DALLAS — As time runs out on the Ken Paxton impeachment trial in Austin, there is bad blood brewing within the Texas GOP.
The chairman of the Republican Party of Texas was blunt in his assessment of what happens to his party if the suspended Attorney General is removed from office.
“I honestly think you’re gonna see an all-out Republican civil war over the next few months if he is convicted,” Matt Rinaldi told us on Y’all-itics.
The impeachment trial could also lead to a season of revenge during the Republican primary next March, as many Republicans in the state House of Representatives who voted for impeachment can expect a challenge.
“I do see many of those members being vulnerable in the next primary and I think Republican voters are very galvanized around this issue,” Rinaldi said.
That Republican Party of Texas could even use its own dollars against some of those Republicans.
Once a county party censures a GOP officeholder, the executive committee of the state party then decides whether to ratify that censure. If they support it, the state party can then spend money against its own members.
There are already county-level censures against House Speaker Dade Phelan and state Representative Andrew Murr, the chair of the House board of impeachment managers who also delivered their opening statement during the Senate trial.
Rinaldi says the executive committee will hold a ratification vote on those soon.
“If they are censured, we can spend money against them as a state party,” he said. “We do not get involved if there is no censure, although I might personally get involved in some of those races.”
Rinaldi also discusses why the party infighting puts Republicans in jeopardy for 2024. To learn more, listen to this entire special release episode. And remember, you can now watch Y’all-itics on the WFAA YouTube channel or WFAA+.
