Two of Texas' largest political parties could soon be headed to court following an announcement earlier this week.
The Texas Democratic Party has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Republican Party in an effort to keep a candidate on the ballot, according to information released on Wednesday. A statement released by the Texas Democratic Party alleges that the Republican Party "decided to ignore the law" by omitting Congressman Blake Farenthold (R-Corpus Christi) from the ballot. Farenthold announced his intention to retire earlier this month following a news report stating that the congressman used taxpayer dollars to settle a sexual harassment complaint.
Prior to the announcement of the lawsuit, the Republican Party of Texas filed for a hearing to approve a ballot withdrawal request for Farenthold.
Texas Republican Party chairman James Dickey says the best choice for the party was to grant Farenthold's request.
“Congressman Farenthold has formally requested to withdraw from the race, and the Party believes it’s in our best interest to accommodate his request and remove him from the ballot," Dickey said.
As of Friday, Farenthold is listed as "withdrawn" by the Texas Secretary of State's office.
