Published: April 01, 2008 02:43 am            

County Republicans choose delegates, resolutions

PALESTINE — Although Republican Sen. John McCain has wrapped up his party’s nomination, business still needed to be done Saturday at the Anderson County Republican county convention.

A floor above where Anderson County Democrats held their county convention, 40 county Republicans met Saturday morning to choose delegates to the Republican Party of Texas State Convention in Houston on June 12-14, and to debate resolutions to send to the state level.

“It went good,” Republican county convention chairman Paul Holser said. “There were people waiting on me when I opened the door.”

Chosen as the county’s 14 delegates to the Republican state convention were Lori Simmons; Jay Simmons; Chris Mart; Mike Mart; Dan Wilford; Debbie Wilford; Bobby Pennington; Kelly Fitzpatrick; LaRue Fitzpatrick; Elaine Triplett; Timothy Triplett; Aaron Smith; Paul Holser; and Vernon Nicholson.

Alternate delegates include Jamie Whitenour; M.C. Pirtle; Lori Kastrop; Judith Mann; Phillip Crutcher; Diana Cretsinger; Liana James; Julia Coleman; Doug Smith; Billy Bussey; Janet Pirtle; Joy Gold; Joseph Bryant; and Gay Bryant.

Serving as officers during Saturday’s county convention were Janet Holser, secretary; Arlene McReynolds, parliamentarian; Charlie Moss, sergeant-at-arms; Doug Smith, credentials chairman; Mike Mart, rules chairman; Bill Bates, organization chairman; Lori Simmons, resolution chairman; and Jay Simmons, nominations chairman.

Making up the resolution committee were Kelly Fitzpatrick, Bussey, Moss and Nicholson, while the nominations committee consisted of Elaine Triplett, LaRue Fitzpatrick, Whitenour and Pennington.

The local delegation will carry 23 resolutions to present at the state convention, Lori Simmons said.

With McCain already having the party’s nomination, the day’s business differed from the Democrats, focusing primarily on the resolutions, Holser said.

“Our precinct members presented resolutions,” Holser explained. “They do work on resolutions like the House or Senate does. Those things are used by the state party in platform groups that the state party runs on.

“The committees had done a lot of good work beforehand,” he added.

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Beth Foley may be contacted via e-mail at bfoley@palestineherald.com

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On the Net:

Republican Party of Texas, http://www.texasgop.org

        

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