AUSTIN, Texas (Texas Insider Report) — “We Texans look forward to leading by example – and conducting a Convention safely is a critical part of that process,” said Texas GOP Chairman James Dickey earlier this week, announcing that the Republican Party of Texas will not let the CoronaVirus upend their traditional 3-Day, In-Person Convention of approximately 7,500 State Party Delegates in Mid-July at the Houston Convention Center.
Republican Party enthusiasm from across the state to contribute to the re-opening of the Texas economy was a factor in the Texas GOP’s decision to move forward with their convention this summer said Dickey, explaining that Texas' Republican Party activists believe its past time to follow President Trump’s lead to get Americans back to work.
Pleased with an increased amount of testing being done across the state, and with those tests showing a declining rate in the percentage of Texans infected – but worried about the extreme joblessness caused by the pandemic – Republican Gov. Greg Abbott (at right with other statewide party leaders announcing Texas' recent CoronaVirus response measures,) has lifted business closures as part of a phased transition back to normal.The moves have generally been embraced by Texans — the governor enjoys a 58% approval rating in a recent SurveyMonkey Poll.
Acknowledging that lingering health concerns related to the CoronaVirus will impact certain aspects of the state party’s July 16th–18th convention, Dickey said:
“We’re working with the convention center in Houston to make sure we arrange things with a much less compacted footprint than's previously been the norm”
“It is absolutely critical that our delegates have a chance to weigh in on the convention's rules and priorities, the platform, and we want to lead by example toward national convention.
"Showing that Texas can return to a level of normalcy, while continuing to take the highest steps to protect health and safety of our attendees, it our goal,” said Dickey.
“It is absolutely critical that our delegates have a chance to weigh in on the convention's rules and priorities, the platform, and we want to lead by example toward national convention.
"Showing that Texas can return to a level of normalcy, while continuing to take the highest steps to protect health and safety of our attendees, it our goal,” said Dickey.
As a result, certain elements of the convention are being planned accordingly. For instance, Dickey said, the convention floor is being laid out so that delegates are not seated right next to each other in compact rows.
And in side rooms, used for training sessions and seminars, there will be fewer seats for casual observers. Those presenting and attending will be able to do so while practicing social distancing protocols.
One factor helping to make such a large undertaking logistically possible is – attendance at this year’s convention is expected to be 50% less than in previous years. While the Texas GOP didn't discourage attendance, Dickey and other party officials have had to openly concede that the COVID-19 CoronaVirus was going to play a significant role by lowering attendance.The National Republican Convention is scheduled to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina’s Spectrum Center some 6 weeks later from August 24th- 27th, and Dickey says Texas Republicans are eager to show that their convention can serve as a model for successful mass political gatherings.
