Good morning, 

Today's edition of the Texas Minute focuses on the men and women who were honored at Saturday’s Conservative Leaders Gala.

But first... please join me in wishing a very happy birthday to Texas Scorecard’s managing editor, Brandon Waltens!

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Monday, December 9, 2019
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The 2019 Conservative Leader Award Recipients 

• Brian Bledsoe. The classic story of how the conservative movement can capture and elevate the ordinary to extraordinary heights and platforms, this truck-driver turned conservative podcast host is a conservative trend setter in North Texas. Brian is the host of TrendChat where he engages the topics of the day with a refreshing conservative take to an audience eager to chat with the affable and affectionate communicator.
   
• Luis Burrola, Jr. He is the man behind the curtain for a number of online social media platforms, including "TEXIT," or the "Tejano Exit" from the Democrat Party and the grasp of liberalism, helping inspire Hispanic and other Texans alike to cling to their conservative principles and fight for good governance. He is also well known for taking conservative ideals to folks at conventionally overlooked events like lowrider car shows across the state.
    
• Adam Cahn. The epitome of a cheerful warrior, his quick-witted Cahnman’s Musings blog often breaks news but more importantly helps define the conflicts in the state Capitol in practical and approachable ways. Cahn is also a familiar face in the Texas Capitol where he routinely goes toe-to-toe with lobbyists and insiders at committee hearings, dawning his beloved Longhorn cap and colors.
         
• Kelli Cook. She is a "how high?" activist who has seemingly led an effort on every front on the conservative battlefield. Whether it's waged at the city, county, school board, state level, or in the media and online, liberals across Texas are shaking in their boots at the thought of Kelli Cook setting her sights on their over-taxing pork-barreled pet projects. Kelli has defeated bonds, whipped up statewide deciding votes, and terminated terribly-liberal narratives from her perch atop The Golden Hammer or from her own home in Montgomery County
     
• Rich & Yvette DeOtte. A power-couple if ever there was one, the DeOttes regularly put their small business on hold – or even in harms’ way – to speak out issues. They regularly travel to Austin so they can offer principled testimony; faithfully speaking truth even if legislators don’t want to hear it.
    
• Rolando Garcia. A true servant leader, Rolando is a man with strong conservative principles and an even stronger work ethic. A tireless grassroots activist and Republican Party leader in Houston, Rolando leads by example and fights for conservative candidates and causes “one letter, one phone call, one door, one conversation at a time."
     
• Lacey Lowry. Aside from her and her family's work supporting conservative candidates for office in East Texas, Lacey is best known for her watchful eye. She routinely calls out the duplicity and double tongued nature of elected officials in office, exposing their lies and truth-telling the actual facts for Texas from across the state. Her uncanny ability to do so with grace and humility paired with her servant's heart is an inspiration for other Texans to speak loudly and get involved.
     
• Howard Powers. Always the first to volunteer, Howard is known around Collin County for his willingness to do whatever needs to be done for liberty, especially at the local city and school board level. When he saw a new group of citizen-activists wanting to get involved, he helped them form the Asian Republican Club to serve their thriving community of local conservatives.
     
• Eugene Ralph. This New Orleans native got to Texas and got involved. An experienced radio host and conservative firebrand, he has been speaking common sense truth to power in some of the state's toughest neighborhoods to much avail. Eugene leads by example and demonstrates for men and women what it looks like to be a block walk prophet and conservative orator extraordinaire.
     
• Mike & Vicki Slaton. Behind every strong woman is an equally incredible man. Vicki Slaton has served in numerous Republican Party capacities, while Mike has focused his energies volunteering with campaigns. The Slatons together have exemplified what it means to be committed to principle over pretty faces, personalities, or insider-access. They are routinely the first to speak up and out about the doings of the crooks and cronies in Dallas County and the Republican Establishment.
     
• Terry Wade. Described as one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, Terry's energy and enthusiasm as a campaign volunteer is seemingly boundless. She brings a fierce loyalty and contagious optimism to everyone she meets. For the candidates with whom she volunteers, she shares previous experiences to help them make the long road of a campaign more manageable.
     
• JoAnn Wilks. In her hometown of Cisco, JoAnn is known for encouraging her fellow citizens to be registered to vote, then organizes opportunities for taxpayers to meet candidates so they can make informed decisions. Whether it is volunteering at a local pregnancy center or fighting for taxpayer rights, JoAnn quietly leads by example everywhere she goes.

Each year we present one individual with the Torch of Freedom. This is someone who put their own comfort aside to shine the light of liberty in the dark places of government.

• Don Huffines. While known widely as a successful businessman and as a former member of the Texas Senate, he made a lasting mark for taxpayers over the last 18 months in exposing local government corruption. Don led the charge to abolish Dallas County Schools, a corrupt agency that had nothing to do with education and everything to do with enriching the cronies who ran it. When legislators wouldn’t do the job necessary, Don spearheaded a successful grassroots campaign to end the DCS. Along the way, those running it were exposed and many have now gone to jail.

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