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10924 Grant Road, Suite 133 • Houston, Texas 77070 • www.terrylowry.com On the web at www.TerryLowry.com Archives posted since January 1st 2005 May 2024, Volume 32, Number 10 LINKING TEXAS CONSERVATIVES SINCE 1993 WEEKDAYS 2:00-3:00PM ON KKHT 100.7FM THE WHAT’S UP Radio Program REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION SPECIAL EDITION LINK LETTER By Kathy Haigler Up to sixty percent of the Delegates and Alternates attending this year’s Republican State Convention will be attending their first Republican State Convention. Many speeches will be given and a number of votes taken for party leadership positions. Pick Up Your Credentials Upon arriving at the convention center, register and pick up your packet and your credentials. You will need to wear your credentials at all times. On Thursday, Delegates and Alternates will FIRST meet in their SD Caucus – State Senate District Caucus. Volunteer Pages will be everywhere to point you in the right direction. Look for the State District Caucus signs that match the SD number on your credentials. Expect some speeches and voting for Party Leaders – explained in more detail starting on page 2 inside. Your CD Caucus and SD Caucus Numbers Later on Thursday, Delegates and Alternates will meet in their CD Caucus – Congressional District Caucus. Again, Volunteer Pages will be everywhere to point you in the right direction. Look for the CD Caucus signs that match the CD num- ber on your credentials. Welcome to all attending the RPT State Convention. Expect many speeches and be prepared to vote for Party Leaders. More details starting on page 2 inside. Editor’s Note: Mrs. Kathy Haigler is a Christian who has been a conservative grassroots activist since 1992 whose focus is pro-life protection and elec- tion integrity. She has served many positions from Precinct Chair to County Chair to SREC member. She’s been a delegate to three National Conventions, and 2024 will be her sixteenth State Convention. Kathy Haigler What to Expect at the Republican State Convention www.TerryLowry.com May 2024 2 Republican Party State Convention: What You Need To Know By Kathy Haigler Conservative Political Activist Delegates and alternates will caucus either by their Senate District (SD) for State Party/RPT business or by their Congressional District (CD) for National Party/RNC business. In General Sessions, where every- one is on the main floor together, note whether the signs say “SD” or “CD” so that you sit in the right section, along with your county’s delegation. Your SD and CD numbers are on your credentials received at registration. Where to Sit is Important! Delegates are automatically seated with their delegation. Alternates are seated in a separate Alternate section. Your delegation leader will coordinate with the Alternates when they can be seated with Delegates for voting. In non-contested elections, voting will be done by voice vote or general consent. In all CD/RNC business, all votes are one-man-one-vote. All contested elections are by secret ballot. This is why you must sit with your county’s delegation in caucuses and in General Session. A majority vote is required in order to move on to the next order of business. When a majority is not attained, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be in a runoff election. In your first SD/RPT caucus on Thursday afternoon, the main business conducted is electing your Permanent SD Caucus Chair and Election of Permanent Committee members representing your SD. Kathy Haigler3 May 2024 www.TerryLowry.com Committees are: Platform & Resolutions, Rules, Credentials, State Nominations, and Legislative Priorities. The Permanent Committees will meet on Thursday night. Elections In your second SD/RPT caucus on Friday morning, RPT rules direct that your caucus must nominate a man and a woman for State Party Chairman and Vice Chairman for a two-year term. The rules do not attach a gender to a posi- tion, but your caucus will first elect its nomi- nee for Chairman, then your caucus must elect someone of the other gender for Vice Chairman. The person your SD elected to the State Nominations Committee on Thursday after- noon will vote on the first round of voting exactly as the results were in your caucus elections. If there is no majority won on the first round of voting, voting will continue until there is a majority winner for State Party Chairman and Vice Chairman, whom the State Nominations Committee will recom- mend on the floor in General Session. What is a Floor Flight? If you hear the term “floor fight” it means that one of the candidates who won in at least three SD caucuses, but did not win the nomination recommenda- tion from the State Nominations Committee, will be tak- ing a vote to the Delegates and seated Alternates at the sec- ond General Session on Friday for a weighted vote. Under certain circumstances this is a very strategic move, but if someone has clearly lost and just can’t accept the defeat, the delegates can be very unforgiving about the amount of time taken for this maneuver. In any case, if you hear “floor fight”, get to your seat quickly! You will also elect the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) Committeeman and Committeewoman. These are the two people who will represent your SD on the SREC for State Party business between conventions for a two-year term. In Your First CD/RNC Caucus In your first CD/RNC caucus on Thursday afternoon, you will elect your Permanent CD Caucus Chairman and the person who will represent your CD on the National Nominations Committee, which recommends the slate of At-Large Delegates and At-Large Alternates for the National Convention and reports the other RNC-related