October 2017 Special Edition Leadership Webinar

1. October 2017 Special Edition Leadership Webinar

2. 2018 Filing Period • Precinct Chair Filing Period • September 12th – December 11th @ 6pm • Precinct Chair Application on Exclusive Content on RPT website. • All Other Offices Filing Period • Saturday, November 11th – Monday, December 11th @6pm • Includes County Chair – ALL County Chairs must file for re-election! • 6p deadline to receive the application (postmark insufficient) • 2018 Primary Election • Tuesday, March 6, 2018

3. Party Switchers

4. Significance of Party Switchers • Texas leads the nation in switching conservative, incumbent Democrats in joining the Republican Party • Since 1992, over 450 elected Democrats have joined the Republican Party • Over 250 of those documented Party Switcher occurred since 2010

5. Make a Plan • 1. Make a list of Democrat incumbents that would make acceptable switchers • 2. Rank them in terms of how much their switching would benefit the Republican Party • 3. Create a game plan and identify who will be assigned to each official

6. Timing is Everything • Most incumbents do not want to vacate their office and will switch halfway through their term or immediately after election • Switching early may also help clear the field of other potential candidates filing • When filing starts, many of them will switch merely because they file to run on the Republican ticket • These switchers should still be documented with RPT.

7. Present the Facts • The approachshould be subtle, factual, and above all, non-threatening • Does the incumbent Democrat understand that the district is Republican? • Is defeat by a Republican a possibility? • Leaving the Democrat Party will not cause them a loss of community respect and political support • The Republican Party will enthusiastically support them

8. Points of Persuasion • Nearly 80% of all voters vote either a straight party ticket or an almost straight party ticket • This is good point if your county typically votes Republican on higher offices like President, Governor, Congress, etc. • Use it while you can! 2018 is the last Straight Party Election! • Tie them to the party platform • When they file as a Democrat they are agreeing to support • Pick a few issues in the Democrat platform which you know they DO NOT support • If they switched parties and became a Republican they would be supporting • Pick a few points which you know they already support

9. Am I required to accept switch? • Should a party switcher receive automatic praise from the County Party? • YES! – If you make the initial contact and ask them to switch then yes you should celebrate that change • You asking them to make this change is akin to tacit consent that you will not recruit a candidate to run against them • If the elected official comes to you and wants to switch • Fill out the paperwork and submit it to RPT to have official documentation of the switch • If someone wants to switch you cannot stop them but you don’t have to be excited about it

10. Party Switcher Forms and Process • Party Switcher Info Sheet - Click Here • Oath of Affiliation - Click Here • Party Switcher Certificate - Click Here • Candidate Platform Survey - Click Here

11. Make the Switch • Fill out the Party Switcher Info Sheet (in Exclusive Content) • Email or fax it to bmoore@texasgop.org or (512)480-0709 • Make the switch as public as possible • There is no such thing as a “secret” switch • Take your area into account • Provide the broadest possible publicity of the actual announcement • Sample Press Release (in Exclusive Content) • Recognize at County Executive Meeting, Republican club meeting(s), special event, or press conference • Invite other Party Officials to welcome the new Republican • State Chair, Vice Chair • SREC Member(s) • County Chairs in surrounding areas

12. I WENT GOP

13. Words of Warning • Remind your party switchers that they SHOULD vote in the REPUBLICAN primary election • Even if the new Republican does not have opposition on the Republican Primary Ballot they SHOULD vote in the Republican primary election • If they vote in another party’s primary or participate in another party’s convention process, they will be removed from the ballot! • They have already been elected without your help • Until the switch, do not do anything that would help them as a Democrat candidate • Do not give them an award or praise, especially in writing • You do not want Democrat candidates in 2018 using the endorsement of the Republican County Chairman or SREC as proof of their widespread community support

14. County Chair Petitions

15. County Chair Petitions • Rule No. 8A – Petition Required for County Chairs in Certain Counties • Persons filing for the office of County Chair in a county with a population of 300,000 or greater shall include a nominating petition containing the signatures of at least 10 percent of the incumbent precinct chairs serving on the County Executive Committee using a form promulgated by the Republican Party of Texas. The nominating petition shall contain the candidate’s sworn oath that each of the signatures thereon is of a current Precinct Chair and was signed in the presence of the candidate.

16. County Chair Petitions • The 300,000 population is based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau Estimates (2016) • Click HERE for the County Chair Petition Form • You don’t have to wait until the filing period to collect signatures, but you can’t file in pieces or before the filing period begins • Applies to Incumbents and Challengers (Non-Incumbents) • Unlike other candidate petitions, a signer may sign more than one candidate’s petition. • If you know, or think you may have a challenger, you should make sure they know about this and have the petition form

17. Rejected Applications - Precinct Chairs • If incorrect or incomplete, the application should be rejected by the County Chair if not properly filed • Notice of rejection must be provided in written form • An email is considered “written form” • Must notify immediately • Highly suggest calling the candidate as well • Sample rejection letter will be posted on the Exclusive Content section of the RPT Website.

18. Candidate Packet

19. Candidate Packet • Suggested Contents • Table of Contents - Helps in overviewing the packet with candidate • Letter from County Chairman • Form to sign upon receipt of Candidate Packet by chair or secretary • Code of Fair Campaign Practices • RPT Rule 43 • Platform Questionnaire • Cannot force candidates to return the completed questionnaire • Judicial Candidates should not be asked to complete the questionnaire • In all cases candidates should be encouraged to read the platform and sign that they have done so

20. Candidate Packet • Suggested Contents Cont’d • RPT Platform** • Important Phone Numbers • Candidate Guidelines with important dates** • Information about Political Advertising • Rules of posting Campaign Signs • County Ordinances** • GOP Data Center Application for Campaigns • County Party Events & Club Meetings** • Ballot Drawing

21. GOP Data Center • Updated Forms on Exclusive Content • Access to Campaigns • Must fill out BOTH • Individual User Agreement • Campaign Agreement • Need to Renew? • Email sdavis@texasgop.org to renew your access • GOP Data Center Training • There is a training video on the Exclusive Content

22. Exclusive Content • NEW WEBSITE! • Location • www.texasgop.org → Scroll to bottom of the website → Exclusive Content • Enter Password: victory247 • Only for SREC Members & County Chairs • DO NOT GIVE OUT THE LOGIN INFORMATION PUBLICLY

23. Important Updates • Next Webinar • October 30th, 6:30 PM • Open First Day of Filing • Saturday, Nov 11th from 10a – 2p • If any Co. Chair filings occur prior, must be rejected • RPT Office CLOSED • Thursday, Nov 23rd – Sunday, Nov 26th

24. 2018 Primary Election Joanna Kitchen Republican Party of Texas Primary Election Admin Assistant jkitchen@texasgop.org 512-879-4070 – o 512-480-0709 – f Brandon Moore Republican Party of Texas State Organization Director bmoore@texasgop.org 512-879-4053 – o 512-480-0709 – f