Rep. Riddle’s VOTING RECORD is THE ISSUE. She started off her legislative career with one of the best. I have supported her ALL ALONG THE WAY although somewhat reluctantly last cycle since there was no credible challenger. Riddle’s record, both fiscally and socially, has deteriorated to the point she (as known by her voting record) is barely recognizable from how she started. To wit:
1. She effectively killed THE priority Texas Right to Life bill that would have lowered YOUR insurance costs by making abortion coverage optional.
2. She personally and intentionally KILLED the anti-Sharia law bill, after she and her husband had a nice dinner with one of the chief liberal lobbyists in Austin, who sided with CAIR when hearings on the same bill were held in the Senate.
3. She voted with the Dems AGAINST the Rs to let a $15/hr bill out of calendars–clearly against the GOP platform and common sense–that the Dems planned to use and did use to “chub”–run the clock out on other good conservative legislation (like the ProLife bill).
4. She voted WITH THE DEMS AGAINST the majority of the Rs on Gov Greg Abbott’s signature Ethics and Transparency bill that had been passed UNANIMOUSLY in the Senate (both Ds and Rs) and instead voted for a ridiculously unconstitutional substitute. In the 83rd she had also opposed a similar transparency bill saying at the time that taxpayers had no business knowing what her relatives were involved in related to government contracts, etc.
5. In the 83rd, she voted for and championed a budget that the Wall Street Journal wrote about on its editorial page in an article titled “Texas Goes Sacramento” due to a whopping 26{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} budget increase, and later considered retracting since they could not find a similarly massive increase in California’s budget.
6. She accepted FAR MORE money from Austin and outside the state lobbyists than from her district. The anti-ALAC lobbyists above ALONE gave over 50{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} MORE money to her than her ENTIRE DISTRICT according to the TEC.
7. She voted against parental rights and against a priority parental rights protection bill championed by the venerable Texas Homeschool Coalition.
…and on and on and one…
Take a look at how the various conservative scorecards have rated Riddle over the years:
In contrast, http://www.ValoreeSwanson.com accomplishments for conservatives span her entire adult lifetime. She was recognized for this as “Volunteer of the Year” for Senate District 7 just a few months ago. Her endorsement list…both conservative watchdog groups and well known individuals, is one of the most impressive I’ve EVER seen for a challenger to a long-time establishment incumbent. A massive number of Harris County Precinct Chairs (and notably, a majority of District 150 Precinct Chairs) endorse Valoree Swanson. Just the MAJOR groups include:
Texas Right to Life
Texas Home School Coalition
Texas Values
The Texas Conservative View
Conservative Coalition of Harris County
Texas Patriot PAC
C Club
Empower Texans/Texans for Fiscal Responsibility
Texas Eagle Forum
Concerned Women for America (both “national” and “Texas”)
Kingwood Tea Party
Dr. Robin Armstrong
Operation Rescue
Liberty Institute
Barbara Cargill (SBOE member and former chair)
JoAnn Fleming
July McCarty
….and HUNDREDS more…
Very notably, the vast majority of these endorsing organizations and individuals, including myself, FORMERLY endorsed and even campaigned for Rep. Riddle.
We’ve reached the breaking point. It is past time for Ms. Riddle to retire and spend more time with her grandchildren.
More information on Valoree, her endorsements, and Ms Riddle’s record is at http://www.valoreeswanson.com or at Valoree Swanson for Texas Faceboook.
Thank you.
Respectfully,
Mark Ramsey
SREC SD7, Resolutions Committee Chair
Ha! So I’m really supposed to trade in someone who’s taken care of my district for 14 years for a hatchet-person from the fringe of the party? Try again. Not buying it. Debbie Riddle takes care of her district. The only thing Valoree Swanson has ever built is a name for herself. And only those who hold ideology above all else think its a name of any merit.
At issue is Riddle’s voting record of late. I supported Riddle but now after considering some big concerns with some of her voting choices I think a change is in order.
And Swanson? She won’t be able to help us in any way. Tearing things down gets you noticed. But it doesn’t build anything. How will she know whether a bill will actually stand up to legal challenges? How will she work with others to continue to take care of 150? Answer: She won’t. She has no ability or inclination to unite. She is a force of destruction both in the party and in the community. We will all suffer if she gets elected.
Swanson has been bought by a few millionaires who’s goal is to rule the legislature. Swanson can’t read a bill, has no community experience and only appears to be a “party girl” at Republican party events. Her campaign team is reported as being the most vile and combative of the last 20 years. Humm, how’s that going to work in Austin?
My concerns exactly Foolme. It’s not going to work and the district is going to suffer.
And how’s this? Swanson was allegedly fired from her community liaison position at the Tax Assessor’s office for using county time, supplies, and connections to explore her run for office. Another good pause for thought regarding how she might act if sent to Austin to represent us
Perhaps an astute observer has submitted an open records request for Ms Swanson’s personnel file.
Here’s hoping!
I’m also struck by the $50,000 her campaign received in the past month from Holloway “Holly” Frost. This was the same guy the fringes of the party just last cycle bashed Nathan Hecht and other Justices over the head with for taking the maximum-allowable (to them) $5,000 from. Why? For his having settled a rather lurid sexual assault case out of court. Now, evidently, it’s OK for one of their own to take 10 times that much from him.