Denton County GOP Newsletter (Vol.2 / Issue 2) by Scott Graves

THE Red County

How the GOP Can Re-Take the House DCRP Top volunteers

Texas’

“Most Conservative” senator Jane Nelson Polling sites Change Rising star Richard boyer New Texas GOP leadership

Wow! What an exciting time to be a Republican in Denton County, TX – THE Red County! We started the year off right with 43 candidates filing to run on our ballot in March for 27 different offices, 9 of them contested, including two judicial benches being vacated by retiring judges. And things look pretty rosy for our November ballot with the Democrats being able to muster up only three candidates to run against us locally! Those three are for the JP spots in Denton and Carrollton and the Probate court – we plan to soundly defeat them in each race. However, they also are running candidates against our good conservative U.S. Congressmen, Kenny Marchant in District 24 (southern part of Denton county) and Dr. Michael Burgess in District 26 (central and northern part of Denton county.) We need to be sure that we overwhelmingly re-elect these great congressmen to Washington, D.C. where they continue to stand strong for us against socialized medicine, additional energy taxes, out-of-sight deficits and weakening national security. Your help is always needed – please contact Victory Chairman Tom Washington at (972) 849-6947 or trw56@earthlink.net if you would like to help elect Denton County Republicans. But wait – there’s more! If you would like to be part of the Victory efforts for other races in other places, such as Dallas, Waco, and even other states, please contact me directly at dianne@gopgal.com. We can use both people who can actually go to other locations as well as those who can phone to get out the vote from their own cell or land lines at home. Put Victory Team in the subject line and we will be back in touch at the appropriate time. Continuing our momentum, right after the filing period was over, we got the prize political event for Texas: the first gubernatorial debate held right here in Denton County! (See full story elsewhere in this magazine.) Now we are approaching our Feb. 27 Lincoln-Reagan Dinner and once again, chairman Nancy Dillard hit a homerun with our speaker: FOX news commentator and political strategist extraordinaire Dick Morris! (Tickets available from our website: www.dentongop.org.) Yes, no doubt about it – it’s an extraordinary time to be a Denton County Republican – aren’t you glad you are one??!!

Dianne Edmondson DCRP County Chair

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1400 N. Corinth St. – Ste. 106 Corinth, TX 76210 940/321-2671 www.dentongop.org Chairman – DIANNE EDMONDSON 1st Vice Chair (Political Aﬀairs) – TOM WASHINGTON 2nd Vice Chair (Finance) – BILL LAWRENCE 3rd Vice Chair (Prct. Chair Development) – TIM MANGRUM 4th Vice Chair (Outreach) – CARLOS GALLARDO Treasurer – BOB McCOMBS Recording Secretary – MARC MOFFITT Corresponding Secretary – CAMILLE JOHNSON Parliamentarian – MARGARET BARNES Sgt. At Arms – LIBBY GOINS Technology Chair – CHRIS STOERMER Program Chair – AVIE RABURN Prct. Chair Selection Chair – BARBARA RUSSELL Executive Director – MARK YARBROUGH Headquarters Administrator – MARCENE SEEBER

Scott W. Graves Publisher Dianne Edmondson Editor-in-chief

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Rudy Cajka Dianne Edmondson Jennifer Harris Mark Yarbrough ART/PRODUCTION

Frank Chlarson

Departments

(Issue 6)

2 4 6 7

EDITOR’S NOTE TOP DCRP VOLUNTEERS HONORED ELECTION DAY POLLING SITES CHANGED DCRP BUDGET AND FINANCE PLAN

SREC DISTRICT 9

M ARK YARBROUGH

by Bill Lawrence

Jane Burch and Tim Hoy DCRP’s New Executive Director

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A ROUND DENTON COUNTY IN PHOTOS R ISING STAR R ICHARD BOYER

NEW DENTON COUNTY R EPUBLICAN CLUBS

The Colony City Councilman by Jennifer Harris

Creative Director

by Rudy Cajka

CoV e r S to rY

16 JANE NELSON

Most Conservative State Senator

CAN THE R EPUBLICANS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE OF R EPRESENTATIVES IN 2010 by Rudy Cajka

HOW CAN I BECOME A STATE CONVENTION DELEGATE IN 2010 by Rudy Cajka

CHANGES IN TEXAS R EPUBLICAN STATE LEADERSHIP by Rudy Cajka

HISTORIC GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE DENTON COUNTY

by Dianne Edmondson

DENTON COUNTY DENTON COUNTY REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS 1400 N. Corinth St., Ste #106 Corinth, Texas 76208 940-321-2671 phone 940-497-0356 fax par tyadmin@dentongop.org

On The Cover

texas State Senator Jane nelson d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

TOP DCRP

VOLUNTEERS O R N E O D H

Republican volunteers from Denton took center stage recently as the Denton County Republican Party honored its activists from around the county. Jack Faegre, Rudy Cajka, Judge Margaret Barnes and Deon Starnes, all of Denton, took the top honors at the Denton County Republican Partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Volunteer Dinner.

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Faegre, precinct chair in Denton’s Robson Ranch, received the coveted Precinct Chair of the Year Award, which was originated in 1998 to recognize the Denton County Republican Precinct Jack Faegre, precinct Chair who has fulfilled his/her Chair of the Year Award winner responsibilities in an exemplary with Sen. nelson. manner. In presenting the award to Faegre, Barbara Russell, who won the award last year, praised his personal contact with his constituents, his outstanding handling of county-wide campaign sign placement and his assistance to several GOP candidates. She also remarked that the Candidate Forum sponsored each election cycle by the Robson Ranch Republican Club is always the best-attended of any similar forums within the county. The prestigious Chairman’s Award went to Rudy Cajka, Robson Ranch Republican Club president and Assistant Precinct Chair for that precinct. Cajka has helped build the Denton County Republican Party in many ways, according rudy Cajka receiving Chairman’s Award to Chairman Dianne Edmondson, from Cdrp Chairman who presented the award. He is dianne edmondson a frequent writer for the DCRP’s online magazine, serves on the state board for the Texas Republican Assembly as well as the Denton County Early Ballot Board chair. The DCRP’s highest award, that of Outstanding Volunteer, was presented by Sherri Adelstein, chair of the committee which selected the honoree. The award Judge Margaret Barnes went to Judge Margaret Barnes (l), dCrp outstanding of Denton, in recognition of her Volunteer for 2009 with Sen. nelson and years of unselfish volunteerism at Committee Chair many events in numerous ways. Sherri Adelstein Judge Barnes is a quiet, behindthe-scenes person whose efforts greatly benefit the Party, according to Adelstein. Deon Starnes was recognized by the State Republican Executive Committee as the Outstanding Volunteer for Senate District 30, which encompasses some 18 counties in North Texas and is represented by Sen. Craig Estes. SREC deon Starnes is congratulated by gov. member Tom Quinones presented perry as outstanding the award to Starnes, whose many Volunteer for Sd 30 volunteers activities include Presi-

dent of the Denton Republican Women’s club, Denton area Victory Chairman, Precinct Chairman and years of speaking to area highs chool government classes about the Constitution and conservative government principles. Bill Lawrence, former mayor of Highland Village, also was honored by the SREC as Outstanding Volunteer for Senate District 12, represented by Sen. Jane Nelson, which includes most of Denton County and part of Tarrant CounBill Lawrence is congratulated by gov. ty. SREC member Jean McIver perry for being Sd 12 praised Lawrence for his countoutstanding Volunteer. less hours of service to the GOP including Vice Chairman of Finance and Long Range Planning for the DCRP and a former precinct chair and Victory Area Leader. Outstanding GOP club members also were recognized during the evening. Each club recognized its Outstanding Member. Those honorees included: Lee Ann Breading (Denton Republican Women’s Club);Teresa Stienstraw (Denton County Republican Assembly); Tim Mangrum (Conservative Toastmasters Club); Clive Buchanan (Denton County Republican Business Networking); Kathleen Wazny (Robson Ranch Republican Club); Maria Gorena (Denton Republican Club); Mike Murphy (Frisco Republican Men’s Club); Vicki Flewelling (Frisco Area Republican Women’s Club); Labib Batista (Conservative Toastmasters club); John Dillard (Legacy Republican Club); Avie Raburn (Lewisville Republican Club); and Lynn Yeargain (Pachyderm Club). Additionally, dozens of other volunteers from across the county were honored, including the Headquarters and Technology committee volunteers. The event, which was M.C.’d by Senator Jane Nelson and chaired by Kathy Carrington and Avie Raburn, featured live music by the Antiques, and special entertainment by Judge Joe Holland, Commissioners Andy Eads and Ron Marchant, Judge L. Dee Shipman, and Precinct Chair Karen Pausman and her husband, Jack. Lots of door prizes were given away and special recognition was given to all veterans attending. Nearly 200 people from across north Texas attended the event, according to Chairman Edmondson, which was very successful in achieving its dual goals of honoring the Party’s dedicated activists and giving all who attended a truly delightful evening. e

d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

OW WHERE TO V N K U OT YO

MANY ELECTION DAY POLLING SITES HAVE CHANGED Denton County Republican voters need to be sure they know where to vote in the March 2 Primary Election, according to Avie Raburn and Sharon Vaughan, Primary administrators for the DCRP. Due to various reasons, many polling sites have been changed, including some that had been used for a number of years. The number of voting sites has been increased in order to accommodate a growing number of voters, and some precincts have been re-assigned to relieve congestion at a number of locations. So no one should assume that he/she will vote at the same location as the 2008 Primary, the Administrators caution. Voters will need to check on our website (www.dentongop.org) to determine where they need to vote on Election Day. The website also provides a link for voters to look up their precinct number in order to find which polling 6

