Texas Tea Partyers want Louie Gohmert for Senate

Activists in the state are pushing Gohmert to challenge incumbent John Cornyn

Published August 8, 2013 1:26PM (EDT)

Texas Tea Partyers are not pleased with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, so they're looking to hard-line conservative Rep. Louie Gohmert to potentially mount a primary challenge in 2014.

Katrina Pierson, of the Texas Tea Party Caucus Advisory Board, told the National Review Online's Betsy Woodruff that a number of local Tea Party activists have approached her about drafting Gohmert for a run. JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America We the People, said the same.

From NRO:

Pierson and Fleming both told me that the grassroots activists they’re hearing from have numerous concerns with Cornyn’s record, but they’re especially frustrated that he withdrew support for Senator Mike Lee’s efforts to defund the Affordable Care Act in this fall’s continuing resolution. Fleming says that Cornyn’s opposition to Lee’s efforts will lose him votes in a potential primary.

Unfortunately for them, the Texas Republican -- who most recently said the closure of embassies abroad over terror threats makes the U.S. look "like a bunch of cowards," and who has previously argued that the Supreme Court's DOMA decision means that polygamy is now justifiable -- told the Washington Examiner in July that he won't be running.


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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2014 Elections John Cornyn Louie Gohmert Republicans Tea Party Texas