By David Doerr

Tribune-Herald staff writer

Jimmie Kerr hopes that on March 4, he’ll be the candidate on top for the lowest position on the Republican primary ballot — McLennan County party chairman.

The election marks the first time current chairman M.A. Taylor has had a challenger since he was elected to the post in 1994. Kerr, the owner of a China Spring-based garbage disposal business, says he appreciates Taylor’s contributions as the party’s county leader but believes he can bring a fresh perspective to efforts to grow and strengthen the party.

“I love M.A. and (his wife) Virginia Taylor. They have given a very large part of their lives to the Republican Party of McLennan County and to the Republican Party of Texas,” he said. “I have absolutely nothing bad to say about those folks . . . But with politics changing and the world changing, I think I want throw my hat into the ring to see if I can’t recruit better, organize better, promote better and expand the party better.”

Those four issues make up Kerr’s platform for the chairman’s post, which is responsible for recruiting candidates, promoting the party and running county primary elections.

Kerr says he wants to lead efforts to expand the organization’s membership of Hispanics, blacks and other groups the party has traditionally struggled to attract. He said he plans to knock on doors in neighborhoods that have not had active voters and welcome them into the party.

However, Taylor says he doesn’t think Kerr is familiar enough with the intricacies of the election code and running a party to be effective as a chairman.

“Jimmie has been a good financial supporter of some of the candidates and of the women’s club, and he has paid dues to our organization, but he hasn’t been involved in depth in the rest of what we do,” Taylor said. “Should he win this thing, I would have nothing but sympathy for him because he is walking into a heck of a lot more than I think he anticipates.”

Kerr, 60, said he has been active in McLennan County Republican politics since 2000, when he worked on Ramsey Farley’s failed campaign to defeat U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco.

Taylor, 80, served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives between 1984 and 1993 before being elected chairman of the county Republican Party. He said he plans to run for re-election on his record of success in growing the party and increasing the number of Republican office holders in McLennan County.

When Taylor became chairman there was only one Republican officeholder in the county, he said. Today there are 22.

Chris DeCluitt, president of the McLennan County Republican Club, an auxiliary organization of the party, said he believes Taylor has a strong record that will make it hard for Kerr to win support for his candidacy.

“Everything is going at a good pace, and we have accomplished great things,” DeCluitt said. “It isn’t anything against Jimmie, but I just don’t see the reason to change. If you have a good offense, why change from a passing offense to a running offense.”

ddoerr@wacotrib.com

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