Ralph Z. Hallow
Articles by Ralph Z. Hallow
GOP official jokes independents shouldn’t vote
A member of the Republican National Committee joked this week that people who can't make up their mind which party they belong to probably shouldn't be allowed in the voting booth in the first place. Published August 7, 2014
Angry Republican leaders ready to shut door on open primaries
Any party that allows its opponents to help pick its candidates in "open" primaries is a PPINO — a "political party in name only" — say many Republican officials at their annual summer meeting. Published August 6, 2014
GOP 2014: Rick Perry touts Texas on national stage
Whether he runs or not, Texas Gov. Rick Perry commands plenty of attention on the 2016 Republican presidential stage, and he knows it. Published July 27, 2014
GOP 2014: Scott Walker survives, Wisconsin thrives
Ever since Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker grabbed the political world’s attention on June 5, 2012, by becoming the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election, he has been on a roll. Published July 27, 2014
GOP 2014: From House to Statehouse for Indiana’s Mike Pence
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence already has achieved most of his early agenda, barely 18 months into his first term. Published July 27, 2014
GOP 2014: Oklahoma’s Mary Fallin follows in her parents’ footsteps
Oklahoma so far on Gov. Mary Fallin's watch has done pretty well for itself, according to the objective measurements most voters care about. Published July 27, 2014
GOP 2014: In New Mexico, Susana Martinez is the hope for Hispanics
Buoyant, bilingual, upbeat and the first female Hispanic governor of any state, New Mexico's Susana Martinez seems a good fit for chief executive officer of a Western state where almost half the 2.1 million population is Hispanic. Published July 27, 2014
GOP 2014: Thriving economy, school choice fuel Bobby Jindal agenda in Louisiana
Republican Bobby Jindal postulates that when year after year more people move to Louisiana than leave it, he's probably doing something right as governor. Published July 27, 2014
Sarah Palin backs tea party challenger in Tennessee Senate race
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is throwing her weight behind the Tea Party challenger in Tennessee who is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander in next month's primary. Published July 23, 2014
Conservative convert Susana Martinez converts voters with her personal story
Will major campaign donors and 2016 GOP presidential primary voters see the former prosecutor and daughter of a Texas deputy sheriff as a good fit for president of a nation where Hispanics account for 54 million out of a total population of 316 million? Published July 16, 2014
The prison that dared to pray: Angola used faith, family to stem violence
In the sweltering heat of the 18,000-acre prison here, a joyful declaration over a loudspeaker pierced the suffocating air. "Shawn Martin," the name of an inmate's child, reverberated among a crowd of hundreds of prisoners and their families. Published July 15, 2014
Texas Gov. Rick Perry draws rivals into political showdowns
Whether he runs or not, Texas Gov. Rick Perry commands plenty of attention on the 2016 Republican presidential stage, and he knows it. Published July 14, 2014
Cleveland chosen to host 2016 GOP convention
Cleveland has been chosen to host the 2016 GOP presidential nominating convention, beating out Dallas in a unanimous vote from the Republican National Committee site selection panel Tuesday. Published July 8, 2014
Tennessee long shot Joe Carr is tea party’s best hope
He's an upstart Republican working his plain-spoken charm in a state chock-full of tea party support, accusing his well-known establishment opponent of running from his moderate record, ignoring his constituents' wishes and supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants. Published July 7, 2014
Face of change at American Conservative Union: Matt Schlapp is ready to ruffle feathers
Matt Schlapp, the new chairman of the American Conservative Union and its first born after the group's founding a half-century ago, is moving quickly to put a uniquely 21st-century touch on one of the political right's most sacred establishments. Published July 1, 2014
Young beats tea party-backed Zaun in Iowa runoff
In another sign of the changing times and power shifts in Iowa, Sen. Chuck Grassley's former chief of staff won the special nominating convention in the state's highly competitive 3rd Congressional District on Saturday. Published June 22, 2014
Exclusive: Rand Paul throws weight behind immigration reform effort
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday waded deeper into an issue that has proved perilous to some of his GOP colleagues, throwing his political weight behind an establishment lobby effort to get Congress to reform the country's immigration system this year. Published June 11, 2014
Joni Ernst, a telegenic mother and Iraq vet, has Iowa Republicans hopeful
Republicans may have reason to think they have struck it bigger than big with Tuesday's Senate primary win in Iowa of dream candidate Joni Ernst — a young, brash and telegenic mother, National Guard officer and Iraq veteran whose Army unit ran convoys from Kuwait into Iraq. Published June 4, 2014
RNC strengthens control over nomination process
In an unusual display of centralized power, the Republican Party's national governing body approved a rule that likely would end abruptly the 2016 GOP presidential nomination quest of any candidate who dares to step out of line. Published May 11, 2014
GOP vs. GOP: Fight over official stance on gays, abortion roiling Republicans
Gay marriage and abortion, divisive issues within the Republican party, have flared again at the RNC's meeting here, with Nevada's delegation firing back at criticism of its April decision to remove anti-abortion and anti-gay language from its state platform. Published May 9, 2014