Allen West, the soon-to-be former Chair of the Texas State Republican Party officially announced his candidacy during a July Fourth appearance in Carrollton.
On his official campaign site (West4Texas.com), West says:
“...our campaign for Governor of Texas is not about running against anyone. Instead, it is centered on establishing an impeccable standard of leadership that is laser-focused on serving you, and being for Texas. That is why our campaign tagline is “Defending the Texas Republic.”
What exactly does that mean?
Well, it is simple, and perhaps the delusional minds of progressive socialists cannot comprehend it. A republic is grounded in the principles of its rule of law, our Texas Constitution, and individual rights, such as freedom and liberty. That is what I will defend for you, the legal, law-abiding citizens of Texas. When I see this scourge of illegal immigration that is affecting the life, liberty, and security of Texans, this cannot be tolerated."
A retired Army officer, West was elected to Congress from Florida in 2010 as part of the national Tea Party wave of candidates.
Last year, West was elected chair of the state’s GOP, on June 4th his announced his resignation from the post.
“In October 2020, West participated in a "Free Texas" protest at the governor's mansion over Covid restrictions. "We call upon the governor to do what is right by the people of the great state of Texas so that Texas can continue to be a leader," West said. Abbott was elected governor in 2014 and easily reelected in 2018. But a University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll published last week showed his approval rating was a mere 44 percent; that was the same percentage of Texans who approved of the governor's handling of the pandemic.”
West joins a field seeking the 2022 Republican nomination for governor that includes Gov. Abbott, Former state Senator Don Huffines and Blaze TV talk show host Chad Prather.