Allen West resigns as Texas GOP chairman after less than a year

Allen West submitted his “irrevocable” resignation as chairman of the Texas Republican Party, he announced Friday.

West’s resignation comes less than a year after the outspoken former Florida congressman and retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel took charge of the party after defeating former Republican Chairman James Dickey for the seat.

“It has been my distinct honor to serve as Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. I pray Godspeed for this governing body,” West, 60, said in a statement.

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The reaction from some Republican operatives was “good riddance.” West had ruffled feathers by publicly criticizing Republican officials in the state, asserting that the 2020 election was stolen, appearing at a protest against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones also attended, and floating the possibility of Texas seceding from the United States.

“It is now clear that @AllenWest’s entire tenure as @TexasGOP chair was intended to do only what many suspected: Provide him a platform for his political future, not an opportunity to build the party,” Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak said in a tweet on Friday.

West will remain “at the helm” of the Texas Republican Party until a new chairman is selected on July 11, the party said.

His resignation comes after a Texas legislative session marked by the passage of several controversial Republican-supported bills, including a “fetal heartbeat bill” restricting abortion after a heartbeat of the fetus is detected and a bill on the “constitutional carry” of handguns removing licensing requirements for those age 21 and over. At the end of the session, Texas Democrats in the state legislature staged a dramatic walkout to block Republicans from passing an election integrity and reform bill.

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West, the state party said, “will take this opportunity to prayerfully reflect on a new chapter in his already distinguished career.”

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