votes by your caucus. This At-Large slate will be an up-or-down vote and can- not be amended from the floor. If rejected, the National Nominations Committee will return to their meeting room to present a different slate to the convention. In your second CD/RNC caucus on Saturday morning, you will elect three Delegates and three Alternates to rep- resent your CD at the RNC National Convention in Continued ➤ www.TerryLowry.com May 2024 4 Wisconsin. Unless your caucus has agreed to a “slate” and the majority of the caucus votes on all of them at one time, you will have no less than six different elections. Delegate position #1 will be open for nominations, then there are timed speeches, then the secret ballot is taken, and leadership will tally the votes and appropriate the weighted vote to determine if there is a majority winner. If no majority is attained, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be in a runoff election, requiring another secret ballot vote. Then Delegate position #2 is open for nominations, and so on through Alternate position #3. Your CD caucus has the option to recommend one addi- tional name to your National Nominations Committee member to try to get on the At-Large list, but that com- mittee member is not bound to that recommendation. Selecting Your Presidential Elector The next election will be for one Presidential Elector who will represent your CD in the Electoral College if the Republican nominee for President wins the November General Election in Texas. This is a very prestigious and special position for a seri- ous, dedicated Republican of character who will not embarrass our Party by being a faithless Elector. National Committeeman and National Committeewoman The next elections will be for National Committeeman and National Committeewoman, who, along with the State Party Chairman, will represent the entire State of Texas on the RNC. The National Committeeman and Committeewoman serve a four-year term. A majority vote must be received in order to win the nomination from your CD caucus. A runoff election could happen if there are more than two candidates, and a majority is not attained. The person your CD elected to the National Nominations Committee on Thursday after- noon will report your CD caucus vote for the RNC Candidates, as well as the three Delegates, three Alternates, and Presidential Elector. 5 May 2024 www.TerryLowry.com If there is no majority won in the tally of CD caucus voting for National Committeeman and National Committeewoman, there would be another round of vot- ing. This is the second time you could possibly hear the term “floor fight” if one of the candidates who won in at least three CD caucuses - but did not win the nomination recommendation from the National Nominations Committee - takes the vote to the Delegates and seated Alternates at the fourth General Session on Saturday. RPT Platform For the Friday afternoon General Session, you will be provided with a printed hardcopy booklet containing the Platform, Legislative Priorities, and Rules coming from the Permanent Committees. The Rules may be amended from the floor and will be voted on by voice vote or standing vote, or possibly a roll call vote if required. The Platform and Legislative Priorities may also be amended from the floor. The Delegates and seated Alternates will receive a ballot for plank-by-plank voting on the Platform. You will also vote on up to 8 of the 15 Legislative Priorities as amended from the floor. The State Party General Rules are posted on the RPT website: www.texasgop.org and the Supplemental Rules will be drafted by the Rules Committee and presented to the SREC for adoption at their pre-convention meeting on Wednesday afternoon, which will also be posted on the RPT website along with other important convention documents once final- ized. The Supplemental Rules normally stipulate the written notice of candidacy for State and National Party leader- ship positions to be filed in the RPT Office of the Convention by Thursday morning, so that no last-minute surprise nominations from the floor are in order. Helpful Hints Wear comfortable walking shoes! You cannot take liquids into the convention center, but you can refill an empty bottle once inside. Bring snacks & meds. Bring your own book bag so that yours is different from every- one else’s. Don’t lose your credentials and keep your Convention Program book handy at all times. If you feel lost, look for someone wearing a Sergeant-At- Arms vest. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Enjoy your- self, and thank you for being a part of this important process! Mrs. Kathy Haigler is a Christian who has been a conservative grassroots activist since 1992 whose focus is pro-life protection and election integrity. She has served many positions from Precinct Chair to County Chair to SREC member. She’s been a delegate to three National Conventions, and 2024 will be her sixteenth State Convention. www.TerryLowry.com May 2024 6 Fighting For Texas. Fighting For You. GUEST EDITORIAL By Mike Garcia Candidate for Texas Republican Party Chair 188 years ago, as the Battle of the Alamo raged on, our forefathers gathered at Washington-on-the-Brazos to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. In that document, the Texian signers called upon our Creator in fearlessly and confidently committing the issue of revolution “to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations.” We now know how the Supreme arbiter ruled, as we cel- ebrate our forefathers’ courage every March 2nd – a day we call Texas Independence Day. No Room for Complacency Our great State and Country now find themselves at a great crossroads as the landscape of our political field has shifted dramatically in