GOP General Info and happenings.

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone is well into their Thanksgiving preparations and as always, if you need any help disposing of your desserts please let me know and I will be happy to come by and help out in that department. Remember, there are no calories during the Thanksgiving week!!!

To date the following have filed for office.

District Judge

John W. Youngblood (Incumbent)

District Attorney

Bill Torrey (Incumbent)

Sheriff

David E. Greene (Incumbent)

County Tax Assessor

Sherry Mueck

County Commissioner, Precinct 1

Richard "Opey" Watkins

County Commissioner, Precinct 3

John L. Fisher

Constable, Precinct 1

John Anderle

Constable, Precinct 2

Charles L. “Charlie” West

Constable, Precinct 3

Jay Beathard

I have been contacted by a couple others, Including Kollette Morgan about filing in the next few days.

We also are looking for a candidate to run for Constable in Precinct 4 (Thorndale and the West Rockdale area). We thought there was a young man who wanted to run for this; however, he says he was told by several members of the Thorndale VFD that if he ran as a Republican then he wouldn’t get their support.

I guess he forgot about the other 3/4ths of the folks in Precinct 4 who vote GOP or the more the 50% who voted straight ticket GOP last election cycle.

Anyway, we have a couple of individuals who have shown interest in this office we are currently discussing this with them. If you have anyone who might like to be run in Precinct 4 please give them my contact information. Also, if you know of anyone interested in running as a Republican, please have them get in touch with me and we can set them up.

The Republican Women will be having their Christmas Reception on December 3^rd, at 6:00 in Cameron at the Milam County Museum. The event is free so come out and meet the women and the candidates.

Also mark your calendars now for February 4^th, 2016 for the Annual Reagan Day/Texas Independence Day Dinner. All of the local candidates will be there and many state candidates as well. Come out and enjoy this special evening as the Republican Women of Milam County put on the finest dinner and fund raiser of the year. More information to follow on this.

That’s about it for today. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and keep me in mind on those desserts!!

Thanks,

Bill

Bill Whitmire

Chairman,

Milam GOP

254-482-0354

Tomorrow's the day to GET OUT THE VOTE!!

Well tomorrow is the day of truth. The day we find out whether or country, state, and county will be headed in the right direction or taken on the path none of us want to see.


For all the latest on the election and what is going on in Milam County keep track with this blog. I will be posting on the road today and tomorrow with important updates, pictures, and results.

If you haven't done it yet VOTE!! If you need to, take a friend, family member, or neighbor and tell them to VOTE STRAIGHT TICKET GOP!!

1 Click and You're DONE!!

Early Voting ended Friday with a record number 4752 Milam County Voters hitting the polls early. That means that to date, 34% of Milam County’s registered voters have already voted….HAVE YOU?

Don’t let the wrong people get elected here in Milam County because you didn’t vote. Last election we had a Republican win office in Milam County winning by 21 votes and in this year’s primary we had one candidate win by 25 votes. So if 30 people in either of those elections had decided not to cast a vote.

EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!

I will be posting as often as I can in the next few days so stay tuned and share the blog so others can be informed. We need to GET OUT THE VOTE!!

Thanks!!
Bill

One Democrat's Out of Control Budget...in Milam County?

I had several phone calls yesterday asking me to clarify just how much the budget of the County Attorney’s Office has gotten out of hand.

I could try and tell you about it, but I think a picture (or graph) can much better demonstrate this than any explanation. This graph illustrates the rise in the County Attorney's budget since 2001 when the current County Attorney was elected.

NOTE: These figures can all be confirmed in the County Clerk’s Office and the inflation statistics can be confirmed with the U.S. department of Commerce.

This is why we need strong, conservative leadership in the County Clerk's Office so that we can control spending and get the job done.

Vote

BILL TORREY

for Milam County Attorney

The only clear choice for responsible leadership in the County Attonrey's Office.

More Employees, More Money, Less Bang for the Buck!!

This graph shows the amount of production in the Milam County Attorney's office versus the number of personnel on staff. Since being elected to office in 2000, the current County Attorney has tripled her staff and nearly quadrupled her budget while having little effect on the crime rate and or conviction rate since taking office in 2000. Not really a sparkling resume!!

More Employees, More Money, Less Bang for the Buck!!

It’s time for a change!!

BILL TORREY

 THE REPUBLICAN CHOICE FOR COUNTY ATTORNEY!

As For Me and Mine....We'll Vote Republican!

Last week I wrote a blog addressing the newest Milam County Political Organization. When I say that I am not really sure what to point out more; the Milam County or the Political Organization because quite honestly neither of these words adequately fits this group.

Many folks have contacted me in regards to the group called Republicans for Kerry Spears. To be honest, a couple were upset with me, but most of them were quite angry with Mrs. Spears. While I appreciate the concerns of those upset by this group, I also understand that while the goal of this group may seem honorable, the origin and background of this group is quite deceptive.

If this was simply a matter of a group of Republicans choosing to back Mrs. Spears I would probably have not said anything about it; after all, as I said in my earlier blog I believe “that America is a free country and that everyone has the right to vote for whomever they feel will do the best job.”

Like most of you I have nothing against Mrs. Spears; however, when there is an issue that is brought before me that I must address as the Party Chairman, I will do so in a manner that does urge party loyalty. Mrs. Spears choose to run for re-election as a Democrat and dance with the ones who brought her – now she’s not so sure she wants to dance.

The general election system we have set up in Texas calls for all candidates in state and county elections to either declare themselves loyal to a political party or to run as an independent. This system while not perfect, does allow the general public to have a general idea of where the candidates stand based on the party they align themselves with. Just like many of this year’s candidates, Bill Torrey has run as a Democrat in the past, but unlike Mrs. Spears, once given the opportunity to run for office as a Republican in Milam County Mr. Torrey did so – Mrs. Spears DID NOT.

Mrs. Spears had the opportunity to run as a Republican and she chose to remain a Democrat and as such to align her campaign with the liberal principles and beliefs held by Barack Obama’s party and not with the conservative beliefs and values held by voters in Milam County. Regardless of What Mrs. Spears’ advertising and messages say now, if she was a true conservative she would have shown the moral conviction and courage to switch parties and run as a Republican.

Bill Torrey chose to run as a Republican because the values of the Republican Party are the same conservative values and beliefs he holds dear. It was the hard work of the people of the Republican Party of Milam County and the Republican candidates in 2010 that proved you could run as a Republican in Milam County and win. That hard work built a party that let conservatives have the chance to run as a Republican and the true conservatives have chosen to run as Republicans.

In last Wednesday’s blog I strove to keep the same civil and respectful tone I have throughout my time as County Chair. I did not mention any deception in my blog, but this group has been deceptive. It was set up through a third party individual from Rockdale while being principally financed and logistically organized by family members of Kerry Spears. That in itself is deceptive and can be proved through the financial statements on file at the County Clerk’s office and the phone calls received by me and other county officials from unhappy land owners approached by Mrs. Spears’ family members looking to place these signs.

If it was the support of Republicans Mrs. Spears wanted, then she should have run as a Republican and not allowed this trickery by various friends and family members to be the means by which she sought to gain Republican support. In the past and from time to time I have seen people I know as Republicans with signs supporting a Democrat and have respected those folks’ opinions enough to let them have their say. As I also said in an earlier blog, I spent 14 years serving this country in the U. S. Navy and have spent the last few years as Milam County GOP Chair working to help protect the rights of people to vote for who they think is the best candidate for the job.

If this was just a group of Republicans that got together to do this on their own, I would not need to address this; however, this is an issue of someone using the Republican brand and as such I have addressed it as I was asked to by my constituency.

I do apologize if any of this has in any way been offensive as that is surely not my desire. But the actions of this group is offensive to those working so hard in the Republican Party of Milam County and to have an incumbent Democrat candidate try and work the system to gain support under less-than-honorable circumstances is dissappointing.

 

Vote for Bill Torrey, the only Republican for Milam County Attorney. 

Thanks,

Bill

Bill Torrey is the Republican Choice for DA!!

Many times while acting as the Republican Party Chair for Milam County I have had the opportunity to report on things that are pleasant in nature. Normally I get to come to you with good news and spread cheer; today I have to address an issue that might be unsettling for some, but I feel it necessary for me to address it all the same.

When I took over the reigns as the Milam County Republican Chairman I did so with the goal of creating a local Republican Party that would be filled with quality individuals so that the voters of Milam County could have a solid conservative choice on the ballot and end the years of single party governance.

My goal was to create an atmosphere where those with conservative beliefs could run for office as a Republican and change the mentality of “You have to run as a Democrat if you want to win in Milam County.”

Milam County has always been a Conservative place to live and raise a family. The beliefs and values we hold dear here in Milam County are the very same conservative beliefs that have made this country great; people who are hard-working, independent, self-reliant, charitable, and God-fearing just to name a few.

Those working in the Republican Party of Milam County had been working for many years with little success to show for it in the local elections. But in 2010 a tremendous group of candidates rose to the occasion and took on the task of running for local office under the Republican Party Banner that represented their beliefs and values.

Likewise, this year a record number of Conservative candidates came forward and put their name on the GOP ballot, many of them switching parties much to the consternation and abusive rhetoric of local liberals who called them “traitors.” Prior to this election I let it be known that any of those incumbents who wanted to switch parties would be welcomed to; however, they had to understand that many of them would probably have a challenger in the primary – and many of them did!

In the end, those who switched parties did so not to easily win an election, but because they felt that their core beliefs and values more closely matched those of the Republican Party. Several of the incumbents who switched parties had to win the primary in order to represent the party on the ballot in November; in short, they earned their place on the ballot.

In the last week it has come to my attention that a group calling itself Republicans for Kerry Spears has filed paperwork to raise money for their cause and has begun to place signs about Milam County. I just got a note from a concerned Republican saying they saw a yellow sign near one of Kerry Spears signs that supported their cause.

This disturbed him because as a Republican he knows how important it is to support those candidates brave enough to take a stand and run as a Republican in a county that has made it a practice in the past of only voting Democrat. I have also had anonymous letters and phone calls telling me that some of the Milam GOP Candidates are not truly Conservative and that they are really Democrats.

Anonymous letters and phone calls to me are the most ridiculous forms of communication and are very reminiscent of those hate groups in the past who spewed their venom while roaming around in the dark behind cover. This I find quite humorous as the candidates that have chosen to hoist the Team Obama banner and remain in the Democrat Party are the very candidates who say to the State and Federal Democrat Party that they want Milam County to be a Pro-Obama Liberal Stronghold.

I am not sure what those who make up this group calling themselves Republicans has against our Republican Candidate for County Attorney, but Bill Torrey is the Republican Candidate for County Attorney and is the only the candidate the Republican Party of Milam County is supporting in this year’s General Election.

Bill Torrey chose to step forward and run as a Republican to represent the conservative values and beliefs he and Milam County hold dear. His opponent chose to remain in the Democrat Party and to continue to support the liberal Obama agenda that tears at the very fabric of American Society.

The Republican Party in Milam County has worked hard to establish a strong Conservative Republican Party here in Milam County and we will continue to work hard to maintain that high level of civility while we make Milam County a better place to work and live. It has not always been easy, especially when attacked by those on the other side of the political spectrum, but it is worth it to know we can hold our heads high while we work to make things better for Milam County, for Texas, and for our country.

In closing I will say that America is a free country and that everyone has the right to vote for whomever they feel will do the best job. I have believed that all of my life. I spent 14 years in the Navy defending that right and have worked the last three years as the Milam GOP Chair to ensure that everyone in Milam County has a right to vote however they see fit. Regardless of who you chose to vote for on November 6th, just remember that Bill Torrey is the Republican Candidate for County Attorney and that his opponent has chosen to be Barack Obama’s choice.

Thank You,
Bill

Quick Milam GOP Update!!

Hello Everyone,

Hope everyone is getting for a little national convention action. We’ll keep those in the path of Isaac in our prayers, but we have a convention to complete in Tampa that will select the next President of the United States.

First I wanted to thank all those who helped out Donna Orsag. With your help she was able to get lots of new signs. If you haven’t seen them or know somewhere to put one up let me know.

Remember, we have seven local candidates in contested races this November so we need help getting the word out and putting out signs so if you need one let me know. We have signs for the following.

Judge John Youngblood – District Court Judge

Bill Torrey – County/District Attorney
Donna Orsag – County Treasurer
Kolette Morgan – County Tax Assessor
George Tomek – County Commissioner, Precinct 1
John Fisher – County Commissioner, Precinct 3
Fred Keefer – Constable, Precinct 4

As the convention is becoming more and more prominent on the news I have been getting several phone calls about signs and hours of operation for the Party office. We are ordering signs this week and should be able to pick them up so we can start getting them out ASAP. We are also going to be buying some bumper stickers also. If you would like some let me know and we will make sure you get what you need to show your support.

The Milam GOP Executive Committee will be having a meeting next week to determine the hours of operation for the party headquarters and then I will put them out on Party website, via email, on Facebook and in the newspaper. Remember, if you haven’t checked out the Facebook site then please go to it and like it. We have lots of good info there also.

If you have any questions or concerns please give me a shout and I will be glad to help you out.

Thanks,

Bill

 

Bill Whitmire

Chairman,
Republican Party of Milam County
milamgop@yahoo.com