# Texas Regulars
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{{Short description|American political faction formed for the 1944 presidential election}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
The '''Texas Regulars''' was a group based in [Texas](/source/Texas) which was formed in 1944 to deny [Franklin D. Roosevelt](/source/Franklin_D._Roosevelt) a majority of the [Electoral College](/source/Electoral_College_(United_States)) in the [1944 presidential election](/source/1944_United_States_presidential_election).
== Background ==
[[File:Lonnie-Smith-1944.jpg|thumb|Houston dentist [Lonnie E. Smith](/source/Smith_v._Allwright) casts his ballot in the 1944 Texas Democratic primary election (July 22, 1944).]]
By the 1940s, [conservative Democrat](/source/conservative_Democrat)s in Texas had become increasingly disenchanted with Roosevelt and his [New Deal](/source/New_Deal).
They were also unhappy that the [US Supreme Court](/source/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States), in ''[Smith v. Allwright](/source/Smith_v._Allwright)'' (1944), had disallowed the segregated [primaries](/source/Partisan_primary) used by the [Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) in Texas and some other states.[{{Cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/wet02|title=TEXAS REGULARS|last=N.|first=GREEN, GEORGE|date=2010-06-15|website=tshaonline.org|language=en|access-date=2017-12-28}}]
== History ==
=== Attempt at taking over the Texas Democratic Party ===
The Texas Regulars tried to gain control of the state nominating convention and select a slate of [presidential electors](/source/Electoral_College_(United_States)) who would not vote for Roosevelt. The group's supporters included US Representative [Martin Dies Jr.](/source/Martin_Dies_Jr.), former Texas governor [Dan Moody](/source/Dan_Moody), and Senator [W. Lee O'Daniel](/source/W._Lee_O'Daniel).[{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19440926&id=ag1GAAAAIBAJ&pg=1256,1923426|title=Anti-F.D.R. Democrats Are Listed Texas Regulars|date=September 26, 1944|work=Lawrence Journal-World|access-date=December 28, 2017|agency=Associated Press|page=3}}] On election day, they finished third both in Texas and in the national popular vote, with 135,439 votes (0.3% of the vote nationally, and 11.8% of the vote in Texas). They won a majority in only [Washington County, Texas](/source/Washington_County%2C_Texas).[[1944 United States presidential election#Results](/source/1944_United_States_presidential_election)]
Roosevelt easily carried Texas with 71.4% of the statewide vote, and won national re-election with 432 of 531 electoral votes.
=== Platform ===
The Texas Regulars opposed the New Deal, trade unions, and government intervention and supported [states' rights](/source/states'_rights) and [white supremacy](/source/white_supremacy), with a platform paraphrased as follows:[{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_qDQAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA83 |title=The Texas Right: The Radical Roots of Lone Star Conservatism |last1=Cullen |first1=David O'Donald |last2=Wilkison |first2=Kyle G. |date=2014-01-22 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=9781623490287 |pages=82–83 |language=en}}][{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2yyDFhBoqvYC&pg=PA26 |title=Cowboy Conservatism: Texas and the Rise of the Modern Right |last=Cunningham |first=Sean |date=2010-07-02 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0813173719 |pages=25–26 |language=en}}]
# Restoration of the Democratic Party to the integrity which has been taken away by [Hillman](/source/Sidney_Hillman), [Browder](/source/Earl_Browder), and others.
# Protection of honest [labor unions](/source/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States) from foreign-born racketeers who have gained control by blackmail.
# Return of [state rights](/source/States'_rights) which have been destroyed by the Communist-controlled New Deal.
# Restoration of the [freedom of education](/source/freedom_of_education).
# Restoration of the [supremacy of the white race](/source/White_supremacy), which has been destroyed by the Communist-controlled New Deal.
# Restoration of the [Bill of Rights](/source/United_States_Bill_of_Rights) instead of rule by regimentation.
# Restoration of government by laws instead of government by bureaus.
# Restoration of the individual appeal for justice, instead of a politically appointed bureau.
==Aftermath==
The Texas Regulars disbanded soon afterward, but many of them went on to support the [Dixiecrat](/source/Dixiecrat) movement of [Strom Thurmond](/source/Strom_Thurmond) in the [1948 presidential election](/source/1948_United_States_presidential_election).