TEXAS, USA — (Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the Texas Tribune here.)
Republican Party of Texas Chair Matt Rinaldi announced Friday that he will not seek reelection, ending a three-year tenure that was marked by internal party squabbles and historic gains for the party’s right wing.
“After almost three years serving as Chairman, traveling the state and spending many long nights on the road, it is time for me to focus on my obligations as a husband to my wife, Corley, and as a father to my six-year-old son, Rush,” Rinaldi said in a Friday afternoon statement. “I ran for State Chairman on a platform of growing the party, increasing its influence and making it one that effectively amplifies the voice of grassroots Republicans. I am happy to report we were successful on all accounts.”
Rinaldi has chaired the Texas GOP since 2021, when he was elected by the party’s executive committee to replace outgoing Chair Allen West. He was then reelected by delegates of the 2022 state GOP convention.
His announcement comes amid an ongoing civil war between the Texas GOP’s far-right and more moderate, but still deeply conservative, wings. Rinaldi has been a key player in that fight as chairman, often accusing more moderate Republicans such as House Speaker Dade Phelan of being insufficiently conservative.
An ally of the party’s far-right wing — and its billionaire funders — Rinaldi was particularly active in the 2024 primary elections, in which a dark-red wave swept many House incumbents out of office.
Rinaldi noted the outcomes of the 2024 primaries in his Friday announcement, calling it a “political earthquake.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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