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site is their assigned location. Early voting, which runs from Feb. 16 through the 26, is a good alternative, since voters can go to any polling site in the county during that period. Those locations are also shown on the DCRP website. City and school district elections often are held at different locations than the partisan elections, according to DCRP Chairman Dianne Edmondson, who notes that even the General Election has many different voting sites for precincts than the Primary does. “But there is really no way always to have the same voting location for each of those elections, due to the jurisdictions involved and the number of voters expected,” she explains. “We know it’s frustrating for the voters to have to go on a ‘scavenger hunt’ for their polling sites,” Chairman Edmondson says, “so we are trying every way we can to get the word out to check your precinct’s site before you head out to vote on Election Day!” e

DCRP

Budget and Finance Plan by bILL laWRENCE, 2Nd vICE CHaIR – fINaNCE aNd lONG RaNGE PLaNNING

Most people don’t realiZe it, but the Denton County Republican Party is a “stand alone” entity when it comes to financing our operations. Your support is vitally important because we do not receive financial support from the State or National GOP. Denton County is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States and as we continue to grow, we will have to work harder and harder to retain Republican Party dominance. The DCRP Annual Budget is probably the most important document produced by the Party, as it communicates the financial plan for the upcoming year’s revenues and expenditures necessary for county-wide Party operations. It also reflects the priorities of the Party as stated in goals and objectives established by the DCRP Mission Statement. Your financial support makes it possible for the DCRP to successfully develop a well-funded Victory Plan that helps provide direct campaign, grass roots and other support necessary to help keep Denton County a solid Republicancontrolled stronghold. Revenues come from various sources, but the primary sources for our Party are the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner, representing 41% of revenues; Resource Development Team fundraisers, representing 17%; The Golf Masters Tournament, representing 8% and the Sustaining Supporter Program, representing 7% of revenues. This year’s Lincoln-Reagan dinner will feature an outstanding speaker: DICK MORRIS, political commentator and strategist will be featured at the Feb. 27th event. To order tickets or sponsor a table of ten, go to our website www.dentongop.org which has full information on this exciting evening. We sincerely thank you for your existing and, hopefully, increased support of our DCRP budget through your financial and related contributions. At a minimum, if you are not yet signed up, please consider becoming a Sustaining Supporter Program member at any monthly recurring level that you can afford. One-time donations are also much appreciated. The stakes have never been higher and every dollar counts. We ask your continued support to assure that

our party will have all the financial resources needed to give Republican candidates a winning edge in the general elections. To donate as a Sustaining Supporter or give a one-time contribution, please go to our website: www.dentongop.org and clik on the DONATE button. Thanks in advance for your help! e

D E N TO N C O U N T Y R E P U B L I C A N P A RT Y

Save the Date!

Saturday, February 27th 2010 DFW Hyatt Regency DFW Airport

For Further Information…Contact: Nancy Dillard (972) 625-1240 npdillard@sbcglobal.net d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

SReC

S TAT E R E P U B L I C A N E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E JANe BURCH

Senate District 9 StateRepublican Executive Committeewoman First elected in 2004 for the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) to represent Senate District 9, Jane will be running for re-election for her last term in 2010 at the Republican State Convention in Dallas. Senate District 9 encompasses parts of Denton, Tarrant, and Dallas counties. During her time as the State Republican Executive committeewoman for Senate District 9 her appointments have been to the Coalitions and Auxiliaries Committee and Site Selection Committee. The Coalitions and Auxiliaries Committee oversees the following auxiliaries: Texas Federation of College Republicans, Texas Federation for Republican Outreach, Texas Federation of Republican Women, Texas Republican Assembly, Texas Republican County Chairman’s Association, and the Texas Young Republican Federation. Recently added was the Latino National Republican Coalition, and the Chairman of the Republican Party appointed me as their liaison. As a committee member in the Site Selection Committee, Jane interviewed the Convention Bureaus throughout Texas and organized the on-site visits with those who met our criteria. She and fellow committee members performed due diligence for the Republican Party at the on-site inspections and Jane was instrumental in obtaining the 2012 and 2014 Republican State Conventions for Fort Worth, which will have a major impact on Tarrant and surrounding counties. Members of the SREC develop working relationships with the other SREC members to help the Republican Party make Texas a better place to live and to promote our conservative values. This builds a lifetime bond with the leaders throughout the state of Texas. Jane is married to fellow Republican activist, Bill Burch, who is a candidate for Texas HD93 and Chairman of GRIT (Grassroots Institute of Texas). She is also the proud mother of three children and has three granddaughters. “Coming from a family who has served our country for generations, and being a proud Texan and American, it is my honor to serve Senate District 9 and Texas in any way I can,” she says. 8

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TIM HOY

Senate District 9 State Republican Executive Committeeman Republican politics is a passion for Tim Hoy who serves as State Republican Executive Committeeman for Senate District 9. That district, which is represented by Senator Chris Harris, includes the southern part of Denton county and portions of Dallas and Tarrant counties. Tim was elected to the SREC in 2002, and is serving his final term, being term limited at the 2010 Republican State Convention in Dallas. A true activist in the Denton County Republican Party, Tim has been a Precinct Chair of Denton County Precinct 210 in Carrollton since its creation in 1990 and has been honored as Precinct Chair of the Year for his efforts in that precinct. He also was chosen as the Outstanding Volunteer of the DCRP in 1998. Jane Burch Several years ago, Tim authored the redistricting map that resulted in Denton County Republicans holding their first majority in the Justice of the Peace and Constable offices. Today, Denton county Republicans serve in all 12 of those positions as well as in every partisan elected office in the county. “I started my Republican volunteer efforts as a College Republican at the University of Dayton in Ohio in 1980,” Tim recalls, adding that he graduated there 1983. A native New Yorker, Tim is a “Texan by Choice” tim Hoy and notes that he will celebrate his silver anniversary as a Texan in May, 2010. He is employed at the Denton County Sheriff ’s Department. As a true conservative Republican, Tim says that he favors a free market - low tax - smaller government system which leads to more prosperity and more jobs. We thank Tim for his years of loyal service to the GOP. e

paid political ad Judge Joe Bridges campaign

Meet DCRP’s New Executive Director

MARK YARBROUGH

If you have called or dropped into Denton County actively volunteers as an Ambassador for the North Texas Republican Headquarters lately, you probably have noticed Food Bank and for many Food Pantries and Clothes Closets a new voice and a new face assisting you. in the metroplex. Currently, he is serving as Chairman of the Special Events Committee of the A.W. Perry Mark Yarbrough is the DCRP’s new Museum Society in Carrollton, and will be Executive Director, coming aboard officially serving on the Special Events Committee in December, 2009 when Roy Magno, with Denton County Communities in our previous ED, joined a Dallas political Schools in 2010. Mark has been an active consulting firm in mid-January. His genial member of First Baptist Church Carrollton manner and friendly smile have all ready since 1985, and presently serves in various made many friends among the Party faithful. volunteer capacities within missions and That cheery attitude has endured even under children’s education. He volunteered recently the very busy and hectic conditions in which both at the DCRP fall golf tournament and Mark found himself almost immediately upon the Volunteer Recognition Dinner. his employment: handling the hundreds of Mark Yarbrough ticket request for the first gubernatorial debate Mark was born in Memphis, TN, moving on January 14 which was held in Denton at with his family to Overland Park, KS, and the Murchison Performing Arts Center on the campus of the finally to Carrollton, TX (Denton County) in 1979 with University of North Texas. “At one point, we had only about his parents, older sister and younger brother. He attended 10 tickets and more than 500 requests,” Mark remembers, Newman Smith High School, Brookhaven Community “and we were really scurrying, trying to obtain more tickets College, and Dallas Baptist University. Mark’s wide array to accommodate as many people as possible.” of business experience throughout his career includes banker, multiple-franchise owner, marketing director, Eventually, the Perry and Hutchison campaigns each regional manager and business manager for a wide variety provided another 20 tickets, with requests climbing to of companies. more than 700 from all across the metroplex and even as far south as Waco and Houston! “Finally KERA (the television Mark, his wife, Heather, and their daughter, Ava, station which produced and broadcast the debate) sent us currently reside in Plano and expect to relocate back into about 200 more tickets mid-afternoon on Wednesday, Denton County soon. e the day before the debate,” he recalls, describing how he, Chairman Dianne Edmondson and event co-chair Marc Moffitt worked late into the night trying to contact people to claim those tickets while contending with major computer and printer issues. “Mark really got a ‘trial by fire’ with this event,” Chairman Edmondson believes. “If he could get through that without losing his cool or his mind – and he did! – then I think he can handle just about anything that will come his way for the DCRP.” Referred to DCRP by long-time activist Kathy Carrington, Mark began serving his community by volunteering for fundraisers with the Downtown Carrollton Association, City of Carrollton Parks & Recreation, and through mentoring programs within the schools, just to name a few. Mark is passionate about the needs of the community and d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

Around Denton County Adryana and edna campaign with local Hispanic republicans to help carry the election for the gop.

denton countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adryana Boyne (l) and edna Mcdaniel went to Virginia and helped in the wining campaign of gov. Bob Mcdonnell.

edna and Adryana also helped with Lt. gov. Bill Bowlings re-election campaign.

precinct Chair Barbara russell (r) is honored with the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award by Myra oliver of the denton-wise County Association of reALtorS. good republicans make good reALtorS!

