Changes

|preceded=John S. Hassell, Jr.​

|preceded=John S. Hassell, Jr.​

|succeeded=Robert E. Farris​

|succeeded=Robert E. Farris​

|office2=State chairman of the [[Texas]] [[ Republican Party]] ​

|office2=State chairman of the<br> [[Texas]] [[Republican Party]] ​

|term_start2=1977​

|term_start2=1977​

|term_end2=1979

|term_end2=1979

|alma_mater=Elgin High School<br>​

|alma_mater=Elgin High School<br>​

Marietta College<br>​

Marietta College<br>​

University of Houston}}

University of Houston

|religion=[[United Methodist]]}}

​

​

'''Ray Anderson Barnhart''' (January 12, 1928 &ndash; May 26, 2013) was a [[business]]man and [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[politician]], formerly from Pasadena in Harris County in [[suburb]]an [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]].​

'''Ray Anderson Barnhart''' (January 12, 1928 &ndash; May 26, 2013) was a [[business]]man and [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[politician]], formerly from Pasadena in Harris County in [[suburb]]an [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]].​

In 1972, Barnhart was elected to a two-year term in revised District 100 (previously District 24-6)<ref>Because of changes in district lines over the years, District 100 is now in [[Dallas]], rather than Harris County.</ref> in the state House of Representatives, when President [[Richard M. Nixon and [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]] were heading the state Republican ticket, along with the defeated gubernatorial nominee [[Henry C. Grover]] of Houston. Barnhart's House colleagues included Ray Hutchison of Dallas and Kay Bailey Hutchison|Kay Bailey]] of Harris County. The two married during their common legislative tenure, and Kay Bailey Hutchison went on to the [[United States Senate]] in 1993. In the 1974 session, the legislature became an ''ex officio'' constitutional convention headed by Speaker Price Daniel, Jr., of Liberty, Texas. In the deliberations Barnhart opposed a motion to "guarantee equal educational opportunity and free public schools" to all citizens. As drafted, Barnhart said that the motion, offered by the [[University of Texas]] Board of Regents chairman Frank Erwin would have prevented the state from charging tuition and fees at its public colleges and universities. Legislators acting as delegates fell three votes short of the 121/188, or 2/3 supermajority needed to adopt the new constitution. The state is hence still governed by the Texas Constitution of 1876. In 1974, a strongly Democratic year nationally as well as in Texas, Barnhart was defeated for a second term in the legislature by the Democrat Bill Caraway. Barnhart recalls that certain members of the Sagemont Church, a mission of First [[Baptist]] Church of Pasadena, organized in 1966 by founding pastor John D. Morgan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagemontchurch.org/about/the-sagemont-story/|title=Biographical Data|publisher=Sagemontchurch.org|accessdate=July 20, 2014}}</ref> worked against Barnhart because of his [[conservative]] fiscal policies and succeeded in bringing about the freshman lawmaker's defeat. Barnhart added that the long-serving pastor John Morgan had no role in the political action.<ref name=statement/>​

In 1972, Barnhart was elected to a two-year term in revised District 100 (previously District 24-6)<ref>Because of changes in district lines over the years, District 100 is now in [[Dallas]], rather than Harris County.</ref> in the state House of Representatives, when President [[Richard M. Nixon and [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Tower]] were heading the state Republican ticket, along with the defeated gubernatorial nominee [[Henry C. Grover]] of Houston. Barnhart's House colleagues included Ray Hutchison of Dallas and Kay Bailey Hutchison|Kay Bailey]] of Harris County. The two married during their common legislative tenure, and Kay Bailey Hutchison went on to the [[United States Senate]] in 1993. In the 1974 session, the legislature became an ''ex officio'' constitutional convention headed by Speaker Price Daniel, Jr., of Liberty, Texas. In the deliberations Barnhart opposed a motion to "guarantee equal educational opportunity and free public schools" to all citizens. As drafted, Barnhart said that the motion, offered by the [[University of Texas]] Board of Regents chairman Frank Erwin would have prevented the state from charging tuition and fees at its public colleges and universities. Legislators acting as delegates fell three votes short of the 121/188, or 2/3 supermajority needed to adopt the new constitution. The state is hence still governed by the Texas Constitution of 1876. In 1974, a strongly Democratic year nationally as well as in Texas, Barnhart was defeated for a second term in the legislature by the Democrat Bill Caraway. Barnhart recalls that certain members of the Sagemont Church, a mission of First [[Baptist]] Church of Pasadena, organized in 1966 by founding pastor John D. Morgan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagemontchurch.org/about/the-sagemont-story/|title=Biographical Data|publisher=Sagemontchurch.org|accessdate=July 20, 2014}}</ref> worked against Barnhart because of his [[conservative]] fiscal policies and succeeded in bringing about the freshman lawmaker's defeat. Barnhart added that the long-serving pastor John Morgan had no role in the political action.<ref name=statement/>​

==National politics==​

==National politics==

 

At the national level, Barnhart had supported [[Barry Goldwater]]'s ill-fated campaign in Texas against native son [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. In 1975 and 1976, as chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, Barnhart was asked by Reagan to manage the [[California]]n's presidential primary campaign in Texas. Barnhart, then a [[United Methodist]], enlisted as co-chairmen Ernest Angelo, the mayor of Midland and a [[Roman Catholic]], and Barbara Staff, a party leader then active in the First Baptist Church of Dallas under pastor Wallie Amos Criswell (1909-2002). The campaign was so successful that the Reagan forces prevailed, 96-0, over President Ford, who had the backing of Senator Tower. Then four more Reagan delegates were chosen at the state convention. Barnhart recalled that wealthy Texas contributors were loyal to President Ford, but the Reagan forces had the "plain people" as voters and election workers. Barnhart said that he offered Tower and [[John Connally]], the former Democratic governor who switched parties in 1973 after having served as [[United States Secretary of the Treasury]] under President Nixon, delegate positions at the 1976 [[Republican National Convention]] in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], provided they would agree to support Reagan for the first three potential ballots. The two declined Barnhart's offer and were hence not delegates to the convention. Barnhart chaired the Texas delegation at the convention.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr., of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," West Texas Historical Association Yearbook Vol. 86 (2010), pp. 81, 86.</ref>​

At the national level, Barnhart had supported [[Barry Goldwater]]'s ill-fated campaign in Texas against native son [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. In 1975 and 1976, as chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, Barnhart was asked by Reagan to manage the [[California]]n's presidential primary campaign in Texas. Barnhart, then a [[United Methodist]], enlisted as co-chairmen Ernest Angelo, the mayor of Midland and a [[Roman Catholic]], and Barbara Staff, a party leader then active in the First Baptist Church of Dallas under pastor Wallie Amos Criswell (1909-2002). The campaign was so successful that the Reagan forces prevailed, 96-0, over President Ford, who had the backing of Senator Tower. Then four more Reagan delegates were chosen at the state convention. Barnhart recalled that wealthy Texas contributors were loyal to President Ford, but the Reagan forces had the "plain people" as voters and election workers. Barnhart said that he offered Tower and [[John Connally]], the former Democratic governor who switched parties in 1973 after having served as [[United States Secretary of the Treasury]] under President Nixon, delegate positions at the 1976 [[Republican National Convention]] in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], provided they would agree to support Reagan for the first three potential ballots. The two declined Barnhart's offer and were hence not delegates to the convention. Barnhart chaired the Texas delegation at the convention.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr., of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," West Texas Historical Association Yearbook Vol. 86 (2010), pp. 81, 86.</ref>​

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