Convention of States Texas interviewed gubernatorial candidates Don Huffines, Chad Prather and Lt. Col. Allen West. All three candidates are Convention of States supporters. Governor Abbott declined our request for interview.
Don Huffines
Don Huffines is a fifth-generation Texan, born and raised in the Dallas/Greenville area, and a successful businessman.
Don Huffines has been active in the Republican Party all of his adult life and was a member of the Texas State Senate from 2015-2019, serving the people of Dallas County in District 16.
While serving in Austin, he became known as a strong conservative while taking action against Dallas County Schools by uncovering a massive scandal.
“I was known as the most conservative senator in Austin,” Huffines affirmed.
Huffines declared he works for the people, not the government. “I never took any government money during my tenure,” he said. “No vouchers, travel money, nothing.”
Don Huffines believes in a sovereign Texas saying we must “prove to the free world what state sovereignty means.”
Huffines believes Texas is important to the United States and that the executive branch must enforce the law. This includes taking a firm economic stance when Texan sovereignty is imposed upon or blackmailed by the federal government.
“[The federal government] can keep their money. They don’t need to give money to us,” Huffines stated. He continued to say that in such a case, “Texas doesn’t need to give money to the federal government.”
Don Huffines is disappointed with the incumbent Governor Abbott and expressed frustration over a lack of accomplishment concerning Republican priorities.
“We don’t have anyone with courage,” he lamented. “I’m like most Republican Texans, we’re frustrated and tired of broken promises and being lied to.”
Border
Don Huffines does not consider it necessary to ask permission from the federal government to secure the Texas border. He has determined that the border can be largely secured in 30 days by calling out the National Guard, securing the river, especially 25 bridges over the river, and restricting all inbound commercial traffic that does not have a legal right to enter the state. He also plans to stop the magnets that encourage illegal immigration.
“It is almost impossible to secure the border without Mexico’s cooperation.” Huffines declared. “We [the United States] do $250 billion in trade with Mexico every year.” His goal is to get Mexico to realize they need us.
Electrical Grid
Huffines plans to bring back the oil and gas industries and to do everything he can to bring back energy independence to Texas with a sovereign grid.
Property Taxes
Another priority of Don Huffines is property taxes. His plan would be to cap state spending at 2 percent, and encourage the implementation of a plan that would begin to phase out property taxes in roughly eight years. This would also include an amendment to the Texas Constitution requiring voters to be involved in its passing.
Health Mandates
When asked about health mandates, Huffines asserted individual rights as key: There should be no mandates, local or statewide, forcing masks or vaccines.
Education
Huffines stated Texan children are being brainwashed. He plans to bring prayer back into the classroom and make Bible study a requirement in middle school.
Election Integrity
Huffines has called for a forensic audit of the 2020 election, and wants to go back to paper ballots. He mentioned that, in the primaries, a county can require paper ballots, and the county is to pay for them.
Huffines also has plans to create a law enforcement division whose sole purpose would be to secure election integrity and provide a way for voters to contact the authorities regarding imminent voter fraud. He hopes to create a new system including a judge and prosecution personnel to handle voter fraud.
The catalyst that compelled Don Huffines to throw his hat into the ring was when Abbott shut down businesses and churches.
When opponent Allen West was mentioned, Huffines declared that “West brings an obviousness to the fact that Abbott is a RINO.”
Huffines mentioned that he is a business man who doesn’t need a job. “I have legislative experience and courage,” Don Huffines said. “We need to have a governor in Texas that champions these things. We need leadership, not excuses.”
Chad Prather
Chad Prather has been dubbed a modern-day Will Rogers for his thought-provoking humor. Due to this, when he decided to run for the 2022 primary for Texas governor, some folks were just waiting for the punchline.
But Prather said, “I wouldn’t be where I am in life without Texas.” And again, “I’m in this thing, in it to win it. There’s a fire that burns inside of me… Winning won’t make me love Texas more. I’m in the fight for the rest of my life, win or lose.”
There were several issues about which he was questioned.
Border
What would you do if you were governor right now?
Prather stated Texans need to be empowered. He believes Texas law enforcement needs to be allowed to enforce the law, and encourages the implementation of the law. Prather also wants to quit incentives such as housing, health care, food, and welfare for illegal immigrants. Prather believes the Federal government has the power to control nationalization, but Texas has the power to control immigration. These immigration controls could include controlling roads and highways.
Prather mentioned that one day of a human wall at the border “would cause the phone to ring in two places”: Mexico (the cartel would want to know why their package isn't getting through) and in D.C. (the White House would want to know what’s going on in Texas).
Texit
Prather stated that Texit isn’t necessarily succession from the Union, “but a way for that”. He reaffirmed an earlier statement that “Texas is the only state left that can put the United States and D.C. back on track”.
He added, “I want to put the power back in the hands of the people. I wouldn’t stand in their way if they wanted to sign a Texit bill if that’s what the people want.”
Electrical Grid
Prather believes that Texans need to own their electrical fate. He stated the fact that Texas is the second largest producer of lignite coal in the US, but we have dormant plants because we have “bowed to tyranny”. He stated that 25 percent of our energy is green to “look woke” in policy.
