Travis Co. Republican Party Chair Robert Morrow’s application to be a write-in presidential candidate has been accepted by the Secretary of State’s office. By filing for the office, Morrow is legally disqualified from holding his county chair position, which probably comes as a relief to party leadership at the local and state levels. Section 161.005, Election Code, provides that “a candidate for nomination or election to … an elective office of the federal, state or county government” is ineligible to serve as county party chair.
MORROW FOR PRESIDENT 2016!!! Bikini contests on the South Lawn of White House! Wet t-shirt contests 4th of July!! https://t.co/jwd518hSb7
— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) August 25, 2016
Morrow, who claims Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is a child rapist, protested outside Trump’s recent rally in Austin. He was escorted away from the venue by Austin police.
Chair of the Travis County GOP Robert Morrow is ejected before Trump rally in Austin @statesman pic.twitter.com/yarNlYg1yG
— Lukas Keapproth (@lkeapproth) August 23, 2016
Morrow’s two-month reign over the county party began with precinct chairs voting to transfer the party’s assets to the Friends of the Travis County Republican Party, over which Morrow would have no control, and to overhaul bylaws to shift much of the chair’s authority to a seven-member steering committee. Morrow was sworn in wearing the same jester hat pictured in the tweet above.
Morrow, a conspiracy theorist and prolific (and R-rated) online personality, defeated incumbent chair James Dickey in the March primary, 56%-44%, despite spending no money and barely campaigning. Nearly 45% of primary voters passed on the race.
The local party is expected to make an announcement about its vacant chairmanship tomorrow (Friday), although Morrow appears to be contesting the idea that there is a vacancy. “They don’t have the grounds to do that and anybody who says so is probably lying,” Morrow told the Texas Tribune. “If other people attempt to pull a coup like this, there will be trouble.”
Bottom line: I knocked the holy fuck out of Donald Trump and injected his child raping into national media. https://t.co/WVKm9OtQlj
— Robert Morrow (@RobMorroLiberty) August 25, 2016
“There is absolutely no place for rhetoric as distasteful as Mr. Morrow’s in the Republican Party of Texas,” said state party chair Tom Mechler in a statement. “We are excited to move forward with the Travis County GOP and the new incoming Chair as soon as an election is held to fill the position.” Morrow’s response, in the form of a tweet, challenged Mechler to perform a particular sex act.
Travis Co. will join the Dallas Co. Republican Party in making an abrupt leadership change following primary race upsets in which significant numbers of primary voters did not cast a ballot.
Updated to include statement from RPT chair Mechler.
