May 2, 2016 4:50 PM

Candidates for Texas GOP Chairman square off in heated debate before convention

Mechler and Clark focus on finances and engagement; challengers Woodfill and Adams rail against bathroom gender laws and Texas House leadership

DENTON – The candidates in the race to lead the Republican Party of Texas made their cases this weekend at a North Texas Baptist church as part of an all-day orientation for delegates to the state party convention coming up later this month in Dallas.

The race pits incumbent chairman Tom Mechler of Amarillo and vice chairman Amy Clark against two hardline social conservatives: Former Harris County Republican Party Chairman Jared Woodfill and former RPT Chairman and Texas Eagle Forum President Cathie Adams.

The incumbents are campaigning to continue the party’s dominance in statewide elections with a focus on finances and engagement.

Woodfill and Adams’ message is straightforward: They want to “take their party back.” Their critics have asked “back to what? Bankruptcy?” referring to each of their tenures at the head of Republican Party operations that suffered financially.

Outgoing State Republican Executive Committee member Jean McIver served as moderator, asking each candidate to stick to his or her message and avoid attacking each other.

But Mechler and Woodfill quickly turned the forum into a hot debate, with Woodfill campaigning on one central issue: His role in the campaign to defeat Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance, which of course was not a statewide issue.

By James Russell