Property Taxes
Prather compared property taxes (which he calls not only unconstitutional but also unbiblical) to a malignant tumor surrounding a vital organ in the body. It needs to go, but slashing it out rather than taking steps to reduce it first would be dangerous to Texans and the economy, “and anybody who says differently, I just don’t trust,” he finished.
Taxpayer Funded Lobbying
Prather noted that when tax money goes to pay lobbyists, it is like “funding the battle against yourself. This needs to go away.”
He also stated that he enjoys “being politically incorrect too much” to get bought out.
Health Mandates
Frustrated with the shutdowns (especially of churches) in Texas, Prather decided he needed to run for governor. He accused Governor Abbott of a dictatorial shutdown.
He also mentioned the influx of businesses coming into the state, indicating that getting business “indoctrinated” with the ideology of vaccines for their workers is not good for the spirit of Texas.
“Unfortunately, we are in an at-will state, that means companies can fire you for wearing the wrong shoe color. We need to protect our workers.
“I believe in letting private companies run their business their way but we are talking about something that is unconstitutional as well as illegal.”
Education
Prather stated that wokeism, such as sex education, CRT, and revising history have no place in education, but that the public schools are an “indoctrination camp.”
Prather said, “I think any society that fails to defend the most innocent among them, and that is our children and our unborn, loses the grace and providential hand of God, and that is a conviction of mine that I’ve held my entire life.”
Prather affirmed that he is “running alongside Huffines and West,” rather than against them.
“We need to make politics boring again,” he stated, adding his slogan, “Anyone but Abbott”.
Prather wants to keep Texas red, and make sure that Texas is not known for being one among 49 other states, but as THE one.
Lieut. Colonel Allen West
Lieut. Colonel Allen West is a Christian, constitutional conservative, combat veteran, and former member of the U.S. Congress where he served on the Small Business and Armed Services Committee. West was also instrumental in the passage of the 2011 and 2012 National Defense Authorization Acts. He is the former executive director of the Center of Policy Analysis in Dallas, and for director of the Booker T. Washington Initiative for the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
West also served as chairman of the Republican Party of Texas in July 2020, being elected by an overwhelming majority.
Border
West believes Texas is a sovereign state, and that Article One, Section 10, Clause Three of the U.S. Constitution gives Texas the right to defend themselves from invasion when the federal government unconstitutionally implements an open border policy.
If elected, West plans to deter illegal immigration by full deployment of the National Guard and defunding of the cartels. He also plans to revoke the license of non-profit charities who process illegal immigrants, and get laws passed that empower law enforcement to detain, arrest and deport instead of just collect and process individuals.
He also plans to tax the remittances of illegal immigrants as does Okla., who set this tax at one percent. However, West believes that a better deterrent would be 37 percent: the highest rate Texas citizens pay. West stated that, as a sovereign state, Texas has the authority to designate cartels as transnational criminals and belligerents, and plans to go after their finances including those aiding and abetting, and put those monies in the Texas treasury.
When asked if legislative action would be necessary to accomplish this, West replied the designation could be accomplished with an executive order, but law would need to be codified to give law enforcement the authority to arrest them.
Those who are receiving money from the black market could be tracked by Western Union and the monies being wired to other countries. Organizations that refused to cooperate could have criminal charges brought against them.
West further stated, “I’m not going to go the federal government and beg to protect the state of Texas. That is what weaklings do.”
Property Taxes
West believes Texas must transition from the current system of property taxes, and believes a consumption-based system would be better. He noted that the taxation system in Texas is based on Karl Marx’ ideology in that it is progressive and advances abolishment of private property rights and ownership.
Taxpayer Funded Lobbying
West stated the veteran’s lobby has helped him the most “and I like that." He said the most important lobbyists are veterans and the people of Texas.
Education
Growing up in the area of Alabama in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had his beginnings, West is a product of school choice, as his parents chose to send him to a black-only private school. West believes no cultural Marxism should be taught in the schools, and that funding should be cut from colleges and universities that teach harmful and anti-American ideology.
Election Integrity
Concerning election integrity, West would like to see some type of audit-able trail. He also stated there must be consequences and that he would work with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General for swift and immediate justice.
Executive Orders
West affirmed that no elected official has enumerated power to decide what is essential in Texas. He stated that the most essential item is liberty, and his position would be to make information available to the citizens, but not make decisions.
He further explained he is not going to be a Constitutional monarch, as he would not designate terrorist organizations unless they are non-state, non-uniform belligerents that are operating inside the state and targeting people.
“I would love to shut down Antifa as I disagree with them,” West stated, adding MS-13 and BLM to the list. “But they are American citizens, and I am not going to use an executive order to designate them as a terrorist organization.”
Other Issues
Concerning the buying of Texas land by foreign powers, West stated that China is the number one geopolitical foe, and that he would enforce the Texas Infrastructure Protection Act.
West is opposed to child gender modification, and defunding law enforcement. He believes COS to be extremely important, and would make the sunset clause a priority in the next legislative session.
