The Barbour County GOP, under the leadership of Jeanie Tillis, did it again this past week! They held their Third Annual Barbour County GOP Dinner last Thursday night with guest speaker Dr. Ben Carson. This is the second year in a row the county has been able to host this illustrious speaker. Two years ago, when they first came up with the idea of having an annual dinner, they had former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as their guest speaker. As a result of the hard work by Jeanie and her committee, they are proud to boast dinner attendances over 300 each year.
When Jeanie called Chairman Armistead three years ago and asked him to help get Governor Huckabee to speak at the Barbour County Dinner, his first response was, “Are you kidding me? In Barbour County?” She convinced Chairman Armistead that she would have at least 300 in attendance if he could get the governor. You have to understand Jeanie’s persuasive skills to really appreciate how she convinced the Chairman to reach out to Gov. Huckabee. She definitely delivered!
What is happening in heavily Democrat dominated Barbour County is nothing short of remarkable. Jeanie doesn’t seem phased by the fact that Barack Obama carried Barbour County in 2008 and 2012, or that there is not a single elected Republican in the county. To top it off, we didn’t even have a party organization in Barbour County until three years ago. Thanks to Jeanie Tillis and her active county committee, we now have a vibrant Republican Party in Barbour County and she has recruited candidates to run for both the House and Senate against incumbent Democrats. Don’t ever tell Jeanie that something can’t be done! She is a doer and makes things happen, just like the dinner last Thursday night.
Dr. Carson gave an inspiring talk calling for Americans to live out the American dream for future generations. In order to appreciate how Dr. Carson achieved the American dream, you have to read his book, “Gifted Hands”, which chronicles how the now-famous neurosurgeon came out of a very poor single-parent family to achieve international prominence by being the first to separate conjoined twins. The rest of the story is yet to be played out in Dr. Carson’s life, but many believe that he should run for president. In fact, chants of “Run, Ben, Run” erupted when Carson was introduced. A banner decorating the stage also bore those words.
The citizens of Barbour County must see the light at the end of the tunnel. They no longer accept the status quo that the Democrats have offered them for generations. As you drive through Barbour County you see empty storefronts where businesses and industry once thrived. Many have had to close due to the failing economy. Many have left Barbour County in search of new jobs and opportunities for their families.
Republicans in Barbour County are stepping up to the plate and offering a new choice to change the status quo of politics as usual. They have two great, conservative, pro-business candidates for the legislature who believe in putting life back into the old businesses that once left this county.
Jerry McGilvary, a retired insurance agent who came back to his hometown to make a difference, is the Republican candidate for House District 84 (Barbour, Bullock & Russell). John Savage, recognized as Teacher of the Year in Barbour County, is the Republican candidate for Senate District 28 (Barbour, Bullock, Henry, Lee, Macon, Russell). He has mentored the lives of many young boys and girls, and wants them to have an opportunity to live and work in the county.
McGilvary and Savage are working hard to win the confidence of the voters in their districts. They deserve better than what they are getting from the incumbent Democrats. It’s time the voters in Barbour and surrounding counties had legislators who will work to create an environment for business to locate and expand. But these candidates cannot do this alone. If you would like to pitch in and help them please contact ALGOP Political Director Britney Garner and she can provide details on how you can help them.