Press release - Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today demanded the immediate resignation of Republican Party of Texas Chair D'Rinda Randall following Tuesday's historic election defeat, in which Republicans lost every statewide race on the ballot, control of the Texas House of Representatives, and the majority on the State Board of Education.

The Democratic takeover puts the House on course to elect its first Democratic Speaker since January 14, 2003, when Republican Tom Craddick succeeded Democrat Pete Laney."Let's quit pretending this was just another election," Miller declared.

"This was a political catastrophe. We lost the Governor's Mansion, every statewide elected executive office, and the Texas House. The voters didn't whisper their displeasure. They shouted it from the rooftops. The Republican Party leadership had been warned, and all we got from Randall was a weak-kneed statement that doesn't accept any responsibility for Republicans' failure."Miller said he communicated repeatedly with Randall about mounting voter anger, especially over massive data centers and proposed 765-kV transmission lines threatening rural communities, private property, and agricultural land:"I told D'Rinda Randall what I was hearing from farmers, ranchers, veterans, homeowners, and small-business owners all across Texas, I specifically urged her to encourage our Republican candidates to take these concerns seriously and address them publicly. Instead, she argued that the data center issue wasn't as important as the social issues she was focused on. That was a monumental failure to understand what our voters were telling us. It was never either-or!We can stand up for faith, family, traditional values, and every conservative principle we hold dear while also fighting to protect a rancher's property, a family's water supply, and a homeowner's electric bill. That's not abandoning conservative principles. That's putting them into practice."Miller said the concerns extended far beyond data centers:"Texans were furious about Flock cameras monitoring their movements. They were struggling with gasoline prices, soaring insurance premiums, and rising property taxes. I repeatedly called on Governor Greg Abbott to temporarily suspend the state motor fuels tax by executive order to provide immediate relief. Abbott refused my calls. Texans were hurting, and instead of meaningful relief at the pump, they got more excuses from Austin. They were angry about vouchers and a proposed THC ban that threatened to criminalize the personal choices of countless Texans, including veterans and loyal Republican primary voters. These weren't distractions from our conservative message. They were the very issues that should have been part of our conservative message."Miller said Tuesday's results represent a breakdown between Republican leadership and the voters the party claims to represent:"Texans told us what was wrong. They told us why they were angry. They told us what they wanted our candidates to do. And too many Republican leaders simply refused to listen. You cannot call yourself the party of limited government while ignoring concerns about government surveillance. You cannot claim to defend private property rights while dismissing the fears of farmers and ranchers. You cannot call yourself the party of hardworking taxpayers while brushing aside families struggling to pay their bills. Those aren't just campaign issues. Those are the fundamental principles of conservatism."Miller emphasized that despite Tuesday's historic Democratic victories, he believes Texas remains a conservative state:"Texas voted blue Tuesday, but Texas is still a conservative state with conservative values," Miller said.