An Experienced, Proven Leader Dedicated to Justice.

Conservative Republican

www.PaulJohnsonDA.com

Pol. Ad Paid by Paul Johnson Criminal District Attorney Campaign. P.O. Box 1091, Lewisville, TX 75067.

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Judges Joe Bridges, david garcia and Margaret Barnes enjoy the food and fellowship at dCrp ‘Filing day.’ prospective candidates await their turn to file at the dCrp HQ on the last day of filing.

‘Filing day’ at the dCrp Headquarters is always a festive time! rand Brown, (l) former HQ Admin. Asst., was honored at the Filing day festitvies as he prepares to join the Marines. Among the well-wishers were (l-r) district Clerk Sherri Adelstein, Chairman dianne edmondson, and george Mitcham, judicial candidate.

Commissioners Bobbie Mitchell (r) and Andy eads join Andy’s family at ‘Filing day.’ Andy’s mom, Mrs. Cokie eads, is holding granddaughter Caroline, while Andy’s Admin Asst. Lori walker (dark hair) and wife ginger help both Commissioners celebrate that they running unopposed for the March 2 election.

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Rising Stars of the Denton County Republican Party:

The Colony City Councilman,

Richard Boyer by JENNIFER HaRRIS

Note to our Readers: This is the second in a series that will be dedicated to the rising stars of the Denton County Republican Party, highlighting our young, talented Republicans. This solid “ farm team” of young talent now or someday will occupy positions of leadership within our communities, state and even national governments. One such rising star is The Colony City Councilman, RICHARD BOYER. DCRP Rising Star and native Texan Richard Boyer was born in Dallas. He received a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Bellevue University of Nebraska and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Political Science from Stephen F. Austin State University. He now sits on the Board of Regents for his Alma Mater in Nacogdoches Soon after his graduation from SFA in 1992, Richard richard Boyer met his wife, May, while she was a student at TCU in Fort Worth. They were married in 1995 and are the proud parents of three children; two sons, Gannon and Grant, ages ten and six, and one-year-old daughter, Keaton. When asked how he first became interested in the political realm, Richard smiles and remembers his high school days, “I was a senior and had a pretty good idea where I stood politically. We didn’t have talk radio or conservative blogs, so at that time, my primary sources of knowledge on government were family, friends, and what I remembered from the old “Schoolhouse Rock” cartoons. To this day that’s how I remember the preamble to the U.S. Constitution! So as a 17 year old, I took Mr. Cheshier’s Government class and it was absolutely the most fascinating course I had taken. I excelled in learning about the workings of our federal and state governments and was awarded one of the rare academic achievement awards in my high school career,” he recalls. 12

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Settling his family in The Colony in 1996, he began to devote his time and energy to local public service and politics. Elected as a Republican Precinct Chairman in 2002 (a post he holds still), Richard’s service to the Denton County Republican Party has encompassed a wide array of positions, including Delegate to State Conventions, Chairman of the Rules Committee for Senatorial District 12 2008 Convention, DCRP Victory 72-Hour Campaign Chairman, Vice Chairman of Pct. Chair Development, and Gubernatorial Appointments Liaison. For his exemplary service, Denton County GOP Chairman Dianne Edmondson presented him with the 2008 Chairman’s Award. “Richard is very dependable and goal-oriented,” Chairman Edmondson states. “He has a high level of integrity. If he tells you he is going do something, you can completely depend on it being done properly and on time.” In 2002, Richard ran for City Council and lost by just 23 votes. Losing by such a small margin might discourage some, but not Richard. “Deciding to run for public office requires a great deal of soul searching as well as support / permission from your spouse,” Richard says. “I feel the Boyer Family crucial factor in whether or not to file is that you really have to believe you can be the best leader for that office and you are the right person at the right time to serve in the proper manner those you would represent. It cannot be about running against an individual and has to be about what you are for and what you will bring to that office.” Richard weighed these factors carefully when choosing to run for City Council again in 2009. He decided to file for an “At Large” seat, challenging an incumbent who had

won the seat by an overwhelming percentage. Richard began work early in the campaign season and assembled a dedicated team of supporters who kept him “motivated and working very hard right through to Election Day.” With a third candidate in the race, nearly everyone expected a runoff. But Richard kept up the pace, and when the May 9, 2009 election results came in, he had won with 54 percent of the vote, defeating both the incumbent and third candidate without a runoff for the first time in the city’s history. What he will always remember from that campaign? “The time my two sons spent with me.” Richard says, “Every time I went to knock on doors or to put out yard signs, I had one or both of my boys with me. Running for office takes an enormous amount of time if you are doing it right, and the ability to include my boys made it a lot more rewarding.” When asked to name two of the most important things he wants to accomplish during his service as a public official, Richard says, “First and foremost, I am committed to being a diligent and trustworthy steward of the taxpayer’s money. I simply think that government takes on too much responsibility that should be left to the private sector or individuals and grows too much, too fast. I will cut taxes where possible while maintaining a focus on what should be the primary role of government, which is public safety. Second, I live in a fast growing area of SE Denton County. It is a fantastic place to live, raise a family and do business. I want to enhance and build upon the progress in this area and highlight the advantages of this region to prospective businesses and those looking to locate to this area.”

Professionally, Richard is the Corporate Compliance Officer for Pinnacle Partners In Medicine, which is the largest group medical practice of anesthesiologists in the nation. He has over 17 years of healthcare experience and is responsible for ensuring and maintaining organizational compliance with state, federal and related rules/regulations associated with billing, pricing, information privacy and security, charity and provider contracting transactions. Holding two noted industry certifications, Richard has established himself as an expert in the healthcare compliance industry. He was among the first in the nation to receive the CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional) designation and has authored several articles for healthcare IT publications, besides speaking at several national healthcare conferences on the topic of information privacy and security compliance. In 2009, he earned the CHC designation as being certified in healthcare compliance. Richard Boyer understands the times in which we live and he believes with all his heart in the principles that made our nation great. He urges voters to remember freedom is too important for them to remain on the sidelines. As he passionately states, “Conservatism is under attack and if we fail to unite against the Democrats, it will lead to their continued unwanted invasion of our rights. Get involved. Do something to help Republicans win in 2010 and do it now.” e

Boyer taking the oath d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

New Denton County Republican Clubs by Rudy Cajka

Republican enthusiasm continued into 2009 after Denton County Republicans won every elected office in the 2008 General Election. This enthusiasm was reflected in the creation of a number of new Denton County Republican Clubs, two of which are featured in this article. The Business Network of the GOP

The Business Network of the GOP is a new club formed early in 2009 by Roy Magno, the former Executive Director of the Denton County Republican Party (DCRP). The acronym GOP stands for the Grand Old Party, the Republican Party, and the Growth Opportunity Potential that exists when conservative Republicans get together to network and to provide business opportunities for and with each other. The GOP Club exists to help Republican Business People earn more money, help the community, get real conservatives in office and get conservative legislation passed. “When all things are equal, most people want to do business with people who have similar values,” declares President Clive Buchanan. “We help conservatives find conservatives to patronize. We are a new club and soon will be a good reference source for people who want to do business with Republicans.” An objective of the Club is to encourage their members to succeed in their goals by providing them both business and political information. This is accomplished through bi-monthly meetings featuring both political and business speakers, as well as the opportunity for the members to socialize and network at each meeting. Meetings are on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month except when the meeting would conflict with a major holiday or major political event. Membership in the Club comes from activity and the rule of 5. To become a member, attendees must: • Attend 5 meetings every 12 months. • Have 5 one-on-one meetings with other attendees, two of which must be with a board member. • Give 5 qualified leads to other attendees. • Bring 5 or more guests. Attendees can also become a member by donating $500.00 or more every Calendar year. Meeting information for the Business Network of the GOP: Place: Texas Land and Cattle, Hickory Creek, Texas 14

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Time and Date: Registration and food order 12:30PM. Program starts at 1:00 PM ends between 2:00 and 2:30 PM (Depending upon the speaker) Cost: $20.00 (Meal included) If a member brings a guest, the guest fee is $15. The Club President is Clive Buchanan. 940-479-2922 or clive@ask4clive.com

