Bowie County Precinct 19 Chair
Age: 59
Residence: New Boston, Texas Current employment: Post Up East Texas, manager
Why are you running for office?
I have a passion to serve my community and the great state of Texas. I am seeking re-election to continue my work of representing Republicans in the election process, at County Executive Committee meetings and at the State level. My duties as precinct chair are to educate and inform my constituents as well as to take an active role in electing Republican leaders. I’ve enjoyed meeting the voters of Precinct 19 and listening to their concerns on the direction this country is taking…concerns that I also share. It is my responsibility to encourage the voters of Precinct 19 to get involved with our local Republican Party, volunteer for candidates and exercise their right to vote.
What is your relevant experience?
• Current Bowie County Republican Party Precinct 19 chair
• Bowie County election judge, clerk and deputy voter registrar
• Member of the Committee for Countywide Vote Centers
• Presiding judge of the Bowie County Signature Verification Committee
• Testified in front of the Texas Senate and the Texas House Committee on elections in Austin on behalf of the Voter ID bill
• Assistant supervisor for a recount in Cherokee County appointed by the Texas Republican Party
• President of the Star of Texas and Edge of Texas, Republican Women’s Club
• Delegate multiple years to the Texas Republican State Convention
• Poll watcher (14 years) and campaign worker (28 years)
What three issues do you think are pressing for Bowie County?
Economic development, water rights and foster care for our displaced children
Attracting and growing businesses strengthens our economy by providing locally-produced goods and services. Economic growth gives our citizens a better future, enabling them to have the chance at a higher standard of living.
Water and jobs are directly related. Without a stable water supply, industry will not locate here. Lake Wright Patman has a good water supply, but we must continue to manage and maintain it. Riverbend Water Resources District has secured funding through the Texas Water Development Board to implement approximately $200 million in water system improvements.
Foster care for our displaced children is an immediate pressing concern. We are at a crisis level now with our displaced children. Brothers and sisters are being torn apart with most going to other counties because we do not have enough foster families to keep up with the demand of children needing homes.
What changes, if any, would you make if elected?
Upon re-election I would like to see a Women’s Republican Club re-established in Bowie County. Community activism and Voter participation is the heart and soul of victory within our party. I would like to encourage men and women of all ages to read our Party platform and let’s turn our country back into a Godly Nation.
What do you think is needed to ensure election integrity?
The right to a free and fair election is the most basic of our civil rights; one on which many of the other rights of the American people depend. To ensure election integrity many procedures must be followed such as:
Transparency in the election process
Photo Identification Paper ballots and records for every vote cast
Replace old voting equipment Perform mandatory pre-election testing on voting equipment and tabulators
Conduct robust post-election audits to confirm election outcomes
Ensure voter registration systems are up to date
Provide federal funding for updating election infrastructure
Well-trained election workers and poll watchers
What do conservative values mean?
My love for God, Country and family set my conservative values in stone. The birth of our great nation was inspired by the bold declaration that our individual, God given liberties should be preserved against government intrusion. For me, Conservative values fall hand in hand with the following:
Limited government
The rule of law
Peace through strength Fiscal responsibility
Free markets
The right to life
The right to bear arms
The right to assemble Freedom of speech without persecution
What makes you the best person for the job?
My unwavering dedication and years of service to the people of the Bowie County Republican Party set me apart from the other candidate. I have been on the frontlines of the conservative movement since 1996 as a Republican Activist and Volunteer. My grassroots training and boots on the ground highly qualify me to continue as your elected Precinct Chair. Our Republican County Executive Committee Meetings are open to the public, and you are invited to attend.
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ADAM HUGGINS
Age: 43
Residence: New Boston, Texas Current employment: defense contract management
Why are you running for office?
I am running for office to properly represent the people of my community to the Bowie County Republican party. They deserve to be better informed and a well-informed electorate votes more often achieving the result of better representation at all levels of government. Together our voices can move mountains in government but I often hear of people attacking the wrong level of government for their specific needs and therefore their efforts get ignored. I want to help people understand how to effectively work for change in government.
What is your relevant experience?
I started as a guy who was upset with other states’ election processes, and with nothing being done, I realized I needed to find an outlet for my frustration. For over two years I’ve been a part of the Bowie County Patriots. I learned that silence is consent. It’s time to actively engage all levels of government to get the changes we want to see. Laws are made to protect rights and when government grows, our rights are diminished. With the help of some great people, I’ve learned where I can serve best which is my voting precinct’s representative to the Republican party.
What three issues do you think are pressing for Bowie County?
First, I want people to get involved in our civic duty of elections. I don’t mean simply voting. I mean working in elections to gain maximum transparency and restore faith in elections. Second, we need to understand where we can fit into the different levels of government. How many people actually attend school board meetings or county commissioner’s court or give any attention to Texas Legislature? Third, I think we need to hold our representation at the different levels to a higher standard of accountability, even through censure if necessary.
What changes, if any, would you make if elected?
Of all the people I’ve talked to in my precinct, only one said they trust electronic voting machines. The County Chair Handbook states that the precinct chairs decide what voting system will be used in primaries and runoff elections. My primary goal as a precinct chair is to influence the Bowie County Republican Executive Committee to explore and implement an election system that does not use electronic scanning machines to count ballots. There is at least one option in development and it will take legislative changes and many volunteers on the ground to implement.
What do you think is needed to ensure election integrity?
Our ballots need to be counted in a way that is transparent and open for public observation and in a repeatable method. We need to restrict use of mail-in or absentee ballots for use by voters with certain conditions. We need to vote only on election day and in our local precinct polling places where ballots are counted before being taken to a county-wide central counting room. We also need cameras monitoring storage of ballot boxes and equipment to ensure there is no tampering behind closed doors.
What do “conservative values” mean to you?
Conservative values are the values that formed this nation. Faith in God, salvation through Jesus Christ and the belief in the Holy Spirit with the Bible as a moral guide for society. A willingness to work and save for something you want. A willingness to help a neighbor in time of need and the responsibility to return that favor when the time arose. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A lack of any sense of entitlement. Logical thought. And finally, a deep understanding of constitutional freedom and a willingness to fight for what is right.
What makes you the best person for the job?
I’ve grown up in my precinct in the dot on the map called Malta, TX. I know the people around me and the values they hold. I know they’re tired of seeing this state and this nation fall by the wayside. They lack trust in our elections and so do I. They want to take it back but they don’t know how. They need leadership, representation, and motivation. I will work to give them all those things, even from this most basic level of the political world.