Delegate deal snuffs Texas rebellion

Jeremy Blosser and Chris Howe, both from Fort Worth, arrive on the floor at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Monday. Jeremy Blosser and Chris Howe, both from Fort Worth, arrive on the floor at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Monday. Photo: Charles Dharapak, Associated Press Photo: Charles Dharapak, Associated Press Image 1 of / 63 Caption Close Delegate deal snuffs Texas rebellion 1 / 63 Back to Gallery

TAMPA, Fla. - Republican leaders hastened on Monday to quell an uprising by Texans and Ron Paul supporters that threatened to steal the spotlight from Mitt Romney and expose rifts in the party just as its nominating convention got under way.

Under a compromise reached late Monday, Romney supporters and GOP leaders agreed to back down from a proposed rule change that effectively would have allowed presidential nominees to choose which delegates represent them at national conventions.

The proposed change was aimed at muting the power of insurgent candidates such as Paul, a tea party favorite. But the move prompted an uproar from Texas Republicans, who select their delegates through successive votes in conventions at precincts, then districts and finally statewide.

Butch Davis, a member of the RNC Rules Committee who fought off the proposal, said the existing Texas system often elevates grass-roots activists and party faithful toiling in the trenches, but the proposed change would have instead allowed GOP leaders and presidential candidates to hand-select delegates and reward donors with delegate spots.

"We believe in Texas as a principle that no presidential candidate nor the RNC should be able to tell Texas who can or cannot be a delegate to the national convention," Davis said.

"This isn't Reagan versus Ford, Goldwater versus Rockefeller," Davis added. "This is George Washington versus King George."

Texas Republican Vice Chairwoman Melinda Fredricks had warned RNC rules committee members Sunday night that the Lone Star State would stand its ground.

"The Texas delegation considers the new rule … an unacceptable infringement on our right to freely choose our delegates to the national convention," she said in an email to the committee members. "We realize not every state selects its delegates in the same manner we do, and perhaps you find it hard to understand what has us so worked up. Frankly, we find it hard to understand how your delegations would be willing to give away their rights."

'Heard the concerns'

Republicans who sought the rule change had tried to quash the uprising by Texas, Louisiana, Virginia and other states, for fear of a damaging, public battle erupting Tuesday, just before the party formally names Romney as its candidate.

Ultimately, they backed down.

In an email obtained by Hearst Newspapers, Republicans who led the fight against the proposed change said the GOP leaders "heard the concerns of the conservative grass-roots voices in our party" and amended their proposal.

"This will allow Republicans of all stripes to come to the convention united and focused on defeating Barack Obama in November," they said.

Under the deal, delegates who are bound to a presidential candidate who hasn't bowed out of the race or released them to vote for another contender are barred from casting a vote for a different person. During this convention, the change effectively would mean a delegate bound to Mitt Romney could not instead opt to throw his or her support behind Paul, who has not freed his delegates.

Deal explained

Any vote for another candidate would be voided and the delegate would lose his or her position. But under the compromise, states would still able to select individual delegates under their own laws and party rules. GOP leaders agreed to remove the rule change provision that would have allowed state-party-selected delegates to be disavowed.

Fredricks said the agreement appeared to satisfy Texas' concerns.

Representatives from Romney's campaign and the Republican National Committee did not respond to requests for comment.

jennifer.dlhouy@chron.com