Abbott, Patrick and Paxton Billed for Red River Roll Call in Sherman

Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton were all on the announced speaker lineup for the Red River Roll Call, a Republican rally scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 27, in Sherman, according to the Grayson County GOP's event page and a public announcement from the rally's host. The announced program would have put three statewide officeholders in front of Texoma voters at a single Grayson County event.

The county party's page named Abbott as the event's headliner and listed Patrick among the state leaders scheduled to appear. The same page promoted the evening as the largest Republican rally ever held in Grayson County.

Paxton joined the bill after that first announcement. State Rep. Shelley Luther, who hosted the rally, said in a post on her public Facebook page that new speakers had been added to the program and that Paxton was among them.

Abbott leads the state's executive branch. Patrick, as lieutenant governor, presides over the Texas Senate. Paxton runs the office that handles the state government's legal work.

The superlative in the party's billing had a specific scope. It covered Republican rallies, and it came from the event's promoters rather than from any independent record of past crowds. The published materials contain no attendance figures, either for earlier county gatherings or for Monday night, and they do not settle whether the evening ranked as the largest political gathering of any kind in Grayson County's history.

Luther represents Texas House District 62 and keeps a district office in Sherman, according to the Texas House's member page. Her involvement meant a sitting local state officeholder served as the rally's host. The county party carried the event on its site, and Luther was identified publicly as its host.

The event's public rally was tied to Kidd-Key Auditorium, a venue the City of Sherman owns. The city's page for the auditorium lists seating for more than 1,300 people.

Sherman also publishes rules for one-time special events held on city property. According to the city's parks and recreation department, gatherings that draw large crowds or require city services can face requirements covering permits, insurance, security, alcohol service and safety planning.

The lineup reported here reflects what organizers announced before the event. The public record reviewed for this report does not establish who ultimately took the stage Monday night or how many people were in the seats.