Texas Republicans confab hints at how GOP breakup with corporate America could play out

• The Republican Party of Texas' convention has long featured lucrative corporate sponsorships by Fortune 500 companies.
• But this year, the names of its biggest past sponsors were missing from the banners and agendas.
• The Texas state party is among portions of the larger Republican Party led by former President Donald Trump that's embracing an anti-corporate, anti-elite populist agenda.

Abraham George is about to take the helm of the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) at a time with the influential state-level political organization is casting aside its longstanding alliance with corporate America.

In its place, the RPT is embracing an anti-corporate, anti-elite populist agenda that is on the rise among Republicans across the country in the Trump era.

The annual Texas Republican Convention started Thursday in San Antonio, and culminated with George's election as party chair. The event has long featured lucrative corporate sponsorships by Fortune 500 companies. But this year, the names of its biggest past sponsors were missing from the banners and agendas.

Verizon, Comcast and Union Pacific sponsored the 2020 Texas Republican convention, according to The Texas Tribune. But they are not listed as supporters this year.

Pepsi and Chevron were sponsors of the 2022 Texas Republican convention, but they are not backing this year's event.

Spokespeople for Verizon, Comcast, Pepsi and Chevron did not reply to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Union Pacific said only that the company's "political giving is bipartisan and publicly disclosed in accordance with state and federal laws."

The fight over corporate money also bubbled up in the election that George won on Friday, to lead the state party.

Veteran Republican consultant