The Little Elm Area Republican Network The Little Elm Area Republican Network (LEARN) was organized in November, 2009 in the rapidly-growing eastern section of Denton County. The name was chosen to represent the objective of the organization, which is all about LEARNing. The purpose of the organization is to provide the opportunity for its members to be educated and informed on candidates, issues, and other information that will help make an informed voting decision. This club sponsored a Candidate Forum prior to the Primary Election to inform its members as well as area Republicans about those running in contested races. LEARN is open to both men and women. The Membership requirements of LEARN are: • Member must be a registered voter. • Membership dues are $25.00 per year. • Meetings take place on the 2nd Thurs every month. • Place: Living Word Baptist Church, FM720, Little Elm. • Club Officers: - Terri Lowery, President - Karen Johnson, Vice President - Becky Horn, Secretary - Rebecca Johnson, Treasurer For additional information, please call Terri @ 214-6830298 or terrirn@grandecom.net. e

DENTON COUNTY R EPUBLICAN CLUBS CONTACT INFOR MATION CLUB

PRESIDENT

E-MAIL

PHONE

MEETING DAY & TIME

Castle Hills Conservative Coalition

Jim Beveridge

jlandrethbeveridge@yahoo.com

214-455-0634

2nd Tuesday @ 7pm Castle Hills Community Center, 2501 Queen Margaret Dr Lewisville

Conservative Toastmasters

Labib Basta

lebbo@miaincusa.com

214-499-8982

Every Monday @ 7pm-8:15pm Denton Surgical Group, 3321 Colorado Blvd. Denton

Denton County Republican Assembly

Greg Hayden

gmhayden@verizon.net

214-288-6626

1st Tuesday @ 6:30pm Lewisville Chamber, 551 N. Valley Pkwy.

Denton County Republican Business Networking

Clive Buchanan

clive@cjbuchanan.com

972-459-5917

2nd & 4th Friday @ 1pm Texas Land & Cattle 8398 S. Stemmons, Hickory Creek

Denton County Republican Club

Jim Crouch

jcrouch659@yahoo.com

972-436-4216

1st Thursday @ 7pm, Lewisville Chamber, 551 N. Valley Pkwy.

Denton Republican Women’s Club

Lee Ann Breading

leeannbreadinglaw@verizon.net

214-202-2705

3rd Wednesday of each month 11:30 a.m. for Lunch, 12:00 for Program Miguelito’s Restaurant corner of Bell & McKinney

Frisco Area Republican Women’s Club

Sandy Simpson

sandsimp@swbell.net

972-335-1829

2nd Tuesday - 11:30am Stonebriar Country Club, Clarendon Rm. 5050 Country Club Drive, Frisco

Frisco Republican Men’s Club

ed Tamm Bob Chambers

edtamm@hotmail.com rcctx@sbcglobal.net

972-668-1619

1st Thursday 6:30pm Texas Land & Cattle Preston & Gaylord - Frisco

Legacy Republican Club

Carlos Gallardo

carlos-gallardo@att.net

972-668-1527

1st Tuesday 7:00pm Chamber of Commerce, 6900 N. Main St. The Colony

Lewisville Area Republican Club

Becky Kerbow

beckykerbow@verizon.net

214.926.7449

4th Friday of the month @ 11:30am Casa G’s, 1301 Justin Rd. (FM 407), Lewisville

Little Elm Area Republican Network

Terri Lowery

terrirn@grandecom.net

214-683-0298

2nd Thursday of the month @ 6:30pm Living Word Baptist Church 2315 W FM 720, Little Elm

NT College Republicans Club

Trayton Oakes

traytondoakes@gmail.com

940-395-8314

Every Tuesday 5:00-6:00pm in Room 413, UNT Student Union

North Denton County Republican Club

Roy Magno

roy@roymagno.com

940-783-7339

TBD

Pachyderm Club of Denton County

Richard Hayes

rhayes@hbwvlaw.com

940-387-3518

1st Wednesday of the month 11:30am Texas Land and Cattle Company Hickory Creek

Robson Ranch Republican Club

Kathleen wazny

randkwazny@hotmail.com

940-262-3207

1st Thursday of each month, 7:00p.m Robson Ranch Club House

Town of Flower Mound Republicans

Renee Stoltenberg

mutterbear@verizon.net

972-539-1285

2nd Tuesday of month 6:00pm dinner 7:00pm meeting at Bari’s 3472 Long Prairie Rd, Flower Mound

940-321-2672

3rd Thursday of each month 6:00pm Reception 7:00pm Meeting 2nd Community Room Lewisville Medical Center

Denton County Republican Party

Dianne edmondson CountyChairman@dentongop.org

Rev. 1/19/10 kec. d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

D E N TO N C O U N T Y C OV E R S TO RY

At a time when some elected officials are straying from their core principles, one lawmaker from Denton County has shown she is not afraid to take on the establishment.

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most state senator: Sen. nelson speaks to the media.

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Known around the Texas Capitol for her hard work and knowledge of state government, Texas State Senator Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, has been ranked as the upper chamber’s most conservative member more times than any of her peers. She is not afraid to be a lonely voice for conservative causes, even if it means taking on members of her own party. She was the first legislator to speak out against a gubernatorial mandate requiring that young girls be vaccinated against HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. Her filibuster threat stopped a major expansion of gambling. She defended the State Board of Education against legislative attacks on its autonomy. And when the Senate Finance Committee voted to accept federal stimulus dollars, Senator Nelson was the lone dissenter in a 13-1 vote. “Jane Nelson was one of the good guys this session,” said Michael Quinn Sullivan, president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, whose organization rated her as the Senate’s most fiscally conservative member in the 2009 session. “If more members voted the way she did, it would have been a much better legislative session.” Because most of Texas’ conservative watchdog groups have ranked Senator Nelson as the Senate’s “most conservative” member (Young Conservatives of Texas, Heritage Alliance, and Empower Texans, to name a few), one would expect her to serve with a target on her back. Not so.

She and her husband, Mike Nelson, own and operate Mayday Manufacturing Inc., an aircraft component manufacturing company in Denton. The couple met while they were both attending college at the University of Texas at Arlington. However, Senator Nelson eventually transferred to then-North Texas State University, where she graduated with a degree in education. She taught the sixth grade in Arlington ISD while her husband finished his engineering degree. “Then the babies started coming,” Senator Nelson said, “and at that point I became a professional mom and volunteer.” While raising her five children in Denton County, Senator Nelson remained active in the community. She founded adult literacy programs. She became a lifetime member of the PTA. And at a time when Democrats controlled state and local government, she started to volunteer for the campaigns of Republicans, including the breakthrough victories of John Tower and Dick Armey. “Back then there were almost no Republicans in Denton County,” Senator Nelson said. “Mike’s parents’ took us to functions and started me volunteering -- we called it ‘lickin’ and stickin’ -- for candidates. They taught me that if you don’t get involved, you have no room to gripe. It was a great training ground.”

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Conservative” Jane Nelson Her work on behalf of abused children, seniors, cancer survivors, domestic abuse victims and people with disabilities has earned her widespread praise from both sides of the aisle. “Child abuse is a real problem, for real children and Senator Nelson is willing to hear the sad and difficult stories of these children and their journey through foster care,” said Sherri Gideon, executive director of Denton County CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. “She is willing to help shape solutions so that our system in Texas can be improved and children can be better served.”

part of Sen. nelson’s family joined her for the opening of the 2009 Legislative Session in Austin: husband Mike and daughters Jennifer (l) and elizabeth with grandsons Andrew and Brendan.

A businesswoman, former teacher, mother of five and grandmother of two, Senator Nelson brings her real-world experience to tackling some of the most pressing problems facing the state. d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

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The late Jim and Marilyn Nelson, Mike’s parents, were Republican Party pioneers in Denton County and were among the earliest volunteers to receive recognition for their efforts. When the State Board of Education became an elected board in 1988, Jane went from being a volunteer to becoming the candidate. She served four years on that board, leaving her mark on the textbook selection process. “I can remember when Senator Nelson uncovered 5,000 errors in our history textbooks. She stacked them up on the steps of the Capitol to make her point. And because of her efforts, Texas reformed the process by which textbooks are adopted in our classrooms today,” said David Barton, former vice chairman of the Texas GOP. Onerous worker’s compensation laws, frustration with the liberal Democrat incumbent who represented her, and her passion for education issues prompted Senator Nelson to run for the State Senate in a district that stretched from Denton County to Stephenville. “They called me the Dairy Queen candidate, because every single day I would load up the kids in our Suburban and hit the Dairy Queens that were the center of all these small towns,” she recalled. “I pulled peanuts with farmers, milked cows, and met with local business owners, and many of them told me that they had never seen an elected official come and talk to them about the issues impacting their families. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

Sen. nelson watches as gov. rick perry signs her medical liability reform bill.

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Sen. nelson with then-governor Bush and then-State rep. Mary denny (l) at a national day of prayer event in Austin.