recent years. In 2011, the Texas GOP held 102 out of 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives. This rendered Democrats completely irrelevant in defeating legislation and breaking quorum. However, since then, Democrats have capitalized on procedural loopholes and manipulation of the House rules to hinder the advancement of our Conservative principles at seem- ingly every opportunity. Our party has also lost ground. Since 2011, we have lost sixteen seats in the House. Now, with only 86 out of 150 seats held, our majority hangs in the balance. If we lose eleven seats, we lose our majority. This would not be unprecedented. In 2018, we lost twelve House seats to the Democrats. With Democrats in control, Texas could be lost in very short order. Great Challenges. Great Opportunity. Younger generations are more attract- ed than ever to tradition and conviction – elements the Texas GOP deeply values and treasures and that the Democrat Party rejected long ago. Further, minority communities are slowly, but surely, waking up to the fact that the Texas GOP looks more like them than does the Democrat Party. Opportunity abounds and the Texas GOP is the entity that is equipped and able to make inroads to these communities. As Chair of the Republican Party of Texas, I vow to actively recruit qualified Conservative candidates to run in the many Democrat House Districts that currently do not have a Republican challenger. We also need more Conservative candidates, committee members, and vol- unteers at the city and county levels. Together, we can shift our focus to offense against the Democrats while also showing these communities that Republicans are the way of common sense, principle, and sacred tradition. Honesty is the Best Policy Let us be unequivocal: Winning elections at the cost of compromising our principles, turning ourselves into Democrats in the process, is simply not an option. Our values, anchored in the sanctity of life and the timeless institution of marriage between one man and one woman, are immutable. As we navigate the challenges ahead, we must remember to lean on the assurance that God's presence will accom- pany us every step of the way. He will bestow upon us the wisdom, courage, knowledge, and fortitude necessary to sway hearts and minds, but not if we abandon Him. A House Divided Will Fall As a political party, we cannot continue to fall victim to division, as a house divided against itself cannot stand. Only through unity and reconciliation can we forge Mike Garcia7 May 2024 www.TerryLowry.com ahead. We must be prepared to make the requisite sacri- fices and embrace the trials that lie ahead. Like Christ, who bore his cross daily and followed the divine path, we, too, must embrace our calling with humility and determination. Comfort may be tempting, but we were not created for comfort; we were created for greatness. With courage, tenacity, and an unwavering adherence to our convictions, we will overcome the trials of today and emerge stronger than ever before. It is imperative that we coalesce around a shared vision for a prosperous and principled Texas. Now is the time to reclaim our Conservative stronghold, to stand steadfast in our princi- ples, and to chart a course toward a brighter future for all Texans. No Time for Playing Games As a Republican voter and activist, I have fought hard to keep Texas RED and will continue to do so by supporting parent’s education rights, protecting the unborn, and securing our border. I also believe Texans deserve property tax relief and more Second Amendment rights. In order to further protect these rights, we must fortify current election laws and stop the Democrats from loos- ening voter ID regulations and limiting election day polling locations. I am proud to be endorsed by Texas State Senator Mayes Middleton and four current Texas State Representatives: Valoree Swanson, Matt Schaefer, Ryan Guillen, and Richard Hayes. I have also received the support of Young Conservatives of Texas and the Kingwood Tea Party. Shoulder to shoulder, with faith in God's everlasting guiding hand, let us move forward. Editor’s Note: The LINK Letter wholeheartedly endorses Mike Garcia for Chairman of the Texas. Visit www.GarciaForTexasGOP.com for more details about Mike Garcia’s campaign for the Republican Party of Texas Chair. www.TerryLowry.com May 2024 8 Rachal Hisler: Christian, Wife, Mother, and Conservative Leader CANDIDATE FOR VICE CHAIRMAN – REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS By Sara Tracey Assistant Editor/ the LINK LETTER Rachal Hisler is the person the Republican Party of Texas needs as our next Vice Chairman. She has been a grassroots activist for many years, promoting Conservative Christian values in all aspects of her life. Rachel has worked tirelessly to publicize and help pass our Republican Legislative priorities, often in the face of opposition. A collaborator who believes in elevating the strengths of those around her, Rachal understands that voters are depending on the RPT to help them become educated during each election. In order for that to happen, Precinct Chairs, County Executive Committee Members (CEC’s), and State Republican Executive Committee Members (SREC’s) must have a strong Republican Chair and Vice Chair to equip each of them. Rachal believes educated voters become active voters. Rachal will push to build the blueprint to develop this power base. Born a Fighter Born in 1981, Rachal Hisler is a bridge from the old GOP to the new generation of Conservatives. She has the advantage of being in the generation that has expe- rienced the world in both the analog and the digital age. Rachal has been tested through the fires of life. Born to an unwed teenage mother and adopted at