Mr. West, who served eight terms in the Texas House, had been suffering from kidney problems and began dialysis in December.

A retired safety engineer, he lost his re-election bid during an April runoff with Odessa attorney and former judge Tryon Lewis. His current term expires at the end of the year.

"Buddy was a dedicated public servant to the people of the Permian Basin and to the state of Texas," House Speaker Tom Craddick said in a prepared statement. "I had the tremendous honor to serve alongside him and to work with him on issues that affect our closely linked communities of Midland and Odessa."

Rep. West was first elected to the Texas State House in 1992, and served the counties of Ector, Andrews and Winkler. Most recently Mr. West served on the House Environmental Regulation Committee, as well as the House Law Enforcement Committee.

"Texas lost a great public servant when Buddy West passed away today," Gov. Rick Perry said in a written statement.

Colorado's Victory 2008 Director is James Garcia.  The 2006 graduate of the University of Houston served as Vice Chairman of College Republicans during his studies there, and received a B.A. in political science, graduating summa cum laude.  Most recently a Field Director for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee in Iowa and Florida, James also served in the same capacity for Shelley Sekula Gibbs for Congress, as well as assisting the Tom DeLay Congressional Committee in Sugar Land, Texas.

The TFCR is proud of its alumni and their impact on this election cycle, as we all look forward to electing Republicans from the White House to the Courthouse. Congratulations to Mr. Garcia, and Good Luck!

Melissa Ridenour (UT Dallas) was appointed Executive Director of the Texas Federation of College Republicans, and Clint Peterson (Univ. of North Texas) was appointed as the Chair of the Constitutional Review Committee. Chairman Murphy will appoint other representatives from other regions across the state to the Review Committee. The Constitutional Review Committee will meet over the summer to revise the TFCR Constitution and will hold a ratification meeting towards the end of summer break.

Congratulations to both Melissa Ridenour and Clint Peterson on their appointments! 

Gov. Rick Perry told The Dallas Morning News on Thursday that he would seek re-election as governor in 2010.

During a break in a Republican Governors Association forum being held in Grapevine, Mr. Perry said that he would like to return as governor.

When asked whether the gubernatorial field would include Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, David Dewhurst and himself, Mr. Perry responded , “I don’t know about them, but it will be Perry in 2010.”

“I don’t know about the other two. You need to ask them.”

When he completes his current term, Mr. Perry will be the longest-serving governor in Texas history. He took over for George W. Bush after he was elected president in 2000.

Last year, Mr. Perry had expressed doubt as to whether he wanted another term, saying he would look at doing other things.

It has been speculated that Mr. Perry was positioning himself to be a vice presidential candidate, but he said Thursday that he would not accept such an offer from Arizona Sen. John McCain, the party’s presumptive nominee.

Mr. Perry also said that he thought Tom Craddick would win re-election as Texas House speaker.

 Dear Friends,

    I am happy to announce that the Texas Christian University chapter of the College Republicans has been reestablished! College Republican groups are our nation's largest Republican student organizations and have been active on college campuses across the country for more than 100 years. These groups play an important role in recruiting, educating, and motivating our nation's newest Republicans, while giving them political and leadership experience.

    College Republicans has long been involved on the TCU campus, and I want to applaud the students who have re-energized it this year. This dedicated group is making preperations to get students across their campus involved as we approach the November elections. Thier current plans include voter registration on campus and a Presidential Campaign Debate prior to the elections.

    I am delighted to see the students in our community actively supporting our values on their campus. This November, active young people will be a deciding factor in our national elections. I'm proud of these eager young students; they are an encouragement to me as I continue to fight for the values we share.

Sincerely,

Kay Granger

> click here to visit Rep. Granger's Official Campaign Website

> click here to visit "Kay's Corner" 

Cheer on the TCU Horned Frogs baseball team as they take on the

University of Oklahoma Sooners .

Arrive early, with friends in family, to

register to vote!

When: Tuesday, April 15

Voter Registration begins at 4:30pm

First pitch at 6:30pm

Where: TCU’s Lupton Baseball Stadium and Williams-Reilly Field
3700 Berry Street, Ft. Worth

Please contact Emily Cornell for more information.

Email: ecornell@texasgop.org, (512) 592-2698

Chairman - Ryan Murphy (Colin County C.C.)
Vice Chairman - Andres Bocanegra (University of Texas at San Antonio)
Vice Chairman of Development and Operations - Brandon Lighton (University of Texas Austin)
Vice Chairman of Alumni Relations - Rachal Imbriale (University of Texas @ Arlington)
Vice Chairman of Chapter Relations - Racheal Coolidge (University of Houston)
Treasurer - Tory Sumrall (University of North Texas)
Secretary - Lance Kennedy (University of Texas Austin)

These officers have officially taken office after the close of the 2008 TFCR State Convention ... Congratulations