The Legislature “can and will” take steps to limit who can vote in which primary, Secretary of State Robert Howden said in a Monday court filing. Robert Howden, the new Texas secretary of state, said in a legal filing Monday that he would continue to defend the state’s open primary system, putting him at odds with the Texas GOP in the lawsuit filed by the party last year. Last year, the Texas GOP sued to strike down the current open primary system, under which eligible Texans register to vote without declaring a party affiliation. At the Texas Republican Convention in June, Gov. The Texas GOP did not respond to a request for comment.