Lt. Col. Allen West resigns as chair of Dallas County GOP
Rep. Allen West , R-FL, speaks during an address to the 39th Conservative Political Action Committee February 10, 2012 in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
DALLAS - Lt. Col. Allen West has stepped down from his position as chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party, the group announced Wednesday.
Dallas County GOP chair resigns
What we know:
The announcement was made Wednesday night by the DCRP on social media. They thanked West for his service in the position, and announced Tami Brown Rodriguez as the acting chair.
What they're saying:
"Lieutenant Colonel Allen West has resigned from his position as the Chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party," Rodriguez said in the statement. "We are deeply grateful for his exemplary leadership, steadfast dedication, and unwavering commitment to election integrity and security. His service has played a significant role in advancing the Republican Party in Dallas County to where we stand today.
"As we move forward, we are building strong momentum with our candidates and remain fully committed to the hard work ahead. Our focus is clear, winning in November. Together, we stand united, energized, and ready for the path ahead."
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Dallas County GOP poll changes
Dig deeper:
The resignation comes not long after the DCRP reversed a change they made to polling ahead of the March 3 primary election. The initial change separated Republican and Democrat polling locations, causing a level of confusion that prompted a judge to briefly order an extension to voting time amid the chaos.
Two weeks later, West released a statement saying he had decided to return to countywide voting for the upcoming elections.
"From the end of April through May there will be municipal elections and early voting for the runoff. All of these elections are countywide voting. To then shift for the one day runoff election to precincts would bring about large scale disruption," West's statement said in part.
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On April 6, West posted another statement to social media defending his decision to reverse the change. That statement reads in part:
"The decision that I made was one rooted in years of understanding leadership and its responsibilities, namely, protecting your Troops. If there are those who do not see this as noble and honorable, that is fine with me. I have stated my position and under my watch as Chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party will not expose this organization to potential damaging legal efforts."
What we don't know:
Neither West nor the DCRP have confirmed the resignation is directly related to the polling changes.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Lt. Col. Allen West and the Dallas County Republican Party.