Because of the importance of this year's race for Chair of the Harris County Republican Party, I asked each of the participants to write a closing statement as one final attempt to earn your vote. Three of the candidates accepted. In this installment, candidate Paul Simpson argues that he is your best choice to lead the county party forward.

The Challenge

The Democrats nearly swept Harris County in 2008 after years of Republican decline. Some 50% of Harris County precincts have no Republican chair; Democrats have half as many vacancies. The GOP started losing Harris County in judicial elections in 2006. The Democrats remain busy. In early voting, the increase in Democrat turnout this year over 2006 is twice that of Republicans, even with fewer high-competition races on the Democrat ballot. And the Democrats expect demographic changes to turn Harris County permanently blue.

Meeting the Challenge

Eight years on the path to failure is more than enough. More cowbell is not the solution. The County Party needs new leadership.

It doesn’t take rocket science to diagnose the Party’s problems, or a treatise to prescribe the cure. The Harris County Republican Party must recharge its grassroots to make it a vibrant, growing organization across Harris County; revamp Party finances to support needed programs; and rejuvenate the message with a positive conservative vision to attract more voters.

Focus on grassroots is essential. Growth requires recognizing that a political party is a coalition – not a club. That the GOP must grow in non-traditional communities has long been painfully obvious. The problem is not lack of a plan, but failure to execute. The Republican Party cannot allow gatekeepers to bottleneck growth, and needs broad sustained efforts across all communities in the County. Demographics must not give the Democrats destiny.

Revamping finances is basic. Conduct audits, practice transparency, show results, and broaden the base to end the Party’s dependence on candidates and officeholders to stay afloat.

Rejuvenating the message is key. The Republican message must be simple and engaging to win voters. The GOP must be trusted as the party not just of traditional values, but also of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the Constitution.

Paul Simpson for County Chair

The County Chair is not a CEO. The County Chair must know the turf and work in the trenches with activists and volunteers, fighting the opposition. I’ve done that as a grassroots activist since I was a 13-year-old Teen-Age Republican in then-Democrat-infested Louisiana.

This election is not just about 2010 – it’s also about 2012 and beyond. The GOP has a natural advantage this off-year. But just because voters are mad at Democrats does not mean they’re in love with Republicans. I became active in the Tea Party movement in early 2009, seeing the sleeping giant of American conservatism had awoken and the GOP needed its energy and focus.

County Chair is not an entry-level position. I’ve laid the groundwork all my life for this (unpaid) position. By profession, I’m an engineer and a lawyer, but by lifelong avocation a volunteer conservative Republican activist. As State Chair of the Louisiana Teen-Age Republicans at 16; president of the Rice University Young Republicans; college campaign organizer for conservative congressional candidates; congressional district co-chair for Kemp for President; and precinct chair for the last twenty years, my practical grassroots experience is unmatched in this race. As district chair, legal counsel, and treasurer of the County Party in the 1990s, I know its workings at all levels. I have managed multi-million-dollar oilfield construction projects; chair a Boy Scout Troop; and been president of a school with a multi-million-dollar budget that raised over $5 million, acquired land, and built a new facility, through volunteers. Skill in mobilizing volunteers is key to this race, because volunteers are the lifeblood of a political party.

A County Chair must organize to win. With a grassroots force across Harris County, our campaign has volunteers organizing volunteers. We plan, act quickly, and jump on opportunities, as when we won the Houston Tea Party Straw Poll for County Chair. We have a broad base of supporters from all wings of the Party and all parts of the County. And last week, a coalition of Harris County mayors – close to their grassroots – announced their support for my campaign.

Leadership means motivating others to do the best job they can do, to be the best they can be. Our website includes testimonials from people from political and civic organizations attesting to my ability to do just that. With my background, I can hit the ground running as County Chair.

Andrew Jackson beat John Quincy Adams for president in 1828 saying, “Adams can write – Jackson can fight.” More than any other candidate, I’ve actually fought in the political trenches as a grassroots leader for conservative causes and candidates. I will continue that fight as County Chair. I ask for your vote and look forward to working and winning with you all in the future.

WEBSITE: SimpsonforGOPChair.com