Texas GOP Chair Abraham George Ousted. D'rinda Randall Now Leads State Party.

Texas GOP Convention Replaces Chair Before November Midterms

Republican Party of Texas Vice Chair D’rinda Randall defeated incumbent Chair Abraham George at the 2026 Texas Republican Convention in Houston on June 12, becoming the new head of the party that has controlled Texas government for more than two decades. George conceded via social media before the general session began, after delegates in Senate district caucuses voted overwhelmingly for Randall in an initial round.

Randall ran against her own former running mate. The two had won their positions together two years ago, making her victory a direct repudiation of George’s leadership by the same coalition that originally put them in office.

What Randall Won and What George Lost

George oversaw a productive legislative stretch in Austin. During his tenure, the Texas Republican-controlled legislature passed private school voucher legislation, redirecting public money toward private and religious schools, along with a series of socially conservative laws pushed by the hard-right faction of the Texas House.

“While this race has come to an end, our mission continues. Now is the time to come together, unite behind our Republican nominees, support the entire Republican ticket in November, advance our legislative priorities in the next session, and continue standing firmly for the conservative principles outlined in our platform.”

Abraham George, outgoing Texas GOP Chair, social media post, June 12, 2026

Despite that legislative record, George could not hold his position. Attorney General Ken Paxton led a long list of elected officials and activists backing George, but the endorsements did not translate on the convention floor. A member of the State Republican Executive Committee claimed the party was running a $651,000 deficit to host the convention, a financial dispute that dogged George’s final days in the role. George disputed that figure, putting the shortfall closer to $100,000.

Why the Leadership Shift Matters in 2026

Control of the Texas GOP chairmanship shapes which candidates get party infrastructure, money, and field support heading into November. Texas Republicans hold the governorship, both U.S. Senate seats, and a supermajority in the state legislature. Paxton, the new Senate nominee, defeated incumbent John Cornyn in a bruising primary that has left divisions within the party Randall now must stitch together.

The convention drew more than 7,000 registered delegates, but the George R. Brown Convention Center remained sparsely populated as proceedings got underway. FIFA World Cup matches in Houston the same week drove up hotel costs and pushed many out-of-town delegates away. Trey Trainor, who led the convention’s platform committee, said the low turnout reflected anxiety about the primaries and flagging enthusiasm: “They see that the Democrat Party is incredibly engaged,” he told the Tribune.

52% of farmers surveyed by Purdue University’s Ag Economy Barometer said the U.S. is headed in the right direction in May 2026, down from 74% in July 2025, as the Iran war drives up energy and fertilizer costs for a constituency that reliably backed Trump. [Foreign Policy, June 12, 2026]

Rural Texas voters are part of that shifting picture. Two-thirds of farmers surveyed by Purdue University’s Ag Economy Barometer said the Iran war would have a negative impact on their net income in 2026. Diesel prices have reached their highest levels since 2022, squeezing margins in agricultural communities that have historically delivered large Republican margins in Texas.

Texas Democrats have not won a statewide race since 1994. The 2026 midterms represent the next opportunity to change that, and Randall’s ability to consolidate a fractured coalition will determine how competitive those races become.

What You Can Do

Register to vote or confirm your Texas voter registration at votetexas.gov before the October 6, 2026 deadline. Texas uses strict registration cutoffs, and same-day registration is not available.
Contact your Texas state legislators through the Texas Legislature’s official directory and tell them to oppose any further expansion of the private school voucher program. The legislature returns in January 2027, and the convention’s platform decisions will shape that session’s agenda.
Call the Texas Democratic Party at (512) 478-9800 and ask how to connect with your county chapter. Competitive state House districts are where legislative control is actually decided in Texas.

Update, June 14, 2026: The Texas GOP held its biennial convention June 12–14 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where delegates voted to remove Abraham George as party chair. D’rinda Randall, who served as George’s vice chair for two years, defeated him and was elected alongside new Vice Chair David Covey.

George conceded and continued to preside over general sessions after the vote. His removal followed sustained criticism over party finances and member engagement, and came despite endorsements for his reelection from figures including Attorney General Ken Paxton, the GOP’s U.S. Senate nominee.

Tensions extended beyond the leadership vote. House Speaker Dustin Burrows, the first sitting Texas House leader to address the convention, was booed by delegates. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called U.S. Sen. John Cornyn a “sore loser” from the stage after Cornyn lost his May 26 primary runoff to Paxton and declined to back him. Delegates also attempted to remove Muslim delegates Amjad Muhtaseb and Tarek Hussein over their ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, but convention rules blocked the effort.

Source: Texas Tribune, “At Texas GOP convention, friction overshadows talk of unity”