I will bounce this off my SREC reps this weekend.
I am studying the election code tosee what is up:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/eltoc.html unfortunately, it is pretty clear, so only a constitutional challenge to see could make the rule go through, and the RPT rules say that they should obey the laws ... so ...
§ 172.001. NOMINATING BY PRIMARY ELECTION
REQUIRED. Except as otherwise provided by this code, a political
party's nominees in the general election for offices of state and
county government and the United States Congress must be nominated
by primary election, held as provided by this code, if the party's
nominee for governor in the most recent gubernatorial general
election received 20 percent or more of the total number of votes
received by all candidates for governor in the election.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.