Jared Woodfill

Jared Ryker Woodfill V is a Texas lawyer and political figure who was chairman of the Harris County Republican Party who from 2002 to 2014. He was elected chairman of the county party for six two-year terms. After being ousted from the chairmanship of the county party in 2014, Woodfill launched two unsuccessful campaigns for the chairmanship of the Texas Republican Party. Woodfill is known for his socially conservative views activism, including his opposition to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which was repealed in a 2015 referendum.

Jared Woodfill
Chairman of the Republican Party of
Harris County (Houston), Texas
In office
2002–2014
Preceded byGary M. Polland
Succeeded byPaul Simpson
Personal details
Born
Jared Ryker Woodfill V

Houston, Texas, United States
ResidenceHouston, Texas, USA
Alma materClear Lake High School

University of Texas at Austin

St. Mary's University School of Law
OccupationLawyer

Early life and education

Woodfill graduated from Clear Lake High School, the University of Texas at Austin, and St. Mary's University School of Law.[1]

Woodfill was formerly affiliated with the firm Woodfill and Pressler, LLP, in partnership with Paul Pressler, a former state judge.[2] Woodfill represented Pressler in a suit alleging inappropriate sexual conduct; the case settled in 2004 for $450,000.[2]

In September 2018, the State Bar of Texas publicly reprimanded Woodfill[3][4] and ordered him to pay $3,490 in fees and expenses.[4] The Bar determined that "Woodfill had direct supervisory authority over members of his firm who violated the disciplinary rules during the representation in a divorce, and Woodfill failed to take reasonable action."[4]

Republican Party politics

Harris County Republican Party chairman, 2002 to 2014

Woodfill was the chairman of the Harris County Republican Party from 2002 to 2014.[3] During his twelve years as chair, Woodfill focused on socially conservative causes; this emphasis, as well as Woodfill's management style, was controversial within the county party.[5] Woodfill ran unopposed for reelection until 2010, when he was challenged by three others in an election focusing on allegations of fiscal mismanagement and "a blame game" over Republican losses in Harris County in the 2008 elections.[6][7] Woodfill won reelection in 2010,[8] but four years later was ousted from the chairmanship by engineer-turned-lawyer Paul Simpson, who heavily outspent Woodfill.[5] During the internal 2014 party fight, Woodfill was backed by party leader Paul Bettencourt, while Simpson received an endorsement and a $90,000 donation from Harris County Commissioners Court Judge Ed Emmett, who became politically estranged from Woodfill in 2012.[5] Emmett criticized Woodfill for taking personal credit for the establishment of "victory centers" that Emmett said was his work and the work of the state Republican party.[9] Simpson supporters criticized Woodfill for lackluster campaign fundraising and voter engagement, while Woodfill was endorsed by many Texas Republicans on the right wing, including Dan Patrick.[5]

Subsequent activities

In 2015, Woodfill was a leading opponent of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) championed by Houston Mayor Annise Parker. The antidiscrimination ordinance prohibited "discrimination in city employment and city services, city contracts, public accommodations, private employment, and housing based on an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy."[10] Woodfill opposed the prohibition against LGBT discrimination and worked to get a proposition challenging the ordinance onto the ballot; in November 2015, Houston voters repealed the ordinance; Parker said that the campaign against the ordinance was based on "fear-mongering and deliberate lies."[10]

In 2015, after Texas Republican Party chairman Steve Munisteri stepped down, Woodfill unsuccessfully sought to fill the vacancy.[11] In secret balloting among 62 party officials in March 2015, Tom Mechler of Amarillo, an oil and gas consultant, decisively won on the second ballot, defeating Dallas County Republican Party chair Wade Emmert by one vote; Woodfill came in third place, and Republican National Committeeman Robin Armstrong in last place.[11] In 2016, Woodfill unsuccessfully challenged Mechler in a rematch for a full term as chairman of the Texas Republican Party; Woodfill ran a far-right campaign, with Steven Hotze as one of his leading supporters.[12] In this second race against Mechler, Woodfill carried the backing of such conservative groups such as Texas Right to Life and the Texas Homeschool Coalition,[13] as well as the Eagle Forum, National Organization for Marriage, Concerned Women for America, and Houston Area Pastors Council.[14] The race became heated when Hotze, of Katy, who heads the group Conservative Republicans of Texas, claimed that Mechler supported a "disgusting homosexual agenda"; Munisteri called Hotze's allegation "despicable."[15] During the campaign, Woodfill criticized Mechler as being insufficiently vocal on conservative issues, while Mechler criticized Woodfill's tenure at the head of the Harris County party organization and said Woodfill, if elected, would institute "purity tests" that would damage Republicans and help Democrats.[13] Woodfill withdrew at the state party convention after Republican delegates from 27 of the 31 state Senate districts supported Mechler's retention; Woodfill declared his own backing of Mechler, who was declared elected by a unanimous vote.[15]