In a district that leaned to the left, she won that election with more than 60 percent of the vote. Her campaign chairman was, at the time, part owner of the Texas Rangers -- a man named George W. Bush. Little did Senator Nelson know at the time he would become governor and then president. Senator Nelson has continued to help build the Republican Party in Texas. She is an active member of Texas Federation of Republican Women and has served as chairman of two state conventions. As the longest-serving chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Senator Nelson oversees programs impacting millions of Texans around the state.

Sen. nelson’s husband, Mike, escorts her to the ceremony making her “governor for A day” on April 3, 200 .

One of her favorite bills from 2009 prevents school districts from forcing teachers to assign passing grades to students who have not earned them. The new truth-in-grading law is strongly supported by teachers and parents, but a small group of districts has filed a lawsuit to try to overturn the law. “It’s a sad state of affairs when school districts are willing to spend your tax dollars to hire lawyers so that they can force their teachers to commit fraud in their grading,” said Senator Nelson. “These students need to learn personal responsibility and that you have to earn your way in this world.” In preparation for the 2011 session, Senator Nelson will preside over a sweeping review of the state’s top health policy challenges under interim assignments from the lieutenant governor. She also will participate in studies of the state’s fiscal responsibility and government transparency as a member of the Senate committees on Finance and Government Organization. “Because we will be facing enormous funding challenges as we work to meet our needs on education, transportation, and a whole host of other issues, it is vital that we begin our preparations immediately,” stressed Senator Nelson. “Cost containment needs to be a major priority as we examine strategies to meet our health and human services needs.”

“Because of what we do in health and human services, we’re protecting children from abuse and neglect and making sure elderly people are able to remain in their homes,” she said. Her legislative accomplishments are numerous -- including legislation to help small businesses with the cost of health insurance; to assist victims of domestic violence; to protect Texans with disabilities; and to provide peer counseling for veterans returning from active duty. She has won many awards, including Champion for Free Enterprise from the National Federation of Independent Business, CASA Champion for Children, and the National Distinguished Advocacy Award from the American Cancer Society -- given annually to just one state lawmaker from all 50 states. Name: Age: Hometown: Career:

Fun Facts:

Senator Jane Nelson 40 and holding! Flower Mound Businesswoman; former teacher; State Board of Education; Texas State Senate; Chairman, Health and Human Services Committee; Member, Finance Committee, Government Organization Committee, Nominations Committee National Baton Twirling Champion; Delta Zeta Sorority

the texas Motor Speedway is in Sen. nelson’s denton county district and she tells the racers to “Start Your engines!”

The daughter of a World War II veteran, Senator Nelson credits her success to hard work and a supportive spouse and family. Although she will seek re-election this year without a Republican or Democratic opponent, Senator Nelson was victorious in her last re-election bid against multiple candidates, earning the highest winning percentage of any incumbent in the Senate. “Jane Nelson is definitely a superstar at the Capitol,” said Mike Hailey, editor and publisher of Capitol Inside, an online political newsletter. “She’s definitely somebody you want to have on your side in a fight. If you don’t, there’s a good chance you’re going to lose that fight.” e For more information, go to www.janenelson.org.

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Can the

Republicans Take Back the House

2010? of REpresentatives in

by Rudy Cajka The political landscape in the United States on November 4, 2008 changed dramatically as the Democrats swept into power both with the election of Barak Obama as President and large Democrat majorities in the House and Senate. To the liberal media, political pundits, and Democrat operatives, the United States had ushered in a new era of Democratic Party dominance for years to come. The euphoria of the liberal establishment was complete as the American people now appeared to support the Democrat Party and its far left agenda. On Inauguration Day, January 2, 2009, Barak Obama’s popularity stood at its peak. His poll numbers were in the mid 70’s among the general public and in the high 60’s among likely voters. The country’s economy was in a shambles, unemployment was at 7.6 % and growing. Yet Obama and the Democrats were promising to turn this around and lead the nation back to prosperity. All it would take was the magic of Obama, some good liberal legislation from the Congress, and higher taxes on the “rich” and then all would be well with America. Unfortunately for Obama, the Democrat Party and America things did not turn out as the pundits and the liberal media had predicted. At first, things looked promising as the Democrats passed the $787 Billion Stimulus Bill without a single Republican vote. This money was supposed to generate jobs and energize the economy. It did neither.

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As 2009 progressed, the budget deficit projections grew immensely, so that the 2009 budget deficit will be five times the amount of the highest George Bush deficit. Obama and the Democrats then pushed for the global warming Cap and Trade tax bill supposedly designed to reduce carbon emissions and save the world. The House passed the bill by the slim margin of 219-212 after Nancy Pelosi was able to convince enough Blue Dog Democrats to vote for this terrible bill. The year culminated with the mis-named Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962), containing a costly government - run insurance program designed to lead eventually to socialized medicine in America. The bill passed the House by the barest margin of 220-215, with only one Republican supporter. Subsequently, the Senate took up the bill and, after much negotiation, special dealing and outright bribery, all 60 Senate Democrats ultimately voted for Cloture and the health care bill appeared to be on its way to

final passage. Despite substantial public opposition to the Health Care Bill, the Democrats forged ahead in January 2010 with this badly ﬂawed legislation. Also during 2009, Americans started to become disillusioned with the “hope and change” promises of President Obama. By tax time in April there started to develop an outpouring of opposition as the American people began to realize what was happening. Millions of people attended the many Tea Parties to protest the United States drift towards Socialism, protesting the huge increase in the budget deficit and the national debt. As the summer wore on, huge attendance at Congressional Town Halls designed to pacify the public about the Health Care bill backfired on Democrats as massive opposition developed to the evolving health care legislation.

oBAMA’S popULArItY dropS drAMAtICALLY The net of all these Democrat initiatives and the failure of the stimulus to produce a growing economy with real jobs resulted in a huge drop in Obama’s polls. His initial popularity dropped from the mid-70’s to as low as 45% in Rasmussen’s polls and 43% in Zogby’s polls. His poll numbers in Rasmussen’s Presidential Index, which measures the difference between those likely voters1 who Strongly Approve of his performance vs. those voters who Strongly Disapprove, ranged from +24 in January 2009 to a low of -18 by January 2010. That represents an astonishing drop of 42 points in this most important index. rudy Cajka Even more significant than the drop in Obama’s popularity was the drop in Congressional Democrats popularity. Many pollsters have a measure called the Generic Congressional Ballot. The Generic Ballot is a survey that measures the willingness of a voter to vote for their district’s Republican Congressional candidate versus their district’s Democrat candidate. The day after election day in OBAMA POPU L ARIT Y 2008, the Democrats drew 44% of the generic Congressional ballot to the Republicans 37%, for a -7 rating for Republicans. The latest Rasmussen Generic Ballot, which measures only likely voters now shows a complete

Mid 70%

43%

reversal – 45% for Republicans and 36% for Democrats (as of Jan. 10, 2010). This now gives Republicans a +9 rating in Rasmussen’s Generic Congressional Ballot. One of the major non-partisan and highly respected political newsletters, the Cook Political Report, has developed an interesting index for the House and Senate seats in the U.S. Congress. It’s called the Partisan Voting Index and it measures how strongly a political district or state leans toward a specific political party compared to the nation as a whole. Specifically, the PVI is derived by averaging the results from the prior two presidential elections and comparing them to national results. The index is formatted as a letter + number indicating the strength for one party over the other. For example, a House district rated R+2 means that the Republican presidential candidate received 2 percentage points more than the national average (which over two election cycles is 51.3% for Democrats and 48.7% for Republicans).

How tHIS AFFeCtS repUBLICAn rACeS There is a wealth of data in all of these PVI results for each political party. For example, the current House of Representatives has 258 voting Democrats and 177 voting Republicans2 . However, based on the PVI index, there are 234 districts that have a positive Republican index and only 193 districts that have a positive Democrat index. Even removing all of the Republican districts that have an R+1 and R+2 rating to remove the current slightly positive Democrat bias in the national vote, there would still be 225 Republican positive and 202 Democrat positive districts. (The remaining 8 districts are rated even). Th is indicates that in a normal year the Republicans should have a natural advantage, and in a “Republican” year they should have a substantial advantage. The Congressional Elections of 2006 and 2008 were not good years for Republicans. For various reasons, including the unpopularity of the Iraq war, the waning popularity of President George Bush and the widely reported scandals associated with a few Republican Congressmen, the Please turn to page 22 1. Most pollsters whose polls are commonly published in the mainstream media, poll only the general population or registered voters. these polls are almost useless when attempting to predict an election, because depending on the election cycle, most of the general public does not vote and only a percentage of registered voters actually cast a vote. rasmussen is one of only a few pollsters who use sophisticated algorithms to identify likely voters. Likely voter polls usually show better results for republicans than registered voters or general public polls, which is probably the reason they are not well reported in the liberal media. 2. there are 35 voting representatives in the House of representatives. the delegate from washington, d.C. does not vote on House Bills, although he/she can vote and participate in Committee votes. d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

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Republican vote was considerably diminished. As a result, Republicans were defeated for the House in 2006 and suffered significantly more losses in 2008. This presents a significant problem for the Republicans to regain the House as they will need to capture 40 seats currently held by Democrats. However, 2010 presents a much more positive environment for Republicans for the following reasons: • Traditionally, the party out of power (in the Presidency) gains seats in off - year elections. • The President’s current policies are immensely unpopular. • The President’s current poll numbers have plummeted very rapidly. • The Generic Congressional Ballot is now significantly in the Republicans’ favor with a +9 rating. • Republicans are much more energized and most surveys indicate that they will turn out in larger numbers than in previous mid-term elections. • Most polls now show a large swing by independent voters to the Republican Party. • Numerous surveys indicate that Democrats are less likely to vote in the 2010 mid-term elections that in previous elections. • The recent Republican governor wins in Virginia and New Jersey are a harbinger of strong movement to the GOP, especially among independent voters. • The incredible strength shown by Scott Brown’s win over Martha Coakly in the Jan. 19 Massachusetts Senate race is another indication of Republican resurgence in 2010. • The number of voters is always significantly less in an off-year election than in presidential years. • The number of young voters was higher than usual in 2008 because of the Obama effect. That element will be missing in the 2010 elections. Most young voters who voted for Obama most likely voted a straight Democrat ticket without even considering their choice for House or Senate candidates.

