BRENDA PATTERSON'S RE-ELECTION TO THE SREC

 PATTERSON UNANIMOUSLY RE-ELECTED

 

      Saturday at the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) State Convention in Dallas, Brenda Patterson of Upshur County was re-elected by acclamation to her second two-year term as a member of the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC).  Over 250 elected Delegates from the 16 northeast Texas counties that make up Senate District 1 heard our State Representative Bryan Hughes nominate Mrs. Patterson, reminding delegates of her yeoman's service to Upshur County and to the Republican Party of Texas.  By state law, the 62 members of SREC act as the governing body of the Republican Party of Texas.

      This affirmation of Mrs. Patterson's dedicated service to the Republican Party is in stark contrast to continuing attempts to defame Mrs. Patterson in local newspapers by Ken Ambrose.  Last Wednesday The Gilmer Mirror quoted Mr. Ambrose in another cheap shot stating he will "clean up the mess that the party has become over the past five years under the failed leadership of my predecessor (Brenda Patterson) and I fully intend to do exactly that.  Of course, in the short term, it won't be pretty…"

      Nothing could be further from the truth.  For seven years Mrs. Patterson put in countless unpaid hours serving the Republicans of Upshur County.  Those who are most aware of this are the precinct chairmen who, along with the chairman, make up the county executive committee (EC) as specified under Texas Election Code 171.022 which specifically excludes appointed officers from the EC.  The majority of the EC has always strongly supported Mrs. Patterson in spite of vicious attacks of a small handful of individuals, who have now been joined by Ken Ambrose.

      This support by the majority of the executive committee continues today.  Mr. Ambrose made a ridiculous and totally inaccurate charge in Saturday's Mirror that only one of nine named precinct chairs were elected and the other eight were handpicked by Mrs. Patterson.  All 14 of the current precinct chairs were elected in accordance with Texas election law. All 14 duly filed as candidates for the March 2 primary.  By state law the candidates who did not draw an opponent were automatically elected and their names are not to be placed on the ballot by Texas election law.  Those precinct chairman candidates with opponents are required to have their names placed on the ballot.  It appears that 11 of these 14 current precinct chairs support Mrs. Patterson as our SREC representative, while Mr. Ambrose refuses to speak civilly to her.  Hopefully, Mr. Ambrose will recognize that Mrs. Patterson represents our county party on the SREC and will treat her with normally expected common courtesy.  These same 11 precinct chairs are anxious to unify with Mr. Ambrose if he will follow state law, which mandates following the rules of the RPT and Robert's Rules of Order.

      At the Organizational Meeting on June 5 Mr. Ambrose did not follow Section 163.002 of the Texas Election Code, RPT rules # 5, #7 and 8.d, which specifically require the compliance with Robert's Rules of Order for all Republican Party meetings from precinct level to the state level.  Elected precinct chairs were not allowed to vote on Bylaws.  Without authorization of the executive committee, Mr. Ambrose appointed 6 unelected vice chairmen and had County Judge Dean Fowler swear them in.  Since the executive committee was not allowed to adopt Bylaws, this action is null and void.  Mr. Ambrose continues to receive numerous requests to nullify the defective meeting of June 5 and call a new organizational meeting with an independent certified parliamentarian in place to educate and guide Chairman Ambrose's use of Roberts Rules of Order and the subsequent compliance with the rules of the Republican Party of Texas.