By LYNETTE SOWELL-STEVENS
The Gatesville Messenger
The Coryell County Republican Party held its annual Fish Fry on Saturday, at the Texas Station Event Center, and heard from Texas State Senator Pete Flores as well as D’Rinda Randall, chair of the Texas Republican Party.
Pete Flores is Senator for the 25th District of Texas, which encompasses 14 counties and a population of roughly one million.
Flores’ main message was for local Republicans to vote in the November election, even though it is but a midterm election.
He spoke out against James Talarico, who is running against Republican Ken Paxton for a United States Senate seat. Flores warned against thinking that just because a county is “red,” its voters don’t need to show up to vote.
“We are a constitutional republic where the individual has more rights than the mob, and it was designed that way, and we do that by checks and balances, and by being vigilant and being involved,” said Sen. Flores, who said he has never missed a vote since being in office.
“I’m your voice in the constitutional republic where you elect representatives in the various levels of government to be the voice, and I take it seriously. I want to earn every penny of that $600 a month that I make doing this, but it’s important that we leave here tonight and that you communicate to everyone in your circle that they must show up because the enemy will, and they are depending on us not showing up in a midterm election, because we said ‘Coryell County’s red. Don’t worry about it,’ but it’s rural Texas that keeps us red, because we need to show up.”
Flores also asked that people bring more young folks and get them involved in the Republican Party of Texas at the local level, at the state level, at the national level. Flores also brought with him a donation of $500 to the County GOP.
D’Rinda Randall has been chair of the Texas Republican Party since June, having served as vice chair prior to her election. She talked about what she has been doing during her first 100 days in the position.
Through fundraising efforts, Randall has raised $750,000 in two and a half months, which includes $400,000 generated from the midterm convention recently held in Dallas.
She talked about the Grassroots Club, which encourages a $15 monthly contribution from constituents to reduce reliance on corporate funding.
Randall emphasized relationship-building and training across all levels of the party, from precinct chairs in counties, all the way to the State Republican Executive Committee SREC). She also talked about a statewide block walking campaign, which has already covered 140,000 doors. The State GOP’s website is also being revamped, to include a chair portal for county deadlines and training. She also mentioned a weekly podcast to feature candidates, particularly candidates in opposed races, including judicial candidates, to encourage down-ballot voting.
“When it comes to our local elections, they are the most important,” she said. “We all have Trump in common, we all can talk about him. Then it filters down to governor, and you may have friends that are in other states, and they can’t really relate with who our governor is.
“Then it comes down to our senators and our state reps, but not all of us in this room have the same city council members or the same mayors. So the shine is off the penny by talking about those positions, but those are the ones that touch our door. Those are the ones that are the most important, and so that’s one of my biggest focuses after this election is making sure that we start really looking at how to get really good people to run for local elections.”
Randall likewise advocating for churches having voter registration events.
“If the Christians come out and vote, we win. I have to tell you guys something at the mosques, they gave their playbook. They have said that they want 3 million people registered to vote across the country. They are registering, according to Houston Chronicle just yesterday, 1,000 a week,” Randall said.
“If your church is not involved in doing it, they go, ‘Well, I don’t want to have any problems with the IRS…No, the Supreme Court ruled that they have ability to do that.
“They can’t endorse from the pulpit. They can talk politics. Because if you don’t talk politics, the mosques are, and if the mosques are, you can do it as well, and you are legally protected to do so.”
She encouraged those present to speak to their pastors and ease any concerns.
“A whole bunch of us are going to go talk to our pastors tomorrow and probably try to ease his fears on that because it does matter. Christians matter, and they’ve got to stand up.”
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