SEATS WHICH REPUBLICANS CAN WIN In looking at the competitive House races for 2010, the Cook Political Report now rates 15 Democrats as being in “Toss-up” districts and 23 Democrat House seats as “Leaning Democrat”. Cook defines “Toss-up” as the most competitive seats in the nation and “Leaning” as competitive seats with one party having the advantage. He also has a category called “Likely” which he considers not competitive at this point but has the potential to become “engaged”. Cook rates 44 Democrat seats and 0 Republican seats in this category. (These figures are from the Cook Political Report 2010 Competitive House Race Chart)

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I believe that the Cook Political Report is being very conservative at this point. I think that Republicans can win virtually all of the current “Toss-up” seats and at least half of the “Lean Democrat” seats. I base that thinking on the current very positive environment for Republicans. Of the 45 “Likely Democrat” seats there are 14 seats that are rated R+5, and in a good Republican year these seats should be winnable. Using my criteria I get 15 + 12 + 14 for a total of 41 seats, slightly more than is needed for Republicans to win the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, there are 3 Republican seats in serious danger of being lost due to special circumstances. One of these is the seat of Joseph Cao (LA-2) which is a D+25 that Mr. Cao won when he defeated the corrupt Democrat that held that seat, William Jefferson. Another is a seat in Illinois (IL-10) which s a D+6 being vacated by Mark Kirk who is running for the Senate. A third is Mike Castle’s seat in Delaware (Mike Castle is running for the Senate) which is a D+7. That would leave us 2 short of a House majority.

OTHER POTENTIAL GOP VICTORIES There are other political seats that Cook and others consider solid Democrat seats now, but which I believe can be won by Republicans. These are seats held by Blue Dog Democrats who voted for either the Cap & Trade Bill or the House Health Care Bill or both. There are 52 Blue Dog Democrats and many of these are vulnerable. However, many of these were counted in my previous count of 40 vulnerable Democrats. In addition to these Democrats, the following Blue Dog Democrats voted for either the Cap & Trade Bill or the Health Care Bill or both, and are from districts rated D+5 or better (for Republicans), and were not previously counted as prospects for a Republican win: • Mike Arcuri (NY-24) R+2 • Sanford Bishop (GA-2) D+1 • Leonard Boswell (IA-3) D+1 • Dennis Cardoza (CA-18) D+4 • Jim Cooper (TN-5) D+3 • Jim Costa (CA-20) D+5 • Henry Cuellar (TX-28) Even • Cathy Dahlkemper (PA-3) R+3 • Joe Donnelly (IN-2) R+2 • Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8) R+4 • Baron Hill (IN-9) R+2 • Mike Michaud (ME-2) D+3 • Harry Mitchell (AZ-5) R+5 • Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) D+4 • Zack Space (OH-18) R+7 • Charles Wilson (OH-06) R+2 This adds 16 seats to my previous total of 40 Republicans, less the 3 potential Republican losses, giving us 53 potential seats to win in November 2010.

REPEAT OF 1994 CONGRESSIONAL SWEEP? Although Democrats and many political pundits do not see 2010 as a year resembling 1994, when the Republicans surged to victory in the House with a 54 seat pickup, I see it differently. I believe the voting public will turn out in 2010 and vote against Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid3. I think this voter anger that exists today is enough to overcome the built-in power and safety of incumbency to overturn the current large House Democrat majority. This prediction of a Republican House victory is based on todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current trends. If the economy improves significantly, the war in Afghanistan is going well, and Republican leaders fail to provide the leadership and the right message to voters, then we will not succeed in re-taking the House. However, we have the best chance in a generation to take back the leadership of America from the Democrats and to reverse this massive drift to Socialism that we see happening to our country. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to work hard, contribute to the right conservative Republicans, vote for conservative candidates in the upcoming Republican primaries all over the country and to turn out every Republican vote in November all over the country. If we do all of this we will see a new Republican majority in the House of Representatives next November! e 3. This is more likely to happen if the Republican Party, including the Republican National Committee (RNC), the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and the Republican National Senatorial Committee (NRSC) get together and nationalize this election as a referendum against the unpopular House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

DENTON C O U NT Y GOP

How Can i become a

state Convention Delegate in 2010? by Rudy Cajka

Republican politics truly is a grassroots-based institution, but few people really understand how the system works to involve ordinary Republicans who wish to help shape the Party’s Platform and select its nominees. These and other activities are carried out by delegates to the various levels of GOP conventions: National, State, District and Precinct. Who can attend a Texas State Republican Convention? In theory, any loyal Republican Primary voter interested enough in the process can apply to become a delegate at a State Convention. In fact, we strongly encourage ALL Republican voters to participate in the various convention opportunities that are available in this election year in Texas. This article will outline those opportunities and provide the process by which active Republicans can participate at whichever convention level they wish. In particular, many Denton County Republicans have asked, “How can I become a delegate or alternate to the Texas State Republican Convention this June?” This article explains the process of becoming a Convention delegate or alternate, as well as giving you an overview of what happens at each convention level. If you do become a delegate or alternate at any convention level, you can express your ideas and thoughts to the Party’s candidates and leaders and possibly even get those ideas into the Party Platform. The first requirement in becoming a delegate is that you be actively interested in supporting and sustaining the principles and goals of the Republican Party. For most Party members, those principles include the belief in the sanctity of life, free enterprise and the free market system, limited government, free and fair trade, a strong national defense, legal and controlled immigration, honest government and low taxes. The second requirement is that you must vote in person or by absentee ballot in a Republican Primary Election. This year, the Texas Republican Primary takes place on March 2, 2010.

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There are a number of key dates associated with voting in the March 2 Republican Primary: First day to submit an application for an early ballot by mail for the March primary Last day a person may submit an application to register to vote in the primary election Last day to receive applications for ballots by mail for the March primary First day of early voting by personal appearance Last day of early voting by personal appearance Election Day1

Jan. 1, 2010

Feb. 1, 2010

Feb. 23, 2010 Feb. 16, 2010 Feb. 26, 2010 Mar. 2, 2010

precinct Convention After voting in the Republican Primary, the next step in the process is to attend the Precinct Convention at your voting precinct. Precinct conventions in Denton County will be held on the night of the primary election at each polling place after the polls close at 7:30 P.M. on March 2, 2010. Anyone voting in the Primary (by early voting, by absentee voting or on election day) may attend and will be considered as a delegate to the Precinct Convention. If you want to attend your Precinct Convention, make sure the election clerk stamps your voter registration card with the Party name when you vote (especially if you voted early), and bring it with you, as that will help the Secretary of the convention to check you in as a bonafide Republican voter in your precinct. If you vote early, be sure to determine the location of your voter precinct’s election day polling site2 which is where your Precinct Convention will be held. 1. See the section of Finding your precinct at the end of this article. 2. See the section of Finding your precinct at the end of this article.

(Note: Should no one else show up to convene the Precinct Convention, any Republican voter in that precinct may request the Convention Kit from the Election Judge and hold the convention, using the easyto-follow directions in the kit.) Delegates to the precinct convention first elect permanent convention officers, usually a convention chair and secretary. Then, the delegates to the precinct convention discuss and vote on resolutions brought to the convention by the participants. This is a key part of the “grass roots” process in the Republican Party, where regular active Republicans discuss their ideas for items to be included in the Texas Republican Party Platform. These ideas may include, but are not limited to, policies regarding taxes, education, abortion, transportation, elections, criminal justice, judges, public works, etc. Please bring three copies of your resolutions to the convention in written form, preferably typed, and be ready for discussion so that the meeting can move along swiftly. The resolutions will be voted on by the attendees at the Precinct Convention, and those that receive a majority vote will be passed on to the appropriate Senate District convention Resolutions Committee. After voting on the resolutions submitted, the Precinct Convention will then elect delegates and alternates to the County or State Senatorial District Convention. In Denton County, we have three Senate Districts represented: SD 9 (Senator Chris Harris’s district), SD 12 (Senator Jane Nelson’s district), and SD 30 (Senator Craig Estes’s district). Normally, there are enough delegate positions allocated to each precinct that most or all of the attendees can become delegates to the next level, their State Senate District convention. If all of the delegate positions are filled, then there are provisions for electing alternates to the Senate District conventions. Anyone who voted in the GOP Primary is eligible to be a delegate to any of the conventions, so even if someone is unable to attend the Precinct Convention, he or she can be named as a delegate to the Senate District Convention, as long as their name is entered on the delegate list at a Precinct Convention. The Denton County Republican Party (DCRP) will notify all Senate Convention delegates and alternates of their selection.

