Last week, D’Rinda Randall announced that her campaign for Chair of the Republican Party of Texas has received the endorsement of Mona Bailey, a Tarrant County activist and donor with a history of supporting moderate Republicans at the liberal periphery of the party.
Bailey’s history of supporting moderate and liberal Republicans is well documented.
Since 2015, Bailey has donated tens of thousands of dollars to former Senator Jane Nelson. Nelson, who now serves as secretary of state, is spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to keep the Republican primary open and allow Democrats to continue interfering in Republican elections.
Other recipients of Bailey’s political contributions include three disgraced former Texas House speakers:
- Dennis Bonnen, who was ousted under pressure after attempting to negotiate an illegal quid pro quo deal with a conservative journalist. The journalist exposed the scheme in 2019.
- Joe Straus, Bonnen’s predecessor and a supporter of late-term abortion. Under Straus’s leadership in the 2010s, Republicans nearly lost control of the Texas House while ceding major policy victories to Democrats.
- Dade Phelan, also known to grassroots activists as “Drunk Dade” for allegedly being intoxicated at the dais while presiding over official Texas House business during the 88th legislative session. Phelan led the failed impeachment effort against Attorney General Ken Paxton.
During the 2026 primary cycle, Bailey donated thousands of dollars to Jackie Schlegel, who earlier this year was found responsible by a Tarrant County court for illegally transferring Texans for Vaccine Choice funds into an account she controlled. Pending appeal, Schlegel has been ordered to pay $767,473.90 in damages and fees.
Bailey also donated thousands of dollars to Tarrant County-area State Representative Giovanni Capriglione. Capriglione declined to seek reelection after Current Revolt exposed his history of allegedly cheating on his wife with a stripper.
Since 2015, Bailey has given thousands of dollars to George P. Bush. As Land Commissioner, Bush was the architect of the “Reimagining the Alamo” debacle. He also launched an unsuccessful bid to unseat Ken Paxton as attorney general in 2022.
Other notable liberal or moderate Republicans supported by Bailey include Kelly Hancock and Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright. Hancock was defeated by Don Huffines in this year’s Texas Republican primary for comptroller, while Wright was forced into a runoff this May against conservative activist Bo French.
During the 2022 endorsement cycle, Bailey supported Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price in her failed bid against Tim O’Hare for Tarrant County Judge. Under Price’s leadership, the City of Fort Worth spent tens of millions of dollars supporting DEI and LGBT programs. As mayor, Price recruited Christina Brooks to lead the city’s DEI initiatives. Brooks previously served as DEI Officer and LGBT Liaison in South Bend, Indiana, under Pete Buttigieg.
Why Mona Bailey’s Endorsement Matters
Mona Bailey has a long history of supporting liberal and moderate Republicans at the leftward fringe of the Republican Party. As an activist and donor, Bailey instantiates the left/moderate discontent that exists against the more conservative supermajority of Republican delegates.
Because of his support for President Donald Trump, MAGA, and America First conservative principles, D’Rinda Randall’s opponent, Abraham George, has come under fire from the very left/moderate segment of the Republican Party that Bailey represents.
By courting the endorsement of liberal Republican donors like Bailey, D’Rinda Randall may be signaling her willingness to caucus with the leftmost wing of the Republican Party against the conservative majority that elected Abraham George in 2024.