The Lake Country and Holly Lake Republican Clubs and the Republican Women of Wood County sponsored an ice cream social and Get Out the Vote Rally at the Jim Hogg Park Pavilion in Quitman Sunday afternoon.

The event’s featured speakers were U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert, Michael Quinn Sullivan from Empower Texans and Terry Free from the National Rifle Association. Wood County Republican Club President Janna Castloo said the purpose of the rally was, “To get out the vote. We know this is a very controversial election on the national level and we want to encourage everyone to stay with the Republicans. We also wanted people to come out and hear some of the big issues because I do think the media has kind of made it into a circus and a lot of the issues have not gotten out there.”

Castloo introduced State Representative Bryan Hughes who served as the master of ceremonies and introduced the speakers.

The first speaker was Sullivan who is part of a non-profit organization called Empower Texans which focuses on promoting free market principles in Texas. Sullivan urged the audience to “Step back from fear” during this election. Sullivan then stressed that while the national election is important, our local and state governments have the greatest impact on our lives and, “We as citizens should be engaged at all levels of local and state government.” Sullivan said no matter the outcome of the national presidential election we as Texans should, “make sure Texas shines brighter than any other state” and the citizens can do that by exercising voting power at the local level where it has the most powerful and immediate impact.

The second speaker was Terry Free, a spokesperson for the NRA and a former peace officer. Free asked the audience to try and, “Remember when America was strong and economically sound… and when prayer was acceptable in school.”

Free stressed the importance of the NRA in defending the second amendment and its role in supporting Texas communities. “We are at a fork in the road,” he concluded, and warned if the country takes the wrong path there might be no way to turn around for a while.

The final speaker was U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert. Gohmert started by revealing that the Flint Michigan water crisis was a perfect example of federal regulations and overreach causing a disaster. He said in the 1990s the Clinton administration had implemented a federal requirement to treat water with chemicals that eroded the pipes in Flint causing high amounts of lead to leak into the water supply. The Congressman said he came across a saying that summed up the whole situation, “If you want clean water, get the pigs out of the creak upstream.” The Congressman stressed that, “The best control is local control.”

Gohmert said that this election was about ensuring that citizens don’t give up their freedoms. Congressman Gohmert ended by stressing the importance of voting and getting others to vote Republican this November, “To get this country back on track.” The event then closed with a performance by the Alert Academy and then the speakers mingled with the crowd and answered questions.