Senate district Conventions Senate District conventions will be held in Denton County for each of the three Senate Districts that are represented in Denton County, namely SD 9, SD 12 and SD 30. This year, the Senate District conventions in Denton County will be held at the Lakeland Baptist Church, I-35 and Lewisville Main St., TX 75067 on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 9 a.m. Delegates and alternates selected at the Precinct conventions should assemble by 8:30 A.M. and

join their Senate District Convention on that day. Non-delegate Republicans are also welcome to attend as guests. They will be able to attend all the convention functions in a non-voting capacity. Each of the Senate districts will meet initially as part of an overall County Convocation under the Chairmanship of our County Chair, Dianne Edmondson. The initial portion of the program consists of an Invocation, Presentation of the Colors, Pledges of Allegiance to the Flags of the United States and Texas, greetings from the Party Chairman and short speeches by prominent local and statewide candidates and office holders. Then the convention is split into individual conventions for each of the three Senate Districts. Each Senate District Convention will be led by a Temporary Senatorial District Chair elected by the Precinct Chairs within that county’s State Senatorial District. Each convention will then elect Permanent Convention Chairs who will appoint permanent chairs for the convention committees. Typically, five committees would have been set up prior to the Conventions to prepare for the Convention’s work. These committees are: Credentials Committee • Determines the validity of all delegates or alternates sent by the various Precinct Conventions. Permanent Organization Committee • Recommends Permanent Officers to the Convention. Rules Committee • Establishes Rules for the Senate District Convention in compliance with the State Party Rules and the TX Election Code. Resolutions Committee • Evaluates all of the Resolutions submitted at the Precinct Conventions. • Accepts or Rejects the Various Resolutions and re-writes them into acceptable formats for the State Party Platform. • Recommends resolutions to the Convention to be forwarded on to the State Convention. Nominations Committee • Interviews candidates for delegates for the State Convention. • Recommends a slate of delegates and alternates for the State Convention. These committees may meet prior to the Senate Conventions and usually will meet through some part of the day that the conventions are taking place. Delegates and Alternates to the Senate Conventions are encouraged

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to attend these committee meetings, and in the case of the Resolutions Committee, present themselves and testify on specific resolutions if they are so inclined. In addition, delegates should present themselves to their Senate District Nominations Committee if they wish to be considered for selection as delegates or alternates the Texas State Republican Convention3. State delegate application forms will be provided by the DCRP to all Senate district delegates. If you are interested in serving on any of the committees, you should contact your Senate District’s Temporary Chairman. This person’s name and contact information may be obtained from DCRP Headquarters at 940/321-2871. The major business conducted at the Senate District Conventions is the acceptance of the committee reports and the selection of the State Convention delegates and alternates. There is spirited debate among the delegates regarding the resolutions that will be passed on to the State Convention Platform committee for inclusion in the Republican Party Platform, which is the most conservative platform in the country and is re-written from “square one” at each State Convention. This process truly allows grassroots participation in writing and approving the RPT’s Platform. The Chairman of the Nominations Committee will announce the names of the recommended Delegates and Alternates to go to the State Convention, which the Convention will discuss and approve or amend. The numbers of State Convention delegates and alternates allotted to the three Senate Districts in Denton County for 2010 are determined by the votes cast for Governor Perry in the 2006 General Election from each Senate District. The delegate allotments for our SD’s are: SD-9 97 Delegates/97 Alternates SD-12 93 Delegates/93 Alternates SD-30 30 Delegates/30 Alternates Many alternates are always seated at the State Convention, as the total number of allotted delegates are not always able to attend the Convention. Senate District conventions give Denton County Republicans a great opportunity to meet fellow Republicans, candidates and office holders from all over the county. It is a great experience for active Republicans, and you should plan on attending. Virtually everyone who wants to attend a Senate District Convention will be able to do so.

3. It is most likely that the Senate District Nominations Committee will meet a number of times prior to the date of the District convention to interview delegate and alternate candidates for the State Convention. If you are interested in being a delegate to the State Convention you should contact the DCRP at 940-321-2671 to find out the time and location of those meetings and to make arrangements to provide your application and appear before the committee. 26

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Texas State Republican Convention The Texas State Republican Convention will be held in Dallas, Texas on June 11 and 12, 2010 at the Dallas Convention Center. Delegates and alternates to the State Convention meet both as a whole body and by State Senatorial Districts every convention as well as by Congressional Districts in Presidential election years. Meeting as a whole, delegates to the State Convention ratify the Party rules, adopt a Party platform, elect the State Chairman and State Vice Chairman and elect their State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) members. In Presidential years, they also ratify all delegates and alternates to the National Convention as well as the Presidential Electors and elect a National Committeeman and National Committeewoman. The first session of the State Convention is usually called to order in the afternoon of the first day. This day, delegates will hear an opening speech by the State Chairman Cathie Adams. Then there are speeches by prominent State officials and candidates for state offices. The remainder of the day is usually set aside for other motivational activities, Senate District caucuses and hosted events by candidates and officeholders. There is also time for delegates to visit the many display booths supporting various candidates, other Republican activities and those selling Republican memorabilia. (Those booths are where most of the flashy elephant jewelry so favored by GOP gals can be purchased!) There will be two Senate District caucus sessions at the convention, one each day of the Convention. The actual timing of these caucuses is determined by the Convention Agenda. Delegates meet in caucus by State Senatorial district and elect permanent caucus officers, permanent committee members, their State Republican Executive Committee (“SREC”) members -- a Committeeman and a Committeewoman -- and elect candidates for State Chairman and State Vice Chairman. Because of the immense of size of the RPT State Convention (the largest political convention in the entire country!)4, much work is done in temporary committees in the days leading up to the actual Convention. At every State Convention, there will be five temporary committees: Credentials, Organization, State Nominations, Platform, and Rules. The State Chairman appoints the committee chairs. The SREC members appoint committee members. Each committee is comprised of the chair and one member from each Senate District. After the Convention starts, Senate Districts will elect their permanent committee members, who will use the temporary committees’ work as a starting point. All committee meetings are open to State Convention delegates and alternates, who are encouraged to attend and testify on topics of particular interest to them. Attending a State Republican Convention is truly a wonderful experience for any active and committed

Republican. Though it may sound a bit overwhelming in this overview, it becomes clearer as you go along! It will provide you with the knowledge, enthusiasm and energy to go out and support your Party and your favorite candidates in the upcoming November 2, 2010 General Election. It is our DCRP’s goal to have a full slate of delegates and alternates from Denton County at the Texas State Republican Convention this year! Would YOU like to be one of them? Great! Then we will see you at your Precinct Convention!

Finding Your Voting Precinct for the March 2, 2010 Republican Primary

You can find your voting precinct by accessing the Denton County Elections Administration website at https://elections.dentoncounty.com/goVR.asp?Dept=82&Link=292 If you do not know in which precinct you are registered, you can verify that by looking at your voter registration card and checking your precinct number. To check your voting location, where your Precinct Convention will take place, go to the Elections Administration and check the voting location for your precinct. If you wish you can call the Elections Administration at (940) 349-3200 (Metro).

Brent

BOWEN Republican for

DENTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY Political Advertisement paid for by Brent Bowen for District Attorney. Anne Burns, Treasurer. P.O. Box 1762 Denton, TX 76202 940-566-0606

There have been a number of new precincts added for 2010, which have been added from existing precincts. In particular, if you are currently located in precincts 117, 120, 123 and 411 new precincts have been added to portions of these older precincts. These new precincts are 140, 141, 142 and 430. Make sure you check your voter registration cards and that you know where your polling place is located so you can attend the Precinct Convention on election night. Even if you plan to vote early you must still go to the location of your voting precinct on election night to participate in the Precinct Convention. If you are not registered to vote for the primary you can get help with becoming registered by calling the Elections Administration or the Denton County Republican Party at (940) 349-3200 (Metro). e 4. In 2010, the allotment for the Texas State Republican Convention is 7500 Delegates and 7500 Alternates, making this convention the largest of its kind in the United States.

