SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 159
WHEREAS, Proud members of the Republican Party of Texas are
celebrating the organization's 150th anniversary in 2017; and
WHEREAS, The Republican Party of Texas was founded at the
Harris County Courthouse on the Fourth of July, 1867, 13 years
after the national party was established and 7 years after the
election of the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln;
former governor Elisha M. Pease served as chair of that initial
state convention, and Colonel John L. Haynes, commander of the
United States Army's First Texas Cavalry, became the executive
committee chair; the party's membership in its early years was
largely made up of former slaves, German American immigrants, and
Texans who had opposed secession during the Civil War; and
WHEREAS, Notable early Texas Republicans included Edmund
J. Davis, the state's first Republican governor, Morgan C. Hamilton,
a Republican senator, George T. Ruby, an African American state
senator from Galveston, and Norris Wright Cuney, a prominent
African American leader and a member of the Republican National
Committee from 1886 to 1896; and
WHEREAS, The party gained strength in the Lone Star State
in the 20th century when Dwight Eisenhower carried Texas in the
1952 presidential election, and its fortunes were boosted again
in 1961 when John Tower was elected to replace Lyndon Johnson in
the United States Senate; a new era began in 1978, when William P.
Clements took office as the first Republican governor since
Reconstruction, and from the 1980s to the present, Texas has been
represented in the United States Congress by a series of
accomplished Republican leaders, including Senators Phil Gramm,
Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Cornyn, and Ted Cruz, as well as
numerous members of the United States House of Representatives;
Republicans have taken on an increasingly prominent role in state
and local government as well; the party has held the governor's
office since 1994, with George W. Bush, Rick Perry, and Greg
Abbott serving as chief executive, and Republicans have swept the
other statewide offices in five consecutive elections and have
held a majority in the Texas Senate since 1997 and in the Texas
House of Representatives since 2003; and
WHEREAS, Thanks to the tireless service and exemplary
leadership of countless men and women, the Republican Party
continues to carry forth its core goals, including limited
government, political and economic freedom, and strong national
security, and its members may indeed take great pride in their
invaluable contributions to our state and nation; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby commemorate the
sesquicentennial of the Republican Party of Texas; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
the Republican Party of Texas as an expression of high regard
from the Texas Senate.
Bettencourt
Birdwell Hall Nichols Birdwell Hall Nichols
Birdwell Hall Nichols
Buckingham Hancock Perry Buckingham Hancock Perry
Buckingham Hancock Perry
Burton Huffines Schwertner Burton Huffines Schwertner
Burton Huffines Schwertner
Campbell Huffman Seliger Campbell Huffman Seliger
Campbell Huffman Seliger
Creighton Hughes Taylor of Collin Creighton Hughes Taylor of Collin
Creighton Hughes Taylor of Collin
Estes Kolkhorst Taylor of Galveston Estes Kolkhorst Taylor of Galveston
Estes Kolkhorst Taylor of Galveston
Nelson Nelson
Nelson
Patrick, President of the Senate
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on August 15, 2017.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate
Birdwell Hall Nichols
Buckingham Hancock Perry
Burton Huffines Schwertner
Campbell Huffman Seliger
Creighton Hughes Taylor of Collin
Estes Kolkhorst Taylor of Galveston
Nelson