A Ted Cruz delegate in Texas has set up a GoFundMe account to help her get to the Republican National Convention. She wants to be nominated as a national delegate so she can run for the Rules Committee. “We must not implode our own Party by bringing in a third nominee,” she told Breitbart Texas.
Kathy Haigler, who also serves as the chairwoman of the Caldwell County Republican Party says, “Early on I learned the old saying that ‘he who knows the rules, RULES’ when it comes to politics.”
Haigler says she served as “one of a handful of Huckabee delegates elected from the congressional caucuses to the National Convention in 2008 because I understood the significance of being released from a pledge.”
On her GoFundMe page she states, “The grassroots have spoken: this race is clearly only about Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, and those 2 men should be our only options for nominee.” She explains, “Only Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have demonstrated the grassroots support worthy of a Presidential nomination, and we must not allow the convention rules to be manipulated by the Establishment.”
She also explains, “We need a conservative Presidential nominee, and we want to have an equally conservative VP nominee.” She adds, “The 2016 RNC Convention needs to pass a Platform that supports conservative Texas values.”
Texas will only get one woman and one man to represent the Lone Star State on the Rules Committee. Every state in the U.S. will send one man and one woman to serve on the Rules Committee at the national convention.
Haigler told Breitbart Texas, “I believe I am the woman who will do what it takes to make Texans’ voice heard.” The Republican grassroots activist since the early 1990’s said, “It is critical that we have someone who is a grassroots fighter.” The Caldwell County, Texas GOP chairwoman promises that she will start campaigning for the position right away.
Haigler has set a goal of $3,000 in donations on her GoFundMe account. Costs for traveling to and staying in Cleveland, Ohio, the site of the GOP national convention, and being a delegate is estimated on the conservative side at $3,000. Others say the most realistic figure is more like $5,000.
The Texas GOP activist says that if she is elected as a national delegate, she would be required to pay a deposit at the Texas State Republican Convention in May. She promises that she will refund donations if she is not elected as a national delegate.
Haigler correctly notes that by October 2015, the State Republican Parties were required to submit their final plan to the RNC outlining how their delegates would be pledged and released at the 2016 National Convention. State Party rules that affect this year’s national convention are locked in and cannot be changed.
She told Breitbart Texas, “It is critical that we have proven fighters who will stand firm on principle and will not cave in to the Establishment on the 2016 RNC Convention Rules Committee. We must protect the integrity of our elections and not allow the establishment to thwart the will of the voters.”
The central Texas pachyderm promises, “For Trump and Cruz supporters who do not want to see the rules manipulated, I invite you to help send me to the National Convention. I will run for the Rules Committee to represent Texas Grassroots.”
Besides serving as the Caldwell County Chairman, Haigler has served the Republican Party as: a precinct chair, election judge, SREC, as state party secretary, an elector, and she was a national delegate in 2008 and 2012. She has served on numerous GOP committees and organizations. Haigler lived in Harris County (Deer Park) prior to moving to Caldwell County.
Haigler told Breitbart Texas that she “caused a political tsunami” in 2012 at the Texas state convention “for making the motion to remove Texas House Speaker Joe Straus from the slate of elected statewides who automatically get a coveted at-large position at the National Convention.” Officials in Texas who have been elected statewide are allowed to serve in this position by virtue of their office. Haigler says, “I successfully argued that if he is not on my ballot, then he is not an official truly elected statewide. A few folks were ready to burn me at the stake, but the overwhelming correspondence was a deafening chorus of praise and support.”
Note: This article has been updated with additional information.
Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2