BELLMEAD, Texas (KXXV) — Local Republican leader Reagan Keith criticizes the Texas GOP for censuring Rep. Angelia Orr, calling the move out of touch with conservative values.
- The Texas GOP voted to censure five state lawmakers, including local Rep. Angelia Orr.
- Bell County Young Republicans President Reagan Keith strongly opposed the decision, calling it unrepresentative of grassroots conservatives.
- Keith argues the censure undermines voter choice and reflects a top-down party approach.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“It’s antithetical to everything we believe in as conservative republicans,” said President of the Bell County Young Republicans Reagan Keith.
The Texas GOP has voted to censure five members of the Texas house — including our local representative Angelia Orr — who serves part of Waco and counties like Falls, Hill, Bosque and Freestone.
It's a move that is meant to publicly reprimand and call out lawmakers for allegedly failing to uphold core republican values.
“I think it’s stupid. I don’t think the Texas GOP, the Texas Republican Committee, is very representative of the grassroots at all,” said Keith.
25 News spoke with the president of the Bell County Young Republicans, Reagan Keith, who strongly disagrees with the party’s decision.
“Being that I worked in Austin this last session, I got to know a lot of these representatives fairly well and they are nowhere near as bad as these far right activists are trying to make them out to be,” said Keith.
The State Republican Executive Committee voted to censure the members for being insufficiently conservative.
“It kind of makes us look bad. It makes us look like it’s a top down organization that if party bosses don’t like who the voters voted to represent them then they can just tear them down,” said Keith.
Although the party stopped short of banning the lawmakers from the 2026 primary ballot, Keith says the message still remains clear.
“It goes against our values. Let the people decide who they want to represent them,” said Keith.
25 News received this statement from Rep. Angelia Orr's team regarding the censure:
“I am proud to be endorsed by President Donald J. Trump and Governor Greg Abbott, and while a handful in our party are intent on demonizing true Republicans while giving Democrats a free pass, I will remain focused on serving the people of House District 13 and making my case directly to them.
As for the censure itself, I cannot say I'm completely surprised since my opponent, Kat Wall, has given the organization over $1,010,000 — after already blowing $14 million on two failed congressional campaigns in Houston before moving here.
I have no doubt that the overwhelming number of conservative wins — from property tax relief to securing the border, protecting our elections, keeping men out of women’s bathrooms, and adding five new Republican congressional seats to Congress — will speak louder than political stunts.”
25 News reached out to the republican party of Texas but have not yet heard back.
