Who is Matt Rinaldi?

The Republican Party in Texas recently elected a new chairman, Matt Rinaldi, a former state representative. 

The seat became open after the former GOP chairman, Allen West announced his impending resignation back in June. After one month of campaigning, Mr. Rinaldi secured the interim chairmanship with 34 votes in the first ballot. 

An attorney at law, Matt Rinaldi earned his B.B.A. from James Madison University and his J.D. from the Boston School of Law in 2001.

Rinaldi served in the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 115 from 2015 to 2019, he then lost his seat to Democrat Julie Johnson. He also unsuccessfully ran for judge of Texas District 191 Court back in 2010.

His 2016 campaign website listed some of the issues that matter the most to him,  including fiscal sanity in the Texas House, border security, repealing the Texas DREAM act and ending Medicaid.

Additionally, he has been very vocal about his views regarding same-sex marriage and women’s reproductive rights: “I believe that life begins at conception and pledge to support any legislation that has the effect of restricting abortion or extending full legal protection to the unborn. I also believe in the protection of marriage as between one man and one woman and oppose any attempt by the government to recognize domestic partnerships, civil unions, or any legal construct similar to marriage between same sex partners.”