TEXAS — The State Republican Executive Committee voted on censuring ten Republican lawmakers on Saturday. It’s a formal reprimand that could have barred those who were censured from being on the 2026 Republican primary ballot.

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The State Republican Executive Committee voted on censuring ten Republican lawmakers on Sunday

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and former Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, were among those on the censure list

Five lawmakers were censured as part of the effort

Ballot penalties for the censure were dismissed

The Texas GOP voting bloc heeded this warning from the Texas GOP general counsel, Rachel Hooper, and voted against barring members from the 2026 primary ballot who were accused of violating parts of the party platform.

“It is a death penalty,” said Hooper.

Party Chair Abraham George said the White House was closely watching Saturday’s meeting.

“To see that they didn’t damage themselves unduly by internal fighting because the Republican Party is in a dominant position right now,” said Cal Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University.

The State Republican Executive Committee decided to censure five members, two of whom are not running for reelection. SREC member Rolando Garcia didn’t think the accusations justified ballot removal and says the party can’t afford another lawsuit while it battles to close its primary elections in court.

“Until we win that lawsuit, I think a lot of us did not think this was the right time to indulge in another expensive legal battle,” said Garcia.

House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, was one of the 10 lawmakers who faced censure, but he managed to escape censure.

“There were 17,297 Republicans who went out to vote in the Republican primary in his district,” said Tori Trevino, a member of the committee from state Senate District 21. “They voted for him. He won with 68% of the vote. Fifteen people who voted to censure him in a county that he does not even represent. So, 15 people would remove the voice of 17,297 voters.” 

The other nine Republican lawmakers who faced censure faced being banned from next year’s primary.

Reps. Angie Chen Button, R-Dallas, and Cody Harris, R-Palestine, were two of the lawmakers who were not censured by state Republicans.

The effort to formally reprimand representatives for violating parts of the party platform follows a conservative legislative year. Still, grassroots Republicans found cause for censures based on electing Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who relied on Democratic support to win, and for approving the chamber’s rules that allowed Democrats some means of committee influence. Beaumont SREC member Lydia Covey advocated for ballot removal punishment.

“We don’t have the right to ignore the rules that the delegates voted on at state convention last year. And I don’t think we have the right to ignore the request of the counties,” said Covey during the meeting.

The resolutions that originated at the county level caused a rift in the party, which the Texas Republican County Chairman’s Association describes as unnecessary.

“Everybody who has been involved in this for a long time knows that you have to get your grassroots base out. However, the major elections are decided by the middle. Which way does the middle swing? Which way do the independents go? Do Democrats, Democrats getting frustrated with their current leadership, seeing people crossing over? You’re seeing this in the valley where people are beginning to run more as Republicans,” said David Stein.

Stein also warned against censure being used as a campaign strategy. Nevertheless, Republican state Rep. Angelia Orr’s primary opponent, Kathaleen Wall, said in a campaign release that Orr had “betrayed her district” and respected the Republican Party of Texas’ decision to censure her. Orr’s response is that the number of her conservative wins “will speak louder than political stunts.” Other censured representatives have declined multiple requests for comment on the process.

“I think they’re probably just going to keep their head down and, and let, let concern about this dissipate because it’s a long time before they have to run again,” said Jillson.

The more moderate Republican base won in the battle over ballot removal, but political scientists say grassroots activists aren’t through calling for purity in the party.

The committee voted in favor of censuring Reps. Stan Lambert, R-Abilene; Angelia Orr, R-Hillsboro; Jared Patterson, R-Frisco; Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston; and former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont.