Sign of the times: Texas's GOP cavalry may need to stay home to guard Ted Cruz
by Salena Zito
| September 12, 2018 05:56 PM
AUSTIN, TX – Rick Potter knows campaign signs don’t vote, but when an overwhelming amount Beto O’Rourke signs began sprouting up in his home county, he says he knew exactly what to do: call in the cavalry.
For 18 years, Potter has been part of the Mighty Texas Strike Force, which typically deploys a few battalions of rock-ribbed conservatives from solid red territory to a swing state where they can help tip a competitive race to the GOP. This year, they're deploying at home, in the Lone Star State.
“It marks the first time I’ll stay in Texas to assist in keeping a Republican in office,†said the 62 year-old Travis County businessman who has been part of a volunteer army of 1,500 to 2,000 conservatives from 15 different states who volunteer their time on their own dime to go to battleground states during presidential election cycles.
“We knock on doors, do phone banking, go to rallies, and do social networking for about three weeks immersing ourselves in places where elections are close for Republicans. We used to be mostly Texans, we began in 2000 when George W. Bush was running for president,†he explained.
Since then they’ve grown to members from other red states who go out in swing states to help out in voter contact and get out the vote efforts.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/sign-of-the-times-texass-gop-cavalry-may-need-to-stay-home-to-guard-ted-cruz
