A month after his reelection, Dallas County Republican Party Chair Allen West has resigned.
West notified county election department officials Wednesday afternoon. He called to inform elections administrator Paul Adams.
Commissioner Andy Sommerman, who chairs the elections commission committee, confirmed Wednesday that West quit.
“Allen West called Paul Adams this afternoon to announce that he was resigning as the Republican chair,” he said.
The local Republican Party is scheduled to meet Monday and its county executive committee had planned to vote for West’s removal.
Party members were angry and disappointed that West signed a contract with the county to revert to countywide, joint vote centers for the May primary run off election.
West made the decision to amend and sign the contract after a disastrous Primary Election Day last month confused and potentially disenfranchised an estimated minimum 30,000 voters.
The Republican Party voted at the end of December to hold separate, precinct-based primary elections on Election Day, March 3.
Allen had announced earlier this month in his weekly newsletter party members were unhappy that he signed an amended contract with the county election department to hold joint Republican and Democratic voting in May.
He had decided to abandon separate, precinct-based voting and return to joint, countywide voting after month’s chaotic primary elections — which confused thousands of voters and set off a chain of legal action in local and state courts.
He told KERA that holding another election that confuses voters could open the Republican Party up to potential risks, including disenfranchisement accusations. He also alluded to the potential for “serious legal ramifications and litigation.”
Got a tip? Email Marina Trahan Martinez at mmartinez@kera.org. You can follow Marina at @HisGirlHildy.
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