On Wednesday, Jan. 19, members of the Brazos Valley Republican party gathered in a conference room on the first floor of the Hilton on University Drive to listen to some of the top contenders challenging current Gov. Greg Abbott.
The lineup consisted of Allen West, the former state party chairman, Danny Harrison, a small business owner, Don Huffines, a former Texas senator and Chad Prather, a conservative YouTube political commentator. Paul Belew, a Wise County resident with a background in criminal defense, was scheduled to appear also, but had to decline at the last minute due to testing positive for COVID-19. During the two-hour forum the candidates answered a series of questions regarding their policy plans if elected.
West leaned heavily into his military background throughout the night, repeatedly returning to three key factors.
“My ideological mentor, when it comes to constitutional conservatism, is a man by the name of Booker T. Washington,” West said. “He had a three-point plan for conservatism, and that was: education, entrepreneurship and self-reliance. Here was a man that could have been a victim, but he decided to be a victor, and that’s the thing we need to focus on here in the great state of Texas.”
Harrison stayed true to his roots and said he believes Abbott has abandoned local businesses during the pandemic.
“I’m tired of Gov. Greg Abbott; I’m tired of a career politician that’s never worked in the real world … that’s never set foot in the private sector,” Harrison said. “When COVID[-19] hit and he shut down 17 billion dollars worth of industry … ladies and gentlemen that is not a friend of small businesses. Because of that decision we lost over 12,000 small businesses in Texas.”
Prather also laid into Abbott and said he is causing Texas to lose sight of its identity.
“I believe in the Constitution. I believe in the state of Texas, and unfortunately, Texas is not the Texas that most Texans think it is anymore. We’ve got about five or six more years before we start to look significantly like California,” Prather said. “I want us to be a constitutional sanctuary state; I want to make sure that if life is done on Texas soil, it is done with liberty, it’s done with freedom.”
Huffines described himself as a lifelong, God fearing patriot and businessman.
“I was in that Texas Senate, I got a Ph.D. in that swamp … I was always ranked as one of the top three most concervative state senators when I was there,” Huffines said. “I never worked for the government, I worked for the people that sent me there, [and] I’m going to do the same thing as your governor. Patriots, I’m gonna prove what it means for Texas to be sovereign … I am Joe Biden’s worst nightmare.”
The primary election for the bid of Texas governor will be held on March 1. More information about each candidate who has filed, from both parties, can be found here.