A candidate for Chair of the Harris County Republican Party who has aligned himself with the website Texas Scorecard has made repeated comments denigrating the grassroots party activists he seeks to lead.
In a text message and audio recording obtained by The Texas Voice, Houston businessman Bobby Orr expressed particular contempt for Republican women.
In a group text, Orr described the “establishment” in the Harris County Republican Party as “a small click [sic] of mostly women who this is their life.” Orr also wrote, “They don’t do shit other than get together at Magic Circle Republican Women, other women’s clubs and at HCRP gatherings.”
Orr continued, “I have been around them. You would never recruit any of them to work with you.”
Republican State Senator Paul Bettencourt was also targeted by Orr. In the text message, Orr said, “Bettencourt supports them because they suck up to him. Siegel calls him Uncle Paul…revolting. They all need to go.”
In an audio recording of Orr obtained by The Texas Voice, Orr openly expressed his disdain for Republican Party gatherings frequented by grassroots volunteers. Orr stated, “I only had to go to one [executive committee] meeting to get a sense of what was going on. In fact, all you have to do is walk through the fucking parking lot and see the stickers and the crazy bullshit to know you don’t wanna go in that place.”
Orr added that he did not want to speak to grassroots organizations, notably Republican women’s groups. “I don’t want to go to fucking Tomball and talk to the women’s group. I don’t wanna talk to anybody.”
Orr faces incumbent County Chair Cindy Siegel in the upcoming Republican primary.
During his campaign, Orr has aligned himself with the website Texas Scorecard. In a recent candidate forum, Orr noted that he is a donor to Texas Scorecard and had hosted Texas Scorecard officials in his office for two days in recent weeks. Tim Dunn, the Chairman of Texas Scorecard’s board of directors, is a major political donor linked to many organizations that have made false attacks against Republican lawmakers in recent weeks. The Texas Voice recently reported on Dunn’s role in helping elect Democrat Beto O’Rourke to Congress in 2012.
Orr has also been actively involved in primaries against Republican members of the Texas House in Harris County. Orr recently donated $1,000 to Bianca Gracia, who is running against State Representative Briscoe Cain. During her unsuccessful campaign for the Texas Senate in 2022, Gracia claimed that she had been “appointed and assigned” for the Texas Senate by God and that those who did not support her would be “held accountable” and “deal with the Lord.” Gracia also defended disgraced former State Representative Bryan Slaton, who was expelled from the Texas House on a unanimous vote after it was discovered he had sexual intercourse with a 19 year old intern at his apartment after supplying her with alcohol and then purchased an emergency contraceptive for her the next day. In tweets, Gracia described the Slaton’s situation as a “set up,” adding “They wanted him gone cause he was fighting for righteousness.”
John Perez, who is challenging State Representative Mano DeAyala, has also earned Orr’s support. Orr is hosting a fundraising event at his house this weekend for Perez. Orr was also photographed at a recent fundraiser for Jared Woodfill, who is running against State Representative Lacey Hull.
In a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle, Perez acknowledged that his nephew is married to Tim Dunn’s daughter. Representatives DeAyala and Hull have been the subject of false and bigoted ad campaigns by groups such as the Texas Family Project, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, and Texas Gun Rights. Those organizations were each showcased at a donor retreat hosted by Dunn last year.
