Dallas County GOP Chairwoman Missy Shorey Dies at 47

Missy Shorey, the combative head of the Dallas County Republican Party, died Tuesday night at age 47, her husband said Wednesday morning.

"Friends and family," Marc Himelhoch said in a Facebook post. "It is with heavy heart that I must inform you that my beloved Missy Shorey passed unexpectedly last night to be with the Angels in Heaven. Words can not express how much she meant to me and so many of you. There will be two memorial services. One in Burnt Hills, NY on Wednesday May 1st and another in Dallas at a date TBD. More details to follow."

Shorey became the Dallas County Republican Party's first female chair in November 2017, when she replaced Phillip Huffines. During her time at the top of the county party, she spearheaded an unsuccessful lawsuit to have dozens of Dallas County Democrats bumped off the November 2018 ballot for procedural errors and did her best to put a happy face on her party's seemingly doomed electoral chances ahead of the midterm election.

U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden, one of Dallas' few elected GOP officials, praised Shorey for her work for the party.

"I am greatly saddened by the sudden passing of my friend Missy Shorey," Gooden said in a statement. "Missy was a tireless fighter for the Dallas County Republican Party and no one worked harder to help elect Republicans to local office in Dallas County and beyond. She was a prominent and distinguished voice for activists, voters and the citizens of Dallas County. Her loss will be felt by all."

Before her work with Dallas County Republicans, Shorey, who also ran her own public relations firm and multiple political campaigns, served as executive director of Maggie's List, a political action committee that supports conservative women seeking elected office.