Robin Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Robin Armstrong is an African American
politician
and physician
who served as vice chairman of the Republican Party of Texas
from 2006-2010. Armstrong was elected at the state convention held in San Antonio
on June 3, 2006, to succeed the term-limited David Barton, an historian
from Aledo
in Parker County
west of Fort Worth
. He defeated Internet
grassroots
organizer, Bobby Eberle of Pearland
near Houston
.
On June 14, 2008, Armstrong was elected to a second term as chairman at the state Republican convention held in Houston
. Tina Benkiser
, a Houston attorney
, was elected to her third full term as state party chairman. Under Texas law, each major party must at all times have a woman as either its chairman or vice chairman. One of the two positions must be held by a man.
Benkiser resigned as chairman on October 5, 2009, to join the reelection campaign of Governor
Rick Perry
. Under party rules, the chairman must remain neutral in primary election
campaigns. Perry faces a challenge from U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
in the Republican primary scheduled for March 2, 2010. Benkiser was succeeded by Cathie Adams
, a conservative activist and Republican national committeewoman
from Dallas
. Adams was elected to fill the position by the Republican State Executive Committee at a special meeting at party headquarters in Austin
. She served until the state convention held on June 12, 2010, when she was unseated by Steve Munisteri
of Houston.
At the 2006 convention, Texas Republicans affirmed their opposition to affirmative action
in their state platform and then chose Armstrong, who is African American
, as vice chairman.
Armstrong was born in Texas City
and reared in nearby La Marque
in Galveston County
. He has a bachelor's degree in microbiology
from Texas A&M University
in College Station
and a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch
in Galveston
. He did his residency in internal medicine
. He is on the staff of Mainland Medical Center in Texas City, Texas, which is located down the street from his boyhood home. He is also the 2006 president of the Galveston County Medical Society.
He graduated from La Marque High School
. He was a wide receiver
on the Cougars football
team that played in the 5A state championship in 1987; he also ran the 800 meters and the two-mile relay
in track and field
.
Armstrong became a Christian
during his sophomore
year at Texas A&M and has traveled on missionary journeys to Africa
and Nicaragua
. He has worked in inner city
and youth ministry
at his church, the Abundant Life Christian Center in La Marque, Texas, where he leads a men’s Bible
study group.
Armstrong has been active in the grassroots of the GOP
, as a city chair, an election judge, a precinct chair, a poll watcher, a convention delegate, a Senatorial District Convention chairman, and most recently as the State Republican Executive committeeman for Texas Senate District 11, which covers parts of Galveston, Harris
, and Brazoria
counties. He is a member of the Galveston Pachyderm Club, and the Texas Eagle Forum
. He opposes abortion
.
He was reared in a political household. His father, Robert Armstrong, was a member of the nonpartisan
La Marque Independent
School Board
. Armstrong said that he will try to halt the United States
from "drifting away from the values that made her great." According to Armstrong, the GOP must "expand our conservative base to maintain our party's success in the future. It is not enough to preach to the choir; we must continue to grow by reaching out to people of faith, professional groups, and minorities who have been abandoned by liberalism
." Armstrong said that he would work closely with Benkiser to win the "cultural war" and to secure GOP majorities into the future.
Armstrong and his wife Martha, who is also a medical doctor, have two sons, Daniel and Gabriel.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who served as vice chairman of the Republican Party of Texas
Republican Party of Texas
The Republican Party of Texas is one of the two major political parties in the U.S. State of Texas. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party. The State Chairman is Steve Munisteri, a retired attorney and businessman from Houston, and the Vice-Chair is Melinda Fredricks of Conroe....
from 2006-2010. Armstrong was elected at the state convention held in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
on June 3, 2006, to succeed the term-limited David Barton, an historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
from Aledo
Aledo, Texas
Aledo is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,726 at the 2000 census.The city is served by the Aledo Independent School District.-Geography:...
in Parker County
Parker County, Texas
As of the census of 2003, there were 98,495 people, 31,131 households, and 24,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile . There were 34,084 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
west of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. He defeated Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
organizer, Bobby Eberle of Pearland
Pearland, Texas
Pearland , is a city located along the Gulf Coast region in the US state of Texas within the metropolitan area and is in the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris. As of the census of 2000, the city's population was 37,640. As of 2008, Pearland is estimated to have a population of 90,700...
near Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
On June 14, 2008, Armstrong was elected to a second term as chairman at the state Republican convention held in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Tina Benkiser
Tina Benkiser
Tina Renee Johns Benkiser is a Houston attorney who served as chairman of the Republican Party of Texas from 2003 to 2009. She became chairman on the resignation of Susan Weddington....
