El Paso Republican Party split, new GOP organization formed

The El Paso County Republican Party appears to have split over vision and leadership as a new organization headed by Rick Seeberger emerged. Party officials expected Seeberger to cause a scene at Monday night’s meeting at an Alamo designed Christian center in central El Paso. But he quietly stepped down when nearly 100 members of the party largely rejected an idea to allow him to speak. Members of the party peacefully elected Ray Baca as their new chairman, who immediately appointed Bethany Hatch as his vice-chair. The election puts Baca at the head of a side of the party that is recognized by the state branch. The move was met with applause and cheers as Baca proclaimed Hatch to be the future of the party in El Paso and that the group needed to unify.

There was some caution for COVID-19 as temperatures were checked at the door. But it was evident that masks were not mandatory and few wore them. Before the night was over, Republican party members found a news release in their e-mail inboxes that a new political organization had been formed under Seeberger. And, that assets from the existing organization had been formally transferred to the new one. The new organization is called the El Paso Republican Party of El Paso County, Inc. and was formed on Jan. 19, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s website. Seeberger, who defeated Adolfo Telles in the last election to represent the party, heads the organization. Republican party members from both sides value the transferred assets at $20,000 but members of the original organization expect Seeberger to return them. “I would be surprised if he doesn’t,” said Adolfo Telles, a former chairman of the party. The state Republican party headed by Allen West called on the local GOP to hold an election for a new chairman when Seeberger released a press release claiming he was resigning from the party on Jan. 20.