Label me a Reasonable Republican

I’ve been traveling the highways this month, meeting with real Texans, talking about this latest Texas Legislative Session, and getting the same feedback everywhere: folks are not happy with their elected officials, either at the state or the local level. The Republican brand is broken, and Real Texans are distancing themselves from both.

Standing in front of a room of folks in Palo Pinto County, talking about the abandonment of public education and local control by Republican leaders, and seeing big nods of agreement with every statement we made. It confirms my theory that Republicans will eventually lose rural Texans if they continue to attack local government and public schools.

(A redhead, a brunette, and a blonde doing some truth-telling at the Palo Pinto United Republicans meeting this week. Pictured are Courtney Gore, Suzanne Bellsnyder (me) & Amy Fennell)

I sat across the desk from a strong Republican community leader in Sulphur Springs, Texas, who said he’s a Reasonable Republican, as there is a strong desire to clarify which wing of the party you belong to. I like Reasonable Republican and plan to adopt it. We discussed how our elected officials are beholden to special interests in Austin, they don’t represent their districts, and the legislature doesn’t seem to see the urgency in working on the problems that local communities need them to address.

In Hood County earlier this month, we had a lively discussion, which included Republican precinct chairs and locally elected county leaders, about the wrong direction we are headed with the outsized influence of billionaires and money in the Republican Party, and how dangerous things had become with those dollars fueling campaigns of misinformation and propaganda around candidates and issues.

Overall, it confirms what I’ve been hearing in small towns all over Texas for months — our elected officials are out of step with what everyday Texans want their state government to work on. The conservatives in the legislature placed a high priority on the culture war, but it’s the kitchen table issues that Texans care most about. Are we safe? Can we afford the bills this month? Will our babies get a good education and have a prosperous future?

Texans want tax reform. Appraisal reform is one idea to tackle, but we seem to get only a little tax relief to keep us happy until the next election cycle. Texans want education reform, not a school voucher program that only 100,000 students can use, but fundamental reforms that ensure our students are prepared for their future. We want the leaders to prioritize state spending on building infrastructure in a growing state and improving public safety. $1B for water is a start, but what serious policy solutions are needed to meet the long-term needs?

I vote Republican because Republicans have consistently led in these areas by voting for fiscal restraint, less regulation, and long-term planning. We have a few who will get it, but I am now becoming frustrated with the emerging class of leaders who have become disconnected from their duty to do so.

As legislators head home and the Governor hits the campaign trail for his 2026 election, we are already hearing from them that they delivered “historic” funding for schools and “historic” tax relief for Texans. But haven’t we heard this before?

Calling all Reasonable Republicans. Let’s return to supporting local control, responsible spending decisions, less regulation, strong public schools, and Texas independence. And candidates who take us seriously.

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If your organization is interested in a speaker on policies impacting rural Texas, public education, or colorful insight into the state legislature, I would be honored to join you. Please reach out to me directly at sb@highplainsstrategies.com.