman or vice chairman of a political party steps down he or she must be replaced by someone of the same gender.

But at party conventions, when the membership elects new officers, anyone in good standing is eligible to run for a leadership post. The state Republican convention, which is held every two years, is scheduled for June 11-12 in Dallas this year.

Mechler and other Republicans have long complained that in the past several years the Democrats have gained on Republicans, particularly in the Texas Legislature where the party now has narrow majority compared to 2003 when it had an 81-69 majority in the House and 19-12 in the Senate.