Leaders of the Dallas County Democratic and Republican Parties say they worry Wednesday's riot at the U.S. Capitol will distract from work that needs to be done at the local, state and federal level. In addition to Congress beginning work last week and Joe Biden's scheduled inauguration January 20, the Texas legislature begins its next session Tuesday, January 12.
"There's nothing positive that came out of yesterday," says Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Rodney Anderson. "I can think of nothing positive. It is a dark day in American history."
Anderson says supporters of Donald Trump had rallied peacefully outside the White House, but he says a small percentage of those demonstrators became violent at the U.S. Capitol.
"The folks who were there to incite riots, they're criminals. They should be prosecuted as such," he says. "What I firmly believe is most people will be able to see the people who stormed the Capitol yesterday do not represent the mainstream Republican Party or even some of the fringes of the Republican Party."
Joanna Cattanach, development director of the Dallas County Democratic Party, says she attended a protest in Washington after Donald Trump was elected four years ago.
"I remember being in that moment, upset at your country, upset at what's happening, but I never once thought about overthrowing my government or standing on sacred ground in Congress, desecrating areas and doing so waving an American flag," she says. "It was deeply disturbing."
Cattanach says the discussion now has changed focus from legislative issues to how to respond to violence.
"People get angry on both sides, but the better question is 'What is the Republican Party in Texas right now?'" she says. "Is this going to be the Trump Republican Party?"
"It's a sad day that we have a group of people who take it upon themselves to try to storm the Capitol of the United States," Anderson says. "It's indefensible, disgusting, unacceptable. Pick your word, but without equivocation, I can say those individuals don't represent the Republican Party."
In addition to the legislative session beginning next week, local elections are scheduled May 1.
