Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Conservative Texans are accustomed to political success. Unfortunately the fat years of the Bush-Perry era have created a bit of political ennui as well as indifference to the changing demographics in Texas which eventually could imperil conservative control of the Lone Star State.
From 2004 to 2008 conservative Republicans lost 12 seats in the Texas House of Representatives reducing the conservative majority to a single seat 76 to 74. This was no accident -- left-wing groups poured tens of millions of dollars into Texas over the past decade to turn our state blue (or at least purple).
With 2011 a redistricting year the 2010 elections were critical to strengthen Republican control. Due to significant population growth detailed in the 2010 census Texas gains four new U.S. House seats in 2012 making redistricting meaningful. No other state gains more than two.
Fortunately the successes of the Bush-Perry era have not left all Texans asleep at the switch. The Associated Republicans of Texas and their allies developed a strategic blueprint for success and executed it with precision.
First ART recruited a blue-chip roster of board members from business and civic leaders across Texas. ARTs leadership insured pragmatic can-do action focused on results.
Second ART had a limited mission: First elect more conservative Republicans to the Texas House in place of liberal Democrats and second engage in effective respectful outreach to the Latino community. Simple missions executed with excellence lead to satisfactory results.
ARTs mission hinged on recruiting and vetting of principled conservative candidates of integrity training of those candidates in public policy and being media savvy providing accountability and oversight to insure campaigns were run effectively and funding the right campaigns adequately.
In the initial months of 2010 ART interviewed the top 25 challenger candidates and focused on the 15 to 20 most impressive with the best chance to win. Subsequently ART required candidates to attend several days of policy and media training to insure they were not only effective on the campaign trail but ready to serve their state as elected officials from day one.
We should not settle for good politicians alone; they should also be qualified and dedicated public servants.
Finally ART raised almost $3.5 million over 10 months. Three-and-a-half million dollars in state legislative races is a lot of money and raising it in 10 months required a herculean effort.
The results speak for themselves: 22 new conservative Republicans including five Latinos and two African-Americans. There were no Latino or African-American Republican members of the Texas House in 2008.
Additionally three Democrats switched sides in 2010. Republicans enter 2011 with 101 members a supermajority in the Texas House. Odds are very good that Texas will remain staunchly conservative in the decade ahead.
But these results were not a foregone conclusion. A systematic shrewd well-funded plan brought historically unprecedented success. As recently as 1978 when Texas elected its first modern Republican governor there were 22 GOP Texas House members total.
Despite compelling results last year Texas long-term political future remains uncertain. Conservatives cannot smugly stand on past achievements. Demographics are changing rapidly from Anglo and old to Latino and young.
Latinos will comprise the largest ethnic group in Texas soon. For Texas to remain the lodestar for American conservatives effective outreach to Latinos is imperative. ART has 10 Latino leaders on its board of directors and in 2011 will lead a significant Latino outreach initiative.
Without recruiting a significant bloc of Latino conservatives Texas will turn blue in time. The work continues and the stakes are high. Hopefully there are lessons for other American conservatives from the 2010 election year in Texas to pave the way for future political gains.
The ART blueprint is a map for success not only for Texas but also for sister states around the country.
George Seay is CEO of Annandale Capital LLC and co-chairman of Associated Republicans of Texas.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Conservative Texans are accustomed to political success. Unfortunately the fat years of the Bush-Perry era have created a bit of political ennui as well as indifference to the changing demographics in Texas which eventually could imperil conservative control of the Lone Star State.
From 2004 to 2008 conservative Republicans lost 12 seats in the Texas House of Representatives reducing the conservative majority to a single seat 76 to 74. This was no accident -- left-wing groups poured tens of millions of dollars into Texas over the past decade to turn our state blue (or at least purple).
With 2011 a redistricting year the 2010 elections were critical to strengthen Republican control. Due to significant population growth detailed in the 2010 census Texas gains four new U.S. House seats in 2012 making redistricting meaningful. No other state gains more than two.
Fortunately the successes of the Bush-Perry era have not left all Texans asleep at the switch. The Associated Republicans of Texas and their allies developed a strategic blueprint for success and executed it with precision.
First ART recruited a blue-chip roster of board members from business and civic leaders across Texas. ARTs leadership insured pragmatic can-do action focused on results.
Second ART had a limited mission: First elect more conservative Republicans to the Texas House in place of liberal Democrats and second engage in effective respectful outreach to the Latino community. Simple missions executed with excellence lead to satisfactory results.
ARTs mission hinged on recruiting and vetting of principled conservative candidates of integrity training of those candidates in public policy and being media savvy providing accountability and oversight to insure campaigns were run effectively and funding the right campaigns adequately.
In the initial months of 2010 ART interviewed the top 25 challenger candidates and focused on the 15 to 20 most impressive with the best chance to win. Subsequently ART required candidates to attend several days of policy and media training to insure they were not only effective on the campaign trail but ready to serve their state as elected officials from day one.
We should not settle for good politicians alone; they should also be qualified and dedicated public servants.
Finally ART raised almost $3.5 million over 10 months. Three-and-a-half million dollars in state legislative races is a lot of money and raising it in 10 months required a herculean effort.
The results speak for themselves: 22 new conservative Republicans including five Latinos and two African-Americans. There were no Latino or African-American Republican members of the Texas House in 2008.
Additionally three Democrats switched sides in 2010. Republicans enter 2011 with 101 members a supermajority in the Texas House. Odds are very good that Texas will remain staunchly conservative in the decade ahead.
But these results were not a foregone conclusion. A systematic shrewd well-funded plan brought historically unprecedented success. As recently as 1978 when Texas elected its first modern Republican governor there were 22 GOP Texas House members total.
Despite compelling results last year Texas long-term political future remains uncertain. Conservatives cannot smugly stand on past achievements. Demographics are changing rapidly from Anglo and old to Latino and young.
Latinos will comprise the largest ethnic group in Texas soon. For Texas to remain the lodestar for American conservatives effective outreach to Latinos is imperative. ART has 10 Latino leaders on its board of directors and in 2011 will lead a significant Latino outreach initiative.
Without recruiting a significant bloc of Latino conservatives Texas will turn blue in time. The work continues and the stakes are high. Hopefully there are lessons for other American conservatives from the 2010 election year in Texas to pave the way for future political gains.
The ART blueprint is a map for success not only for Texas but also for sister states around the country.
George Seay is CEO of Annandale Capital LLC and co-chairman of Associated Republicans of Texas.
