Texas GOP Chairman Allen West announced Sunday he is running for governor, challenging fellow Republican Greg Abbott.

The announcement was made during at appearance by West at Sojourn Church in Carrollton, where he played a video launching his campaign.

“I can no longer sit on the sidelines and see what has happened in these United States … and the place that I call home,” West said in the video.

West’s campaign launch comes about a month after he announced his resignation as state party chairman. The resignation is effective July 11, when the State Republican Executive Committee is set to meet to pick West’s successor as chair.

West quickly hinted that he was considering a run for statewide office after he announced his resignation, though speculation had run rampant for months that he was eying a bigger job. As state party chairman, he did not shy away from conflict with state leaders, most notably Abbott.

Since his election as Texas GOP chair in July of last year when he soundly beat then-incumbent James Dickey, West has criticized Abbott’s coronavirus response and sought to push the governor’s legislative agenda further to the right.

Abbott has mostly ignored West’s attacks. But the governor has increasingly catered to his right flank in recent months as he has appeared to try to tamp down on potential vulnerabilities ahead of his reelection campaign.

Abbott nonetheless received his first credible primary challenger in May, when former state Sen. Don Huffines of Dallas launched a bid against Abbott. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller weighed running against Abbott as well but announced last month he would instead seek reelection to his current job.

Facing the intraparty angst, Abbott also has embraced former President Donald Trump more than ever. In June, he secured Trump’s endorsement for reelection, announced Texas would build its own border wall to finish the job started under Trump and invited Trump to the state for a border tour.

West is also a vocal Trump ally, though he has brushed off the impact of Trump’s endorsement on his future political plans.

“You know, I don’t serve President Trump,” West said in June. “I serve God, county and Texas. So that does not affect me whatsoever.”

This article was written by PATRICK SVITEK of The Texas Tribune.  The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.  This article originally appeared at: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/04/allen-west-greg-abbott-texas-governor-election/

Floating Vimeo Video