Glenn Rogers has served two terms in the Texas legislature and lost his race for reelection badly in the recent Republican primary.

He is quite conservative, but he caught the wrath of Gov. Abbott for standing against school vouchers and Attorney General Paxton for supporting his impeachment.

By comparison, our rep, Cole Hefner, supported vouchers and got Abbott’s endorsement but was among a large group of Republicans who voted for the AG’s impeachment. He had a Paxton-backed opponent, local attorney and former judge Jeff Fletcher, but was easily reelected.

Hefner’s foes did not have the big West Texas bucks seen in many races, according to their camping finance reports.

Rogers’ opponent was heavily funded by the Christian nationalist billionaires from West Texas and some of the $6 million from a Pennsylvania voucher supporter that Abbott funneled to help defeat those he opposed.

Some of the mailers in the district west of Fort Worth had Nancy Pelosi featured. I’m pretty sure Rogers has never met her and has very little, if anything, he can agree with Pelosi about.

A reliable source described some of the mailers as nothing but lies.

I’ve never met Rogers. I met his opponent, Mike Olcott, in 2014 when he was opposing an Aledo school bond, because the Tea Party decided it opposed all bonds. Never mind that the district was, and still is, bursting at the seems and needs a place to house all the kids moving in.

Rogers wrote this for the Weatherford Democrat the day after the primary. It’s being published here, because it establishes, in my opinion,  a critical point of demarcation for our politics.

Please pen your thoughts and email them to me at publisher@wood.cm.

“I’ll Wear No Man’s Collar”

-Davy Crockett

First, I want to thank my supporters, those who voted for me and those who supported me prayerfully, financially, and in so many other ways. It has been the greatest honor to serve this district.

The corruption that exists at the highest level of Texas state government would have made Governor “Pa” Ferguson blush.

Governor Greg Abbott has defiled the Office of Governor by creating and repeating blatant lies about me and my House colleagues, those who took a stand for our public schools. I stood by the Governor on all his legislative priorities but just one, school vouchers. For just one disagreement, and for a $6 million check from Jeff Yass, a Pennsylvanian TikTok investor, and voucher vendor, Abbott went scorched earth against rural Texas and the Representatives who did their jobs – representing their districts.

My tenure in the Texas House included two general sessions, seven special sessions, redistricting, Covid, winter storm Uri, a Democrat quorum break, expulsion of a House member and the impeachment of Ken Paxton. It also includes a litany of conservative victories that made Texas safer, reigned in out-of-control government bureaucracy, lessened what had become a crushing tax burden on our families and businesses, and fostered economic growth.

I am not a good politician. I am just a Texas rancher who wanted to make a difference in my community. Who knew this simple mission would have resulted in three brutal campaigns?

Throughout my three campaigns, because of my unwillingness to be compliant with the two billionaire, “Christian” Nationalist, power brokers that run this state, I have been unmercifully slandered through the politics of unwarranted personal destruction on social media, radio, post mail, streaming sites, and cable television.

In my first race the opposition was the Wilkses, Tim Dunn, Empower Texans, and the entire enterprise of dozens of PACs and “non-profits” they financed. The race ended in a hard fought Covid-delayed runoff victory against Farris Wilks’ son-in-law.

In my second race, my opposition was Wilks and Dunn, Empower Texans (rebranded to Defend Texas Liberty), and the Voucher Lobby, including the American Federation for Children and the School Freedom Fund (based in Virginia). In that race, we dealt with a runoff and an expensive, unnecessary recount.

In my third race the opposition was all the above, but now included a rebranded Defend Texas Liberty (Texans United for a Conservative Majority), vastly greater money from the Voucher Lobby, and Governor Greg Abbott.

This time the millions of dollars spent spreading lies about my record and the non-stop false impugning of my integrity were just too much to overcome. The real losers in this race are:

1) Texas public schools;

2) Rural Texas; and

3) Representative government.

I am not a good politician. I am just a Texas rancher who wanted to make a difference in my community. Who knew this simple mission would have resulted in three brutal campaigns?

This morning, I have no regrets. I believe in the words of Sam Houston, “Do right and risk the consequences.”

History will prove Ken Paxton is a corrupt, sophisticated criminal. History will prove vouchers are simply an expensive entitlement program for the wealthy and a get rich scheme for voucher vendors. History will prove Governor Greg Abbott is a liar.

History will prove that our current state government is the most corrupt ever and is “bought” by a few radical dominionist billionaires seeking to destroy public education, privatize our public schools and create a Theocracy that is both un-American and un-Texan.

May God save Texas!