Jared Woodfill

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During the 2020 election, Woodfill represented Republican and conservative activists who sued Harris County, Texas, in an attempt to block the use of drive-through voting in Harris County. [22] [23] Woodfill also represented Republican officials and activists (including Hotze, Texas Republican Party chair Allen West, and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller) in an attempt to block Governor Greg Abbott's extension of the early voting period. [24] Both measures were adopted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Postal Service crisis, and were aimed at increasing voter turnout. [22] [24] Woodfill's bid to invalidate 127,000 votes cast through drive-through voting was rejected by both the Texas Supreme Court [25] and the federal courts. [23] Woodfill described the suit as an attempt to prevent Donald Trump from losing Texas, which he said would occur if "Harris County goes against Trump in large enough numbers." [23] Woodfill subsequently supported legislation by Texas Republican legislators to ban drive-through voting. [22]

Anti-vaccine litigation

In 2021, Woodfill filed an anti-vaccination lawsuit on behalf of a group of employees of Houston Methodist Hospital who refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as required by the hospital. Of Houston Methodist's 26,000 staffers, 99% had received the vaccine, but 178 employees (including some receptionists, technicians, administrative workers, and nurses) refused and were suspended without pay as a result; of these, 117 employees represented by Woodfill sued the hospital system. [26] [27] [28] The plaintiffs' complaint falsely characterized the COVID-19 vaccines as "experimental" and mRNA vaccines as "gene modification"; in fact, the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and do not modify genes. [26] Woodfill's lawsuit was dismissed; in rejecting the suit, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes wrote that the plaintiffs' claim that the COVID-19 vaccines were "experimental and dangerous" was false and irrelevant and that the plaintiffs' comparison of the hospital's vaccine requirement to Nazi human experimentation during the Holocaust was "reprehensible." [28] Woodfill unsuccessfully appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which in 2022 affirmed the judgment of the district court. [29]

2024 campaign for state House

In 2023, Woodfill announced his run for state House in the 138th district, challenging incumbent incumbent Republican Lacey Hull. [7] The district includes Jersey Village and other portions of the Cypress-Fairbanks (Cy-Fair) area. [30] Although Hull is among the chamber's most conservative members, [4] Woodfill accuses her being insufficiently conservative. [4] [7] Woodfill said that, if elected, he also planned to run for House speaker. [7]

Woodfill's primary challenge is backed by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. [4] In 2023, when Paxton was impeached and faced removal from office, Woodfill rallied behind Paxton, and raised money for his defense. [4] During his 2024 campaign, he has criticized Hull for voting to impeach Paxton. [4]

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References

  1. ↑ Jackie Welch. Woodfill guest speaker at San Jacinto Republican Women's meeting, Pasadena Citizen (July 22, 2013).
  2. 1 2 Robert Downen, Lawsuit against ex-judge, Southern Baptist churches drawing to a close, Houston Chronicle (February 6, 2019).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Robert Downen, Houston GOP activist knew for years of child sex abuse claims against Southern Baptist leader, law partner, Texas Tribune (March 27, 2023).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Robert Downen, Email sheds new light on Texas House candidate Jared Woodfill's role in Southern Baptist leader's sex abuse scandal, Texas Tribune (January 23, 2024).
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Law Enforcement Raids Office Of Jared Woodfill, Ex Harris County GOP Chairman". Houston Public Media. November 13, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Robert Downen; Lise Olsen (November 13, 2018). "Theft, money laundering allegations sparked raid at Woodfill law office". Houston Chronicle.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Downen, Robert (November 17, 2023). "Prominent anti-LGBTQ+ activist Jared Woodfill running for Texas House". The Texas Tribune.
  8. 1 2 3 Kiah Collier. "Challenger wins GOP chair race, March 4, 2014". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  9. ↑ Moran, Chris (December 18, 2009). "Claims of missing cash fuel race for Harris GOP chair". The Houston Chronicle.
  10. ↑ Joe Holley, Woodfill faces likely runoff with Hubbard for GOP chairman, Houston Chronicle (March 2, 2010).
  11. ↑ Joe Holley, Lawsuit alleges GOP chairman on the hook for $30 million, Houston Chronicle (June 24, 2012).
  12. ↑ Kiah Collier (February 26, 2014). "UPDATED: Paul Bettencourt says he predicted Emmett's whopper donation". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 Justin Wm. Moyer, Why Houston's gay rights ordinance failed: Fear of men in women’s bathrooms, Washington Post (November 4, 2015).
  14. ↑ Jared Woodfill (March 9, 2017). "Joe, Let the Peoples Representatives Vote on SB 6". Conservative Republicans of Texas News. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Call for Conservative Christian candidates to Rise Up and Replace Republican Representatives Who Refuse to Support SB6, "No Men in Women's Bathrooms!"". crtxnews.com. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  16. ↑ Emma Platoff, Houston judge tosses same-sex marriage benefits challenge, but plaintiffs pledge to appeal, Texas Tribune (February 21, 2019).
  17. 1 2 Brian M. Rosenthal (March 8, 2015). "Tom Mechler elected new leader of Texas Republican Party". The Houston Chronicle.
  18. ↑ Christopher Hooks (December 2020). "How Did a Florida Man Become the Face of the Texas Republican Party?". Texas Monthly.
  19. 1 2 Patrick Svitek, Mechler, Woodfill Square Off Again to Lead GOP, Texas Tribune (February 17, 2016).
  20. ↑ Gary M. Polland. "You Can Judge a Candidate By the Company He Keeps". Texas Conservative Review. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  21. 1 2 Gromer Jeffers Jr. (May 13, 2016). "Tom Mechler easily retains chairmanship of Texas GOP". Dallas Morning News . Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  22. 1 2 3 Mike Snyder, Record Turnout Helped Texas Republicans, So Why Are They Still Pushing to Make It Harder to Vote?, Texas Monthly (November 23, 2020).
  23. 1 2 3 Nomaan Merchant, rejects GOP effort to throw out 127,000 Houston votes, Associated Press (November 3, 2020).
  24. 1 2 Patrick Svitek, Texas Republicans sue to stop Gov. Greg Abbott's extension of early voting period during the pandemic, Texas Tribune (September 23, 2020).
  25. ↑ Jay Bleiberg, Texas high court denies GOP effort to reject Houston votes, Associated Press (November 1, 2020).
  26. 1 2 Derek Hawkins, 117 staffers sue over Houston hospital's vaccine mandate, saying they don't want to be 'guinea pigs', Washington Post (May 29, 2021).
  27. ↑ Bill Chappell, The Clock's Ticking For 178 Hospital Workers Suspended For Not Getting Vaccinated, NPR (June 10, 2021).
  28. 1 2 Judge tosses hospital workers' vaccine requirement challenge, Associated Press (June 13, 2021).
  29. ↑ Kelly Gooch, Former Houston Methodist employees lose appeal in vaccination mandate case, Becker's Hospital Review (June 15, 2022).
  30. ↑ Jovanna Aguilar, Q&A: Meet the Republican primary candidates running to represent State House District 138, Community Impact (January 24, 2024).
Jared Woodfill
Jared-Headshot.png
Chairman of the Republican Party of
Harris County (Houston), Texas
In office
2002–2014
Preceded by
Gary M. Polland
 Harris County Republican chairman

Jared Ryker Woodfill, V
2002–2014

Succeeded by
Paul Simpson
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