two years old, she understands the anti-abortion fight from a very personal point of view. As co-owner with her husband of a fourth-generation fisheries business, Rachal understands the stranglehold of government control over our resources. A Mother’s Love Rachal and her family have seen first-hand how well-mean- ing experts impose policies that can have unintended conse- quences to the working men and women of this state. As part of her commitment to seeing a flourishing, moral-based culture in America, Rachal and her husband helped build a local Christian, non-denominational church, where they both volunteer in the youth and children’s programs. As a parent, Rachal Hisler has fought to preserve our chil- dren’s futures and the freedoms our founders intended. She will work to prevent the wholesale liquidation of our chil- dren’s futures and freedoms from occurring on her watch. Building a Lasting Legacy Through her life experiences and Conservative ethics, Rachal knows how to communicate the legislative priorities of the Republican Party of Texas to the families that call Texas home. Everyday people are realizing that their values align with the Republican Party, but they do not know how to build relationships with their CEC and elected representa- tives. In Rachal, Texans will have a grass- roots Vice Chair to lead this effort. Rachal believes that we must defend Texas to save the USA. Leftist mega donors are pumping millions upon mil- lions of dollars into our state with the hopes of subduing the bulwark of freedom that is Texas. Together with Precinct Chairs, County Executive Committees, and SRECs, Rachal will toil to close primaries and drive Republican voter turnout. Rachal has served the Republican Party as a Precinct Chair, Legislative Priorities Chair, President of her local Republican Women’s Organization, and Election Judge for her county party. She under- stands the difficulties that face local county parties to maintain attendance and drive voters to the polls. Rachal plans to press forward to improve processes to keep Texas a Republican powerhouse and increase our party’s influence in the USA. Republicans must continue to fight for the moral and ethical values that make us the nation God intended. We cannot slow down in our pursuit of a strong, Conservative Republican Party of Texas. Texas needs Rachal Hisler as our next Republican Vice Chairman. Editor’s Note: The LINK Letter wholeheartedly endorses Rachal Hisler for Vice Chair. Visit www.RachalHisler.com for more details about Rachal’s campaign for Republican Party Vice Chair. 9 May 2024 www.TerryLowry.com It is Not Time for Politics as Usual in America GUEST EDITORIAL by Debbie Georgatos Candidate Republican National Committee We the People are facing an all-out assault from the Left to take down America as founded. I clearly understand – with no delusions – what is at stake. RNC Member Responsibilities The Democrat Party’s radical leftist agenda poses an immediate threat to the future of freedom as never before in American history. Republican National Committee members in this era must be capable of connecting the dots and explaining the danger the Left poses. RNC members must be capable of articulating the Republican Party’s freedom-preserving message on dozens of issues, such as election integrity, free speech, healthcare freedom, rule of law, and second amendment rights. RNC members must have the substance and depth to work on platform and policy issues. Other responsibilities include raising money for the Party and the willingness to work on the convention. Above all, RNC members must exert the time, energy, and dedication to support GOP candidates and elected officials. Two Decades of Experience I have worked as a law and employment attorney, repre- senting clients in state and federal court. I believe my legal expertise grants me a unique perspective to serve the citi- zens of Texas as a RNC Committeewoman. For almost ten years, I have hosted a serious and sub- stantive talk show: “America, Can We Talk?” discussing a variety of topics and interviewing top experts in different fields. The purpose of the show is to spread awareness as we preserve America’s greatness. Because America Matters At the close of every episode of “America, Can We Talk?”, I remind listeners that I do the show “Because America Matters”. That is why I am running for Republican National Committeewoman. I have also served as a Fox New National Political Analyst and developed connections throughout Texas with a wide array of Conservative leaders. I proudly founded the Annual Women for Freedom Summit in Dallas in 2020 and continue to rally for financial support for the summit. I have delivered hundreds of speeches throughout Texas and beyond to Republican Women’s Clubs (RWC), Conservative Clubs, Pachyderm Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Grassroots America We the People (GAWTP), Eagle Forum groups, and True Texas Project. Over the years, I have served in various GOP-related positions, including Election Judge, Precinct Chair, County Party vice-chair, RWC President and board mem- ber, and campaign worker. I have also written several books, including: “Ladies Can We Talk? America Needs Our Vote!” and “Brushfires of Freedom: A Collection of Pro-American Essays by Paul Gable”. America Matters I would be humbled and honored to serve on the Republican National Committee. For more information about my campaign, visit www.DebbieG4RNC.com You can also feel free to contact me directly at DebbieG4RNC@gmail.com or call my office at 214-256-1972. Editor’s Note: The LINK Letter wholeheartedly endorses Debbie Georgatos for the Republican National Committee. Visit www.DebbieG4RNC.com for more details. Debbie GeorgatosNext >