Mackowiak, Zimmerman and Morrow vying for Travis Co. GOP chairman gig

Travis County Republican Party Chairman, James Dickey has been elected to lead the Texas GOP.  So that leaves his spot here on the local level open. 


"I've thrown my jester's hat in the ring for chairmanship of the Travis County Republican party because I think that we need a political truth teller in charge of that place," said Robert Morrow.


Rewinding a bit last year Morrow, whose name was listed first on the ballot beat James Dickey and got elected chairman of the Travis County Republican Party Republicans weren't happy.  Morrow eventually filed as a write-in candidate for President of the United States, the Travis Co. GOP got him on a technicality and said that made him unqualified to serve.  They showed him the door, figuratively and literally.


Later that year, Dickey became chairman again.  Now that he's heading the State GOP, Morrow is interested again.  And if he doesn't get it this time, he may try next spring.


"If the executive committee does not select me to fill out the interim term for James Dickey who is filling out my term, I'm always free to run but I might run for another office never can tell," Morrow said.

Matt Mackowiak, currently the party's executive vice chairman.  He wants the job.

"We know that there's a tremendous thirst in Travis County for fiscally responsible government.  Democrats really aren’t offering that, they want to raise taxes, they want to spend more money they want to grow government," Mackowiak said.


And so does former city council member Don Zimmerman.


"We should get things on the ballot so we can take away some of the Cap Metro money so they can go to roads so they don't waste it on trains, bond issues for the schools that charge too much taxes," Zimmerman said.


I asked Zimmerman about running the Travis County GOP in a Trump America -- he says it's a different political climate when you're working locally.


"The county and local issues like school board, school bond issues, taxation issues, traffic...these things really don't touch Washington DC, they really don't," Zimmerman said


Next Tuesday the GOP precinct chairs or the executive committee will be deciding on the new chairman.
Mackowiak isn't worried about Morrow.


"I don't...I don't have any concern, I don't know that he'll even get a second," he said."We'll see!  You never can tell in politics, I bet a lot of those same people laughed at the notion of Donald Trump becoming President would you not agree?" Morrow said.