In 2017, as editor-in-chief of the group Conservative Republicans of Texas, Woodfill endorsed State Senator Lois Kolkhorst's "bathroom bill" and criticized Joe Straus, the Republican Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, for not advancing the legislation.[16][17]

In 2019, Woodfill represented two plaintiffs who filed an unsuccessful lawsuit seeking to block the City of Houston from extending spousal benefits to the same-sex spouses of city employees.[18]

During the 2020 election, Woodfill represented Republican and conservative activists who sued Harris County, Texas, in an attempt to block the use of drive-through voting in Harris County.[19][20] Woodfill also represented Republican officials and activists (including Hotze, Texas Republican Party chair Allen West, and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller) in an attempt to block Governor Greg Abbott's extension of the early voting period.[21] Both measures were adopted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Postal Service crisis, and were aimed at increasing voter turnout.[19][21] Woodfill's bid to invalidate 127,000 votes cast through drive-through voting was rejected by both the Texas Supreme Court[22] and the federal courts.[20] Woodfill described the suit as an attempt to prevent Donald Trump from losing Texas, which he said would occur if "Harris County goes against Trump in large enough numbers."[20] Woodfill subsequently supported legislation by Texas Republican legislators to ban drive-through voting.[19]

References
  1. Jackie Welch. Woodfill guest speaker at San Jacinto Republican Women's meeting, Pasadena Citizen (July 22, 2013).
  2. Robert Downen, Lawsuit against ex-judge, Southern Baptist churches drawing to a close, Houston Chronicle (February 6, 2019).
  3. "Law Enforcement Raids Office Of Jared Woodfill, Ex Harris County GOP Chairman". Houston Public Media. November 13, 2018.
  4. Robert Downen & Lise Olsen (November 13, 2018). "Theft, money laundering allegations sparked raid at Woodfill law office". Houston Chronicle.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  5. Kiah Collier. "Challenger wins GOP chair race, March 4, 2014". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  6. Moran, Chris (December 18, 2009). "Claims of missing cash fuel race for Harris GOP chair". The Houston Chronicle.
  7. Joe Holley, Woodfill faces likely runoff with Hubbard for GOP chairman, Houston Chronicle (March 2, 2010).
  8. Joe Holley, Lawsuit alleges GOP chairman on the hook for $30 million, Houston Chronicle (June 24, 2012).
  9. Kiah Collier (February 26, 2014). "UPDATED: Paul Bettencourt says he predicted Emmett's whopper donation". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  10. Justin Wm. Moyer, Why Houston's gay rights ordinance failed: Fear of men in women’s bathrooms, Washington Post (November 4, 2015).
  11. Brian M. Rosenthal (March 8, 2015). "Tom Mechler elected new leader of Texas Republican Party". The Houston Chronicle.
  12. Christopher Hooks (December 2020). "How Did a Florida Man Become the Face of the Texas Republican Party?". Texas Monthly.
  13. Patrick Svitek, Mechler, Woodfill Square Off Again to Lead GOP, Texas Tribune (February 17, 2016).
  14. Gary M. Polland. "You Can Judge a Candidate By the Company He Keeps". Texas Conservative Review. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  15. Gromer Jeffers Jr. (May 13, 2016). "Tom Mechler easily retains chairmanship of Texas GOP". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  16. Jared Woodfill (March 9, 2017). "Joe, Let the Peoples Representatives Vote on SB 6". Conservative Republicans of Texas News. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  17. "Call for Conservative Christian candidates to Rise Up and Replace Republican Representatives Who Refuse to Support SB6, "No Men in Women's Bathrooms!"". crtxnews.com. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  18. Emma Platoff, Houston judge tosses same-sex marriage benefits challenge, but plaintiffs pledge to appeal, Texas Tribune (February 21, 2019).
  19. Mike Snyder, Record Turnout Helped Texas Republicans, So Why Are They Still Pushing to Make It Harder to Vote?, Texas Monthly (November 23, 2020).
  20. Nomaan Merchant, rejects GOP effort to throw out 127,000 Houston votes, Associated Press (November 3, 2020).
  21. Patrick Svitek, Texas Republicans sue to stop Gov. Greg Abbott's extension of early voting period during the pandemic, Texas Tribune (September 23, 2020).
  22. Jay Bleiberg, Texas high court denies GOP effort to reject Houston votes, Associated Press (November 1, 2020).
Preceded by
Gary M. Polland		 Harris County Republican chairman

Jared Ryker Woodfill, V
2002–2014

Succeeded by
Paul Simpson
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