FORT WORTH, TEXAS–Last week conservative candidate Konni Burton kicked off her run-off campaign to clinch the Republican nomination for Senate District 10. It was standing-room-only at Stockyard Station’s Stampede Room, with friends, family, the grassroots, and Senator Ted Cruz by her side.
Breitbart Texas previously reported that Burton is the favored conservative in the Senate District that includes Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, Colleyville and other areas of south and northeast Tarrant County. Tarrant County is one of the few urban conservative strongholds in the nation and it is the district currently represented by liberal state senator Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth).
In the five-person Republican primary race earlier this month, Burton took an astounding 43 percent of the vote–forcing a May 27 run-off election. #TakeBackSD10 was an energizing outpouring of genuine affection for Konni Burton. From her pastor who gave the opening invocation to the grassroots conservative candidates that filled the room, it was clear that Burton is Tarrant County’s favorite daughter.
Representative Matt Krause (R- Fort Worth) was the event emcee. He provided keen insight into Burton’s character when recalling his 2012 office run. He told the crowd that he asked Burton to endorse him because he knew she was influential and she knew the issues.
“She didn’t say yes, she didn’t say no, she said, ‘we’ll see,'” Krause said, recounting what he thought would be a half hour meeting at a Chick-Fil-A turned into an hour and a half. “She went through question after question on every issue, on policy, in depth, asking me where I was on the issues. She did not want to make the mistake of endorsing or supporting somebody who did not line up with her core beliefs.”
Krause also acknowledged that in the years before she ran for office, Burton put in the time to make sure she knew the issues. She was invested in the candidates; she was invested in the process. “I think that speaks a lot about her character and her ability.
Burton is among a very select handful of Texas 2014 candidates that Senator Ted Cruz formally endorsed. A casually dressed and relaxed Cruz took to the stage with a genuine familial hug for Burton. The audience erupted with shouts of “run Ted run” several times while he spoke.
He said, “We are here to stand and rally with our friend Konni Burton. Konni is a mom, a wife, she’s a citizen. Konni loves God. Konni loves the Constitution. And Konni loves liberty.”
He also shared a telling portrayal of Burton, recalling his US senate bid in 2012. Cruz said, “When the polls were at two percent, when we had no money, when we had no endorsements, when we had no support, Konni Burton was there.”
Cruz’s words when speaking about Burton resonated with heartfelt sentiment. Other notables who came out to support Burton included Texas Eagle Forum’s Cathie Adams, Concerned Women of America Texas’ Michelle Smith, Tarrant County representatives Stickland, Zedler, Klick, Springer and Tinderholt. Wayne Christian, also in a run-off battle for Railroad Commissioner, was also there to support Burton as did state Senator Ken Paxton (R-McKinney) who Cruz gave a dynamic shout-out to as “the next Attorney General of the great state of Texas.”
Cruz also wanted everyone at the rally to remember that the “reason Konni Burton is in the run-off is because of each and every one of you–and why she’s going to win this run off is because of each and every one of you.”
Then, Cruz shared confidence in Burton’s actions, should she win the race. He said, “She will listen to you and I’ve got to be honest with you, that’s not always the case.” He quipped, “In Washington, that’s just about never the case.”
Cruz also spotlighted Burton’s personal core values when he said, she will “tell you the truth,” adding that the truth is both powerful and scares the “living daylights out of elected career politicians” reminding us that “when politicians are terrified, liberty is never safer.”
Burton also highlighted the importance of this win in bringing conservative seats to 20. She called SD10 the “ground zero for making Austin listen.” Then Burton told the audience, “if the grassroots takes a stand in SD10 we will finish what we started nearly a year ago and I promise you we can make the chaotic scene we saw on the Senate floor at the end of the last legislative session, a thing of the past.”
The crowd replied with thunderous applause. Burton was alluding to Democrat Davis’ pro-abortion antics during the 83rd legislature. She further slammed Davis for using the legislature to stage ulterior motives. Burton said, “I will go down to Austin to guarantee the right to life not grandstanding to run for higher office.”
If elected in November, Burton promised to replace “pink shoe” shenanigans with Texas common sense, adding, “Texans know what’s best for Texas and we know our federal government is out-of-control with its one-size-fits-all philosophy that they want to force down on us,” Burton said.
“As your next state senator, I will work to push back on the federal government’s so-called answers such as the job-destroying, unaffordable boondoggle known as Obamacare. I will fight for your constitutional rights,” she added.
A staunch Second and Tenth Amendment supporter, Burton read both amendments from the stage which was ironically befitting when she unexpectedly called Pastor Rafael Cruz, the senator’s dynamic and beloved father to the stage for an impromptu closing prayer. The onstage affection was felt throughout the room.
Pastor Cruz asked everyone to partner as he borrowed a few closing words from the Declaration of Independence. Senator Cruz and Burton joined hands and the mutual admiration and respect on their faces and in their eyes said everything about candidate Burton.
Over 800 people then recited, led by the pastor Cruz, “Relying on the protection of divine providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor to do we can to restore liberty to America, to restore free enterprise and to elect Konni Burton!”
Follow Merrill Hope on Twitter @OutOfTheBoxMom