Less than two weeks after surviving a serious motorcycle accident, Lt. Col. Allen West, a former U.S. congressman and current candidate for chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, spoke with the Association of Lamar County Republicans on Thursday afternoon ahead of a public appearance at the Red River County Fair Grounds.
“Now is their time,” West said on what he wants to tell the citizens of Lamar County. “Now is their time to step up and be a part of what has always made America great. Generations that stood in the gap for subsequent generations — that’s what has kept this great nation going for 245 years. And they need to be able to step up and we want to encourage them to do that.”
On Aug. 15, 2019, West announced he was running for Texas GOP chair, challenging current party leader James Dickey for the position.
“I’m jumping back into this fray,” West said in a Facebook Live video Aug. 15. “We need to have strong, principled voices — constitutional conservatives.”
With the Texas State Republican Convention postponed two months due to the coronavirus, West has been utilizing this time to continue campaigning and meeting more Texans.
“It’s important to go everywhere. It’s important for people to see you and touch you and ask you questions because you are going to be their voice and they have to know that they can have trust and confidence that you are going to go out there and you’re going to fight for them,” he West.
A former U.S. Congressman from Florida, West said he had many ties to Texas, including his last duty assignment in the Army being at Ft. Hood, and so when he got the opportunity to come back he did.
“It’s a great state. I can think of very few states that I would like to be in; Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia,” he said. “And when you think about that relationship of Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia they really came together to establish this place called Texas. That’s why I talked about the first President of the Republic of Texas was a man from Tennessee and the second President of the Republic of Texas was a man from Georgia because they all came here to fight for one thing and that was liberty and that’s what I am here to fight for now.”
When asked his thoughts on current polls showing President Donald Trump and opponent Joe Biden neck-and-neck in the Presidential race, West said there are a few things to consider.
“One of the interesting things is the polls had Hilary Clinton ahead in mid of October so one of the things you have to be careful of is the survey crowd that that poll is taking and then, of course, it’s a snapshot of some of the things going on right now that can have an effect on it. So, I think it still is too early.”
In keeping Texas red, he further said, “Once again you have to talk to people about principals and values and especially what Texas stands for and when you think about all the people that have left California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, all of these failed economic states and they’ve come here to Texas because they are doing it right here and can find growth opportunities and prosperity and get a nice home for a lot less and they can open up a business – why would you want to make texas like the place you’ve left.”
To learn more about Lt. Col. Allen West, what he stands for and his vision for Texas and the Nation, click here
The 2020 Texas State Republican Convention will be held July 16 – 18 in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
