Harris County Democrats have accused the Harris County Republican Party of creating chaos in local elections by opting out of running primaries jointly with the opposition party under state law, a choice afforded to them under state laws. The split primary election structure was enacted this year and has been met with complaints from both parties about potential problems anticipated by the structure. Harris County Democrats claim that the split primary can cost millions in additional taxpayer dollars that could be used for critical public safety and flood mitigation. The Republican Party insists it is not a ploy by the Republicans to take over local elections. The county's Democratic Party Executive Director, Mike Doyle, and Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia have voiced opposition to the split primaries and warned of potential disruptions and disruptions on Election Day and predicted that Texas Republicans are planning to take control of Harris County elections.