The Republican Party of Texas: A Political History

Thorburn (Red State), the former executive director of the Texas GOP, delivers a dry history of the state’s Republican Party from its origins during Reconstruction to its hold on power in the 2020 elections despite shifting demographics and a Democratic takeover of Congress and the White House. Thorburn’s granular blow-by-blow account credits enthusiasm generated by presidential candidate Barry Goldwater with helping Texas Republicans to break the Democratic stranglehold on statewide offices, setting the stage for John Tower to become the first Republican senator elected from Texas since Reconstruction in 1966. Thorburn also sketches the role of “moderate conservative women with talent and time available” in building up the party’s infrastructure during the 1950s, and details the Bush family’s long-running influence on Texas politics. Thorburn keeps his opinions largely to himself, preferring to let the data do the talking (he cites vote totals showing that the Republican “brand” was more popular in Texas than Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020), but he notes that Beto O’Rourke and other Democratic candidates have made inroads with support from young voters and immigrant communities. Political historians will appreciate the fine-grained details; generalists will wish for more color. (June)