(ROCKWALL, TX – Feb. 8, 2016) Citizens packed the Rockwall High School cafeteria on Saturday, Feb. 6, to hear the positions of local candidates on the 2016 Primary Election Ballot during a candidate forum hosted by the Rockwall County Republican Women’s Club.
Rockwall County Republican Women (RCRW) welcomed the following candidates to the forum (listed in ballot order):
State Representative District 33 – Justin Holland, Lorne Liechty, John Keating
Rockwall County Sheriff – Andrew Hawkes, Harold W. Eavenson
County Commissioner Precinct 1 – Cliff Sevier, Doug Hamilton
Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 – Mark Russo, Jennifer Jeffus, David White
Judge Brian Williams, County Court-At-Law, acted as moderator for the forum, asking each candidate to answer five questions related to their qualifications, skills, and stances on issues facing the county. Each candidate was given one minute to answer each question.
Following the final question, each candidate was given the opportunity to provide closing remarks, portions of which are provided below in ballot order:
County Commissioner Precinct 1
Cliff Sevier – “I have not changed any of my views, my philosophies or the way I’ve operated even with the six years I spent on city council and the three-plus years on the commissioner’s court. I want to continue to operate that way, with more transparency and to keep the values of the citizens first in mind.”
Doug Hamilton – “Of the 21 years I’ve lived in Rockwall – all in Precinct 1 – 18 of those have been involved in public service. Servant leadership I think is what things are about, and to be honest I think we need knew leadership in Precinct 1. We need to know where we’re going and how we’re going to get there, and we need a roadmap to do that.”
Justice of the Peace Precinct 3
Mark Russo – “I want to continue to be a servant’s heart serving you. I have the most education for this and the most knowledge of this job, and as they say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I have a great relationship with all the judges and all the constables, and I think that’s something that’s important.”
Jennifer Jeffus – “Through my 18 years as an educator, I’ve learned to listen to the children and the parents, and to be fair and equitable when coming up with solutions for problems that come before me. I believe I’ve demonstrated my passion for service through my years on the CERT team, and as your J.P. I’m here to serve honestly and fairly, with integrity, as your voice in the people’s court.”
David White – “I got involved in the community because I wanted to make sure that we have the best representation and that this community that I love and have grown up in for 30 years remains the best community, and we get that with strong leadership. I have the history, the reputation and the record as a strong conservative.”
Rockwall County Sheriff
Andrew Hawkes – “I grew up here in Rockwall and graduated from Rockwall in 1989, and I had the benefit of being mentored by some great community leaders. I love this county; I love this town. I have a passion to serve, I’ve served for 26 years and have a Bachelors and Masters degree in Justice Administration. I have an impeccable public service record, and have managed just about every aspect of law enforcement you can imagine.”
Harold W. Eavenson – “Since I’ve been in office, since 2001, there have been no scandals, no negative newspaper articles, no issues or major problems. But I really feel like I am connected at the local level, the state level and the national level, and I think that’s good for the County of Rockwall because our problems are not isolated. The problems that I’ve faced in Rockwall County, sheriffs all over the country have faced.”
State Representative District 33
Justin Holland – “The future of the state of Texas, as it relates to economic prosperity, securing the border, ending sanctuary cities, providing quality education for our children are among my top legislative priorities. But most of all, I think that we need to relentlessly protect the faith and family values that we have as Texans.”
Lorne Liechty – “I’ve been proud of what we’ve accomplished. Frankly, I’ve been proud of being a small part of making Rockwall County what it is and making our district what it is. That means a lot to me. When I ask for your vote to take conservative principles, I’m asking you to trust me. I think that my history, my leadership ability, and what I’ve done in this county shows that I’m trustworthy.”
John Keating – “As Mayor Pro Tem of Frisco, I’m very proud of the work we’ve done. We have a $5 billion Mile. That is part of House District 33 and you need to take pride in that. You need to take pride that the Dallas Cowboys – one of the largest sports franchises in the world – chose your district.”
Melba Jeffus, president of RCRW, said the forum was one of the most attended in the club’s history and reflected the importance of the upcoming 2016 Primary Election to Rockwall County.
“We’re beginning the most important year in the history of our country,” Melba said. “I beg each of you to inform yourselves about the candidates and above all else, vote an informed, educated vote. I think one of the most dangerous things in our country today is an uneducated voter, someone who just goes in and says, ‘I’ve heard of that person, so I’ll vote for him.’ Know your candidates. See what their voting record is, and see if they really stand for what they tell you they stand for.
“Most importantly, please vote your full ballot all the way down. This is the last chance that we have to save our great country. We need every vote, and every vote counts.”
RCRW is a women’s organization in North Texas dedicated to Republican ideals. For more information, visit the RCRW Facebook page at facebook.com/RCRWTX/.
Story and photos by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News staff writer.
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