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CHANGES IN TEX AS REPUBLICAN PARTY STATE LEADERSHIP by Rudy Cajka

within the last few months, the leadership of the republican party of texas (rpt) has undergone some significant changes. on october 5, 2009, tina Benkiser resigned her post as rpt Chairman and joined gov. rick perry’s re-election campaign as a senior advisor. that left a vacancy in the rpt that needed to be filled prior to the next texas republican State Convention in June, 2010. When a vacancy occurs in one of the top statewide RPT offices between state conventions, the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) must meet in special session within 30 days of the official’s resignation to elect a new person to fill the vacant position. The SREC is the governing body of the Republican Party of Texas, with the responsibility for the general supervision and management of the Party. There are 62 members of the SREC, one man and one woman from each of the 31 Texas Senatorial districts; the members of this body are elected by the delegates to the bi-annual state convention. Because of the RPT tradition that the Party Chairman must be a woman if the Co-Chairman is a man, and the current RPT Co-Chairman is Dr. Robin Armstrong, the candidates for the office of Chairman were limited to female candidates only. The SREC met in a special session on October 24, 2009 in Austin to elect a new State Chairman and elected Cathie Adams from a field of candidates including Melinda Fredricks of Conroe, TX and Mary-Yoly Moore of El Paso to become the new RPT State Chairman. At the time of her election as State Chairman, Cathie Adams was the Republican National Committeewoman representing Texas on the Republican Cathie Adams National Committee (RNC), so upon her election as State Chairman, she resigned her position as RNC Committeewoman from Texas, thereby leaving a vacancy in that position. Since the RNC Committeeman and Committeewoman are elected every four years at the State Convention, and there were approximately two and a half years left in Cathie’s term as National Committeewoman, the SREC needed to call another special election to fill that post. 28

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On Dec. 5, 2009, the SREC met in special session to elect a new National Committeewoman. There were three candidates for the position of National Committeewoman: Borah van Dormolen of Waco, Kathie Haigler of Houston and Dianne Caron of Tyler; the SREC selected Borah, who had previously run for the position at the last state convention. The other members of the Texas delegation to the RNC are National Committeeman Bill Crocker and Cathie Adams, who remains on the RNC by virtue of her new position as State Chairman. Denton County Republicans congratulate Cathie Adams and Borah Van Dormolen on their accomplishments in succeeding to these new positions and we wish them well. Cathie Adams has been involved in the Republican Party for many years. She has been an election judge, a member of the district, state and national resolutions/ platform committees; a Delegate to every senatorial and state convention since 1988; and a Delegate to the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Republican National Conventions. She served as a member of the Republican National Platform Committee in 2000, 2004 and 2008 where she led on issues such as the Right to Life, Border Security, Tort Reform, Limited Government/Lower Taxes, Sanctity of Marriage, Photo ID to Vote, U.S. Sovereignty and many others. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Young Conservatives of Texas and is a strong supporter and donor for Texans for Lawsuit Reform, Texans Alliance for Life and National Rifle Association. She joined the board of the Dallas Eagle Forum in the mid-1980s, and then served as its president for 5 years until being appointed state president of

the Texas Eagle Forum (www.texaseagle.org) in 1993 by the and leadership positions, including a term as Professor at the national affiliate’s leader Phyllis Schlafly. Cathie also serves U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She was commander on the board of the national Eagle Forum. of logistics operations units for the U.S. Army’s largest and most powerful military formations, including the famed 1st Cathie has been involved as a volunteer lobbyist in Cavalry Division and 13th Corps Support Command. Austin since 1989 and has testified before the State Board of Education as well as Legislative committees in Austin. Borah and Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rich Castle, Capitol Inside’s Texas Lobby Power Rankings 2005, a 5th generation Texan and her husband of 20 years, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 (www.capitolinside.com) have ventured into the business world, establishing placed Cathie first on their list of lobbyists for causes, Design Technology Group, Inc., a highly successful declaring, “Adams, a veteran activist who was elected to the manufacturing and marketing firm of outdoor stainless Republican National Committee last summer, commands steel electric grills. the immediate attention of GOP lawmakers whenever her Borah’s political activities are remarkable both in their organization decides to turn up the grassroots pressure on width and breadth, and in having been accomplished in conservative issues dear to its heart.” such a short period of time since her military retirement. Since 1995, Cathie has attended the Women’s Conference She has served the Texas Federation of Republican Women in Beijing, China; the Housing Summit in Istanbul, (TFRW) as Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Turkey; the Food Summit in Rome, Italy; and a number Legislation, Chairman of Leadership Development, District of Climate Change meetings from Kyoto, Japan, to Director Coordinator and District Director of Senatorial Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Bonn, Germany, The Hague, District 24. As Vice President - Finance, she has had the Netherlands to Poznan, Poland. When the International pleasure of coordinating the “Tribute to Women” luncheon Criminal Court was created in Rome in 1998, Cathie at our Republican Party State Convention and the TFRW attended the proceedings. She also attended the 2000 2005 Legislative Day Luncheon in Austin. During the Millennium Summit in New York City, the Global Taxing TFRW State Convention in Corpus Christi, Borah was Summit in Monterrey, Mexico, and the World Summit on elected President of the Federation for 2006 thru 2007. Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. Borah has applied her considerable leadership and She traveled to Hong Kong for a Ministerial Meeting of teaching skills to campaign management seminars for the World Trade Organization and to Paris, France for a the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) UNESCO meeting and TFRW. During the 77th Texas Legislature session, Cathie has been married to Dr. Homer Adams for 40 she served as Legislative Aide for State Representative years and they have five grandchildren. Their son and Kent Grusendorf, (R-Dist. 94) and contributes significant daughter-in-law are both Texas A&M graduates. amounts of time and talent to the Republican Party of Bell County in fundraising and grassroots organization. An accomplished woman with many outstanding achievements in Texas politics and one on the nation’s Borah also is an important community leader, serving prominent conservative leaders, Cathie will make an as past State Vice President for the Texas Council of outstanding Texas Republican Party Chairman. Chapters of the Military Officers Association of America; Past President and current Director of the Borah Van Dormolen is an accomplished Central Texas Chapter of The Military soldier, businessperson, Republican Officers Association; Board of Governors political leader, legislative advocate, for the Association of the United States athlete and community leader. She has Army, Fort Hood Chapter; Rotarian in been involved with the Republican Party the Salado Chapter; and past member of for many years and is the immediate the Board of Directors for the Mill Creek Past President of the Texas Federation of Golf and Country Club and Central Republican Women. Texas Women’s Golf Association. She is Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Borah an endowment member of the National Van Dormolen has traveled a long Rifle Association and the Texas State way since her early days as a student at Rifle Association. West Chester College, Pennsylvania. Borah will be a strong conservative and In 1974, she enlisted in the U.S. Army deborah “Borah” Van dormolen an outstanding voice for Texas as our new and rose through the ranks, retiring in RNC Committeewoman. e 1997 after 23 years with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. She served in various command, staff d e n to n C o U n t Y g o p

Historic

Gubernatorial Debate in Denton County

by DIaNNE EdMONdSON TeXas politics is heating up approaching our March 2 Primary, and the governor’s race is catching everyone’s attention as the two GOP heavyweights – Gov. Rick Perry and senior U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison – sQuare off in their Quests to govern TeXas for the neXt four years. They are joined by feisty newcomer Debra Medina, a nurse and former Wharton county chairman, who campaigns with potshots at both the other candidates. Denton County Republican Party officers Marc Moffitt and Tom Washington approached the campaigns with the idea of having a televised debate originate in the Murchison Performing Arts Center on the University of North Texas campus. The idea was accepted, KERA Channel 13 agreed to televise, and we were off to the races! At that point, as our local newspaper opined, Denton county became “the center of the Republican universe” as the first gubernatorial debate was held right here in Denton County! Not only the top two Republicans in the state, but also new-kidon-the-block Medina, whose rising poll numbers coupled with the DCRP’s lobbying of KERA to include her, took their places on the debate stage. Many of you who saw the debate on television may have noticed the empty seats in the center. Here’s how that happened: Unfortunately, we were initially given only 127 tickets for the debate, and had more than 500 requests. The Perry and Hutchison campaigns graciously donated 20 tickets each, but that was still not enough to provide all interested persons with a free debate ticket. Finally, after many pleas from our organizers, KERA informed us that there would be some tickets coming back to them from their sponsors who weren’t able to use all the tickets KERA had allocated to them. On Wednesday afternoon, only 24 hours prior to the debate, additional tickets were given to us. We worked until late that 30

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Kay Bailey Hutchison

debra Medina

rick perry

evening trying to contact as many people as possible to give away those extras, but not everyone was able to come with that short notice, and we couldn’t even reach a lot of folks. Thus, there were many unused seats in the auditorium. Both Tarrant and Denton Republican Parties did distribute all the tickets that we were initially given and none of those empty seats were ours. We really appreciate the campaigns agreeing to this debate and keeping their commitments to making it the premier political event of this election cycle. We enjoyed having all the candidates and their supporters in Denton County and especially appreciated the folks who came from as far as Waco and Sugarland and Lubbock to be a part of this historic event. Following the Denton debate, Medina’s polling numbers soared into double digits and with the vocal insistence of her supporters, convinced Channel 8 WFAA also to include her in their televised debate which was the second and final one prior to the Primary. We are proud to have been chosen to host this initial debate and appreciate the assistance from our partner, the Tarrant County Republican Party. Major kudos to the event’s co-chairs, Marc Moffitt and Tom Washington, for pulling it off ! e