By Kenzie Gardner
This past April 23rd through the 25th, the Young Conservatives of Texas hosted their annual statewide convention. As Texas’ most active conservative youth organization, YCT prides themselves on their “principles over party” motto and supports non-partisan initiatives for spreading the conservative principles, such as life and liberty. This year, among the many chapters and alumni that attended, politