Tim McCormick
On Jan. 3 the Robson Ranch Republican Club hosted a Q&A event for those seeking to run for Congress in the district that covers Robson Ranch—Texas Congressional District 26. With the announcement from Rep. Dr. Michael Burgess that he would not be seeking re-election, the floodgates opened for candidates, and there are now 11 people who will appear on the Republican primary ballot. Of the 11 candidates invited, nine accepted and eight showed up.
The Candidate Forum Committee, headed by VP of Programming Suzie Kardong-Edgren, PhD, crafted customized questions for each candidate to have them address issues of concern to our members. David Blassingame served as the emcee of the evening, and while remaining cordial, he redirected the candidates if they attempted to answer something other than the given question. The candidates sponsored the refreshments for the evening and were each provided with a small table for their campaign literature and signs. After the formal portion of the evening, attendees were invited to stay and speak individually with any of the candidates.
This was the first of a number of candidate Q&A sessions hosted by the Republican Club. Since the Republican Club is for Republicans of a variety of opinions, we, as a club, do not endorse any candidates in the Republican primary. Instead, we wait for the will of the majority of Republicans to be shown through the primary and then support those candidates who received the most votes. We also are fair and respectful of all candidates throughout the primary process. Of course, our individual members support the candidates they think will be best for each race. This sometimes makes for spirited discussions, but everyone knows it’s all part of the political process. While there are differences of opinion, there is certainly no need to lose friends over political differences, especially within your own political party. After the primary, we all come back to the political family dinner table and continue working to influence those getting elected to positions of political power.
As a service to the members of our club and to residents of Robson in general, the Republican Club has committed to being at the clubhouse Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 and 11 a.m., manning a table where you can get yard signs for almost all of the candidates running for office or learn more about events that are on the horizon. Many members are hosting Meet and Greet sessions where they invite friends and neighbors to meet with a candidate in their home. This is something usually reserved for larger donors, but because they know that we vote 75% Republican in Robson Ranch and that we vote in massive numbers, candidates come out to court your vote. Another perk of living in our wonderful community!
If you are not a member of the Republican Club and would like to join us, please visit our website, RRRepublicanClub.com, and sign up! We meet the first Wednesday of the month in the clubhouse ballroom.