AUSTIN, Texas — Last month, the Texas Republican Party picked a new leader. Allen West unseated James Dickey for the state party chairmanship.

West takes the reins of the party with fewer than three months to go until Election Day. He’s been in Texas six years and is a one-term former member of Congress from Florida. He's been a strong fundraiser and he's also been controversial.

West said in a 2009 interview: "There are three words I hate to hear used. I hate 'big tent.' I hate 'inclusiveness.' And I hate 'outreach.'"

When asked about leading a party and hating inclusiveness and outreach, West told Capital Tonight anchor Karina Kling it’s about engagement.  

“What I believe in is engagement, and that’s something you do continuously,” he said. “So I’m not going to throw out any boiler-plate, poll-tested, trite comments like you just mentioned. I want to talk to people directly.”  

West said the party has work to do to better define itself and to engage communities of color.

“The sad thing is we have not talked to people about those conservative principles and values,” he said. “I think the most important thing is to make sure the party is relevant, make sure we are enabling to define ourselves and not being defined.”

And with Election Day less than three months away, West said he believes there’s a clear choice to make.

“Either you stand for and stand with the rule of law or you stand and support the rule of the mob,” he said.