Welcome to the Party Rep. Aaron Pena & Rep. Allan Ritter

The following is a statement from Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri regarding the new Republican House members:

November 2nd was a historic day for the Republican Party of Texas as we not only increased the number of Republicans in the State House from 77 to 99, but also added approximately 300 new Republican officeholders statewide. I believe a revitalized and reorganized RPT played a significant role in this accomplishment, along with having a strong top of the ticket led by Governor Perry, Lt. Governor Dewhurst and Attorney General Abbott. It is our hope to build upon these gains in the future, in part by reaching out to independents and Democrats as well as renewing our committment to outreach to minority communities.

I am excited today to welcome Representative Allan Ritter of House District 21, and Representative Aaron Pena of House District 40, to the ranks of the Republican Party. Both of them have told me that they no longer were comfortable with the direction of the Democratic Party, both here in Texas, and nationally, as it has dramatically shifted to the left under President Obama. I have had an opportunity to visit with local party leadership in both of their districts, who inform me that former Democrats such as Allan Ritter and Aaron Pena will be welcomed into the Republican Party in their locale. Obviously, this is an important milestone for the Republican Party of Texas as it ensures that we will have a super-majority in the House of Representatives. We look forward to adding to these numbers in the days to come.

State Representative Aaron Pena (HD-40)

State Representative Allan Ritter (HD-21)