Fallon takes congressional district 4 nomination in landslide vote

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  • Pat Fallon (R-Frisco) celebrates his GOP nomination/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
    Pat Fallon (R-Frisco) celebrates his GOP nomination/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
  • Trace Johannessen (R-Rockwall) awaits his turn at the podium/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
    Trace Johannessen (R-Rockwall) awaits his turn at the podium/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
  • Rodney Adams (R-Royse City) speaks to the GOP convention/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
    Rodney Adams (R-Royse City) speaks to the GOP convention/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
  • Floyd McLendon and wife Melinda receive news that McLendon will not proceed to the debate stage/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
    Floyd McLendon and wife Melinda receive news that McLendon will not proceed to the debate stage/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
  • Travis Ransom (R-Atlanta) reviews his speech/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
    Travis Ransom (R-Atlanta) reviews his speech/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
  • The CEDC GOP convention at Sulphur Springs High School auditorium/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
    The CEDC GOP convention at Sulphur Springs High School auditorium/ Staff photo by Taylor Nye
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Citizens voice concerns about candidate's residency

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Members of Texas congressional district four have chosen Pat Fallon as the candidate who will appear on their November ballot, per an executive committee meeting in Sulphur Springs on Saturday which selected Fallon among 19 other hopefuls for the slot. 

After convening at 1 p.m. in Sulphur Springs, the special session of the GOP congressional district executive committee meeting of Texas-04 found a packed house. Nineteen candidates from Rockwall to Texarkana, Mount Pleasant, Sulphur Springs and Cass were ready to face off for the spot vacated by the former U.S. Congressman John Ratcliffe.

The race for the spot is unconventional, as Ratcliffe already signed up for the November election when he was appointed as director of national intelligence by President Donald J. Trump on May 21 of this year. Gov. Greg Abbott did not call for a special election for the post, and instead the GOP of Texas-04 held a special executive committee meeting for the 154 delegates of the party leadership to cast votes regarding who would run in Ratcliffe’s stead. 

Although nineteen candidates proposed their candidacy in the preceding months and presented themselves for nomination on Saturday, only twelve advanced to debate. Seven candidates failed to receive a nomination and second from party members, and therefore did not advance. 

Candidates who proceeded to the debate round included: Aaron Harris (Richland Hills), Jason Ross (Rockwall), Travis Ransom (Atlanta), Zach Rateliff (Texarkana), Pat Fallon (Frisco), Rodney Adams (Royse City), Steve Gorman (Grayson County), Jim Pruitt (Rockwall), Trace Johannessen (Rockwall), Bob Worthen (Texarkana), Robert West (Cooper), and Casey Campbell (Rockwall). 

Those who did not proceed were: John Cooper (Sulphur Springs), T.C. Manning (Houston) Tim McCord (Rockwall) Christopher Schell (Dallas), Floyd McClendon (Dallas), and Joe Vrasic (Mt. Pleasant). Justice David Bridges (Rockwall) did not appear as he was recently deceased in a motor vehicle accident. 

Each candidate was given three minutes to present their platform to the assembled delegates. Touchstone issues included faith, the economy, and maintaining a Texan identity in Washington D.C. 

“The number one issue we’re facing today in this country is godlessness,” said Royse City’s Adams. “The harvest of righteousness is sown wherever righteousness is… our biggest problems today cannot be legislated away, because they are spiritual… I promise you that I will glorify God if I go to Washington on your behalf.” 

“Stand up, Christian. Stand up, Texan,” Texarkana’s Rateliff urged. “Why do we allow them to tear down our statues? Why do we allow weak-kneed politicians not to stand up for us like we elected them to? It’s time for us to rise again. It’s time for us to no longer be the silent majority. It’s time to take our party back.” 

However, it seems the speech that most swayed the delegates was Fallon’s. 

“Every candidate is going to stand up here and tell you they’re the second coming of Ronald Regan or maybe even Barry Goldwater,” Fallon noted. “But don’t look at what we say. Look at what we have done.” 

Fallon cited his military and business experience, as well as conservative activism. Furthermore, he touched on his tenure as a Frisco city council member and current position as Texas State Senator for District 30 and former member of the House of Representatives 106th District.

“I’ve built one of the strongest, most conservative voting records in the state,” Fallon told the delegates. “We banned sanctuary cities. We protected life. That’s what our faith is. When everyone else ran for the hills as they were trying to take down our monuments and our history, I stood up and defended it, because they’re coming after us.” 

Fallon told delegates he would protect Texas-04 from redistricting, as he “knows all the people in Austin who draw the pens.” 

“I will fight for you. I’ve lived in this area for 30 years. I live in Grayson County. I’ve represented parts of this county for five years,” Fallon said. “I will fight for you and everyone else in here.” 

After just one round of secret ballots, the delegates announced the results: Fallon strongly carried the convention, with 82 of 143 total votes. Runner up was Jason Ross with 34 votes, and in third was Travis Ransom with 16 votes. 

Other votes included: Worthen 1, Harris 5, Pruitt 2, Johanssen 1, Rateliff 0, Gorman 1, Adams 0, and Campbell 1. Eleven total delegates were not present at the meeting. 

“This isn’t an occupation for me, this is an ‘occupassion’,” Fallon told the conference upon accepting the nomination. “This is so much about we and us now, and congressional district four is united. And we are under threat. Now we’re all here and we need to honor our ancestors’ journey, because this is what they all dreamed.” 

Some citizens of Texas-04 were not satisfied with Fallon’s nomination. Citizens of Cass County who backed Cass’s Ransom voiced discontent on social media. 

“Can the public call for a do-over?” asked Cass citizen Rachel Woods. “He [Pat Fallon] doesn’t even live in the district.” 

Cass citizens expressed frustration that Fallon’s election biography, Fallon For Texas, created in 2011, states Fallon lives in Denton County. 

“[Fallon] lied through his teeth to those delegates,” said Cass citizen Garrit Blizzard. “He does not live in Grayson County. He lives in Denton County.” 

According to Hopkins County GOP chair Donnie Wiesenbaker, though, regional division should not be a concern of Republicans at this stage in the election. 

“I think Fallon will be a good candidate for this fall and I’ll be trying to get every vote I can get him,” Wiesenbaker said. “It’s time for unification. We’re Republicans and it’s time for us to act like it.”