Seay DeLeon to serve as Co-Chairs; Focus on Texas State House Races
Austin - The Associated Republicans of Texas (ART) a Republican organization focused on winning Texas House races and formed almost 35 years ago at the urging of Texas first Republican Senator John Tower has announced an updated Board of Directors & intiative to targert competitive state House campaigns in the upcoming 2010 election. The new board list sheds light on ARTs singular focus they said and seeks to focus statewide Republican commitments to growing conservative voting strength in the Texas House.
Pat Robbins ART Executive Director said ARTs newst Board of Directors reads like a whos who of Republicans who give of their time and very often help raise and give generously to Republican candidates and conservative causes.
The ART Board includes traditional formidable Republican givers - statewide business & civic leaders like John Nau Bob Rowling Harlan Crow Louis Beecherl Tom Hicks David Hartman Roy Bailey John Steen and Morgan OConnor -- and relatively young entrepreneurs such as Ray Washburne George P. Bush and Dee Kelly Jr. who are emerging as new leaders in the Facebook-age of political campaigning.
The members of the ART Board have served in leadership positions of Republican candidates up and down the ballot and are actively working in both Governor Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Hutchison campaigns.
Several recently served together on the Statewide Finance Team helping reelect U.S. Senator John Cornyn.
All have a thorough understanding of grassroots Texas political campaigns as well as a remarkable history of civic involvement.
With the release about the Board Pat Robbins ART Executive Director announced George Seay will join Hector De Leon as Co-Chair of the ART Board of Directors.
Seay a successful Dallas businessman who has been instrumental in introducing new people to national and state Republican efforts helped his grandfather Bill Clements run for Governor of Texas.
De Leon is a pioneer of Texas Republican politics and has Chaired ART since 2005. Mr. De Leon is a name partner of De Leon & Washburn in Austin.
While ART is extremely pleased with the formidable group of Texas leaders on the Board today we are only getting started Seay said.
The future for Texas Republicans is bright and ART will play a large role in shaping that future DeLeon added.
ARTs singular focus in 2010 is winning competitive Texas House races. Weve got great candidates and were on the right side of the issues. We have a plan to win competitive races. I like our chances in 2010 and in the years beyond in Texas politics said DeLeon.
Robbins has helped lead ART since its inception helping Republicans win an 88-62 majority in the Texas House in 2003. It was the first time the GOP led the chamber in more than 130 years.
Robbins noted that ART traces its roots back to 1974 and an election that was clearly a turning point in modern Texas politics. Four months after the election one hundred dedicated Republicans gathered in a motel near DFW airport to begin laying the groundwork for a remarkable comeback and a string of Republican gains and victories.
ARTs goals today remain focused on building the party from the grass roots up.
Associated Republicans of Texas Board of Directors (as of 11/13/2009)
- Roy Bailey Dallas
- Louis A. Beecherl Jr. Dallas
- Will Beecherl Dallas
- Nelda Blair The Woodlands
- Jim Blair The Woodlands
- Hon. Henry Bonilla San Antonio/Washington DC
- George P. Bush Austin
- David Cabrales Dallas
- Harlan Crow Dallas
- Hector De Leon Austin
- Hon. Ed Emmett Houston
- David A. Hartman Austin
- Tom Hicks Dallas
- Ned Holmes Houston
- Gaylord Hughey Tyler
- Woody Hunt El Paso
- Mark Hurley Dallas
- Dee Kelly Jr. Fort Worth
- James A. Leonard Lakeway
- John Nau Houston
- Morgan OConnor Victoria
- Richard Parker Houston
- Verne Philips Austin
- W. M. Quackenbush Amarillo
- Pat Robbins Austin
- Brooke Rollins Fort Worth
- Bob Rowling Dallas
- John Schweitzer Austin
- George Seay Dallas
- John Steen San Antonio
- Lance Tarrance Austin
- Ray Washburne Dallas
- Dr. Walter Wilkerson Jr. Conroe
