Op-Eds

This column ran in the Texarkana Magazine on October 3, 2024.

As fall arrives in East Texas, the temperatures drop, the crackling of bonfires fills the air, and football can be found on televisions everywhere. However, this fall, we will also observe another critically important tradition—Election Day

As we approach November, let’s remember that voting is not just a right, it is a responsibility. In a republic form of government, the power rests with the people. That power is exercised primarily through voting. When we do not vote, we abdicate that power to those who do— and often to those who do not share our perspectives, beliefs, or values.

Whether we are voting for positions in local government, the state legislature, Congress, or the White House, we have the opportunity to shape the future of our Republic by electing those who reflect our principles, exhibit the character we teach our children, and will do the hard work necessary to preserve liberty for our individual lives and businesses.

I won my first election to the Tyler City Council in 2005 with just 301 total votes. I guarantee you that every vote mattered in that election. By comparison, in the 2020 presidential election, approximately 155 million votes were cast nationwide, and I can guarantee you that every one of those votes mattered as well. Why? Because each vote represents a voice that matters—it’s your voice.

It’s critical, however, that our elections are reserved solely for Americans. This means we must engage at the ground level to ensure that our policies, practices, and laws support free, fair, and honest elections for those who are eligible to vote and impose stiff preventative measures and penalties for those who are not.

As a former County Judge, I often spoke about the importance of “SALTY” elections—Secure, Accurate, Legal, Transparent elections with YOU involved in every step of the process. Today, in my role representing the First District of Texas in Congress, I repeat this mantra often.

In Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution, the Founding Fathers gave states the primary authority to administer their own elections to prevent the federal government from having unchecked control. While Congress plays a limited role, it provides oversight and support to states conducting their elections.

Just months into my freshman term in Congress, I introduced legislation to restore confidence in our American election system. This bill became part of the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act, the key Republican election integrity measure. The ACE Act emphasizes strong election reforms while upholding the Constitution, federalism, and conservative principles.

I also co-sponsored Chip Roy’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House over the summer. This bill would require proof of citizenship when individuals register to vote and remove non-citizens from voter rolls. I believe this is common sense. The SAVE Act also empowers citizens with a private right of action to bring civil suits against election officials who fail to uphold the proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration.

The importance of defending the American people’s right to have a say in their future has echoed throughout history. In his Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln reaffirmed that ours is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” But President Ronald Reagan solemnly reminded us that “freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction.” His solution was that “it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people.”

Reagan’s caution is a call to action for each of us. What part will each of us play to ensure that we have “SALTY” elections this November and beyond? Everyone can do something—serve as a poll worker, a party volunteer, a block walker, a voter registrar, or as an informed voter who engages with neighbors and shows up to vote.

As we walk into that voting booth, let us each remember those who have gone before us to preserve our freedoms. When we cast our vote, let us speak to our children about this solemn responsibility. And let us pause to reflect on the immense privilege we enjoy as Americans—to have a say in who represents us.

May these freedoms we enjoy as Americans not be relinquished on our watch. May we defend them, may we teach our children to cherish them, and may we never see a day when they are extinguished from our country. Most importantly, may God be with us in this fight, and may He bless and protect our Republic for generations to come. We must remain that shining city on a hill.