Robin Armstrong

In April 2020, Mr. Armstrong garnered controversy by utilizing his personal political connections to conduct a non-clinical study over the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine, a long-used anti-malarial medication recently given Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA for use on COVID-19 patients, but remains politically controversial because of Trump's announced support for its use.

Armstrong became a Christian during his sophomore year at Texas A&M and has traveled on missionary journeys to Africa and Nicaragua. He has worked in inner city and youth ministry at his church, the Abundant Life Christian Center in La Marque, Texas, where he leads a men’s Bible study group.

In March 2015, Armstrong, along with Jared Woodfill of Harris County and Wade Emmert, chairman of Dallas County, was an unsuccessful candidate for state Republican chairman. The 62-member Republican Executive Committee instead chose Tom Mechler of Amarillo to fill the position on the third secret ballot in a special meeting in Austin. The vacancy occurred when Steve Munisteri stepped down to become a consultant to U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Mechler and Cathie Adams had lost the chairmanship race to Munisteri at the 2010 convention in Dallas. In 2017, Mechler resigned as chairman.

Benkiser resigned as chairman on October 5, 2009, to join the reelection campaign of Governor Rick Perry. Under party rules, the chairman must remain neutral in primary election campaigns. Perry faced a challenge from U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican primary held on March 2, 2010. Benkiser was succeeded by Cathie Adams, a conservative activist and Republican national committeewoman from Plano. Adams was elected to fill the position by the Republican State Executive Committee at a special meeting at party headquarters in Austin. She served until the state convention held on June 12, 2010, when she was unseated by Steve Munisteri of Houston.

On June 14, 2008, Armstrong was elected to a second term as vice chairman at the state Republican convention held in Houston. Tina Benkiser, a Houston attorney, was elected to her third full term as state party chairman. Under Texas law, each major party must at all times have a woman as either its chairman or vice chairman. One of the two positions must be held by a man.

Armstrong was born in Texas City and reared in nearby La Marque in Galveston County. He has a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Texas A&M University in College Station and a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He did his residency in internal medicine. He is on the staff of Mainland Medical Center in Texas City. The hospital is located down the street from his boyhood home. He was the 2006 president of the Galveston County Medical Society.

At the 2006 convention, Texas Republicans affirmed their opposition to affirmative action in their state platform and then chose Armstrong, who is African-American, as vice chairman.

He graduated from La Marque High School, at which he was a wide receiver on the Cougars football team that played in the 5A state championship in 1987; he also ran the 800 meters and the two-mile relay in track and field.

Robin Armstrong (born April 22, 1969) is an American politician and physician who served as vice chairman of the Republican Party of Texas from 2006 to 2010. He was elected at the state convention held in San Antonio on June 3, 2006, to succeed the term-limited David Barton from Aledo in Parker County west of Fort Worth. Armstrong defeated Internet grassroots organizer, Bobby Eberle of Pearland near Houston.