, a Houston attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, was elected to her third full term as state party chairman. Under Texas law, each major party must at all times have a woman as either its chairman or vice chairman. One of the two positions must be held by a man.
Benkiser resigned as chairman on October 5, 2009, to join the reelection campaign of Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
. Under party rules, the chairman must remain neutral in primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
campaigns. Perry faces a challenge from U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
in the Republican primary scheduled for March 2, 2010. Benkiser was succeeded by Cathie Adams
Cathie Adams
Cathie L. Adams is a homemaker from Dallas, Texas, who is the former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. She won the post in a special meeting of the Republican State Executive Committee held on October 24, 2009, at party headquarters in Austin...
, a conservative activist and Republican national committeewoman
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
from Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. Adams was elected to fill the position by the Republican State Executive Committee at a special meeting at party headquarters in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. She served until the state convention held on June 12, 2010, when she was unseated by Steve Munisteri
Steve Munisteri
Stephen Peter Munisteri is a retired attorney from Houston, Texas, who was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Texas at the state convention held in Dallas on June 13, 2010. He unseated the incumbent Cathie L. Adams, the wife of a Dallas chiropractor, who had held the position for only...
of Houston.
At the 2006 convention, Texas Republicans affirmed their opposition to affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
in their state platform and then chose Armstrong, who is African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, as vice chairman.
Armstrong was born in Texas City
Texas City, Texas
Texas City is a city in Chambers and Galveston counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 41,521 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and reared in nearby La Marque
La Marque, Texas
La Marque is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 14,509...
in Galveston County
Galveston County, Texas
Galveston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 291,309. Its county seat is Galveston. League City is the largest city in Galveston County in terms of population; between...
. He has a bachelor's degree in microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
from Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
and a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch
University of Texas Medical Branch
The University of Texas Medical Branch is a component of the University of Texas System located in Galveston, Texas, United States, about 50 miles southeast of Downtown Houston...
in Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
. He did his residency in internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
. He is on the staff of Mainland Medical Center in Texas City, Texas, which is located down the street from his boyhood home. He is also the 2006 president of the Galveston County Medical Society.
He graduated from La Marque High School
La Marque High School
La Marque High School is a public high school in La Marque, Texas, United States. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the La Marque Independent School District.The school serves sections of La Marque, Texas City and Tiki Island...
. He was a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
on the Cougars football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team that played in the 5A state championship in 1987; he also ran the 800 meters and the two-mile relay
Relay
A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism mechanically, but other operating principles are also used. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a low-power signal , or where several circuits must be controlled...
in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
.
Armstrong became a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
during his sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
year at Texas A&M and has traveled on missionary journeys to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. He has worked in inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
and youth ministry
Youth ministry
Youth ministry, also commonly referred to as Youth group, is an age-specific religious ministry and is the way in which a faith group, or other religious organization involves and engages with the young people who attend its place of worship, or live in its community...
at his church, the Abundant Life Christian Center in La Marque, Texas, where he leads a men’s Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
study group.
Armstrong has been active in the grassroots of the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, as a city chair, an election judge, a precinct chair, a poll watcher, a convention delegate, a Senatorial District Convention chairman, and most recently as the State Republican Executive committeeman for Texas Senate District 11, which covers parts of Galveston, Harris
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, and Brazoria
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...
counties. He is a member of the Galveston Pachyderm Club, and the Texas Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC. The Eagle Forum has been primarily focused on social issues; it describes...
. He opposes abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
He was reared in a political household. His father, Robert Armstrong, was a member of the nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
La Marque Independent
La Marque Independent School District
La Marque Independent School District is a public school district based in La Marque, Texas .In addition to much of La Marque, the district serves portions of Texas City and Tiki Island....
School Board
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
. Armstrong said that he will try to halt the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from "drifting away from the values that made her great." According to Armstrong, the GOP must "expand our conservative base to maintain our party's success in the future. It is not enough to preach to the choir; we must continue to grow by reaching out to people of faith, professional groups, and minorities who have been abandoned by liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
." Armstrong said that he would work closely with Benkiser to win the "cultural war" and to secure GOP majorities into the future.
Armstrong and his wife Martha, who is also a medical doctor, have two sons, Daniel and Gabriel.