View source for Gary Polland

===Conflict with current chairman Paul Simpson===

In 2014, Polland was a vigorous supporter of [[Jared Woodfill]], his successor as the Harris County Republican chairman who failed in his bid for a fourth term as chairman in the Republican primary. Woodfill was unseated by the Houston engineer-turned-lawyer Paul Simpson, who received a $90,000 donation from Ed Emmett, the since defeated county judge of Harris County. Woodfill and Emmett became estranged in 2012. Emmett claims that Woodfill took personal credit for the establishment of "victory centers" when the sites were actually the work of Emmett and the state Republican party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.chron.com/houstonpolitics/2014/02/bettencourt-says-he-predicted-emmetts-whopper-donation/|title=Kiah Collier, UPDATED: Paul Bettencourt says he predicted Emmett's whopper donation, February 26, 2014|publisher=''The Houston Chronicle''|accessdate=April 1, 2014}}</ref> Simpson supporters claimed that Woodfill had grown lackluster in campaign fundraising and had accented "social issues" as chairman, including a lawsuit against the then Houston [[Mayor]] Annise Parker regarding benefits for same-sex couples employed by the city government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/houston/article/Challenger-wins-GOP-chair-race-5289730.php#/0|title=Kiah Collier, Challenger wins GOP chair race, March 4, 2014|publisher=''The Houston Chronicle''|accessdate=April 1, 2014}}</ref>

Polland remains critical of Simpson's performance as Harris County Republican chairman, whom he accuses of running a 1990s-style operation well into the 21st century. The GOP fared poorly in Harris County in the general elections held on November 8, 2016, and November 6, 2018. Not only did [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] sweep Harris County, but the Republicans failed to win any county-wide offices in the state's most populous county. Polland assessed Simpson's performance:

<blockquote>What is Chairman Simpson's answer to our disaster in 2016? Three months later, essentially nothing but continue the same failed campaign plan (phone banks, regional headquarters, and, above all, as demonstrated in last week's executive committee meeting), no questions are to be entertained about the November 2016 debacle. If you study the GOP's plight, 2018 will become a critical election and a repeat of 2016 ... and Harris County could be lost for a decade with profound implications for red Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasconservativereview.com/|title=
Thoughts This Fortnight: Here They Come And We Are Still Planning a 90's Style Campaign in 2018|publisher=''Texas Conservative Review''|author=Gary M. Polland|date=February 16, 2017|accessdate=February 26, 2017}}</ref></blockquote>

Unlike with the Simpson tenure, the Harris County GOP won all countywide offices under former chairman Polland. Simpson called the decline in GOP support in Harris County "[[fake news]]." According to Polland, Simpson "ignored every criticism and chose to chalk it up to 'two former disgruntled county chairs,' much like when a workplace predator distracts from the sexual harassment charges by calling the victim a 'disgruntled former employee.' It is unfortunate that Simpson is so adept and proactive when trying to save his own bacon, but did nothing to save the jobs of dozens of our Republican judges ..."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasconservativereview.com/|title=From One Disgruntled Republican to Another|publisher=''Texas Conservative Review''|author=Gary M. Polland|date=March 6, 2017|accessdate=March 8, 2017}}</ref>

In 2017, Polland, as a sharp critic of [[Joe Straus]], then the [[Moderate Republican]] state House Speaker from [[San Antonio]], called for the House to choose its Speaker through the party caucus, with each party putting forth a nominee for the post. Instead the Speaker is chosen from the whole membership of 150. Along with a contingent of his most loyal GOP representatives, Straus with solid Democratic backing continued to thwart conservative initiatives, such as the"bathroom bill," which twice passed the state Senate but was not acted upon by the House at Straus' direction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasconservativereview.com/|author=Gary M. Polland|title=Time for the Texas House Speaker to Be Picked in the GOP Caucus|publisher=''Texas Conservative Review,'' Vol. XVI (No. 12)|date=August 21, 2017|accessdate=August 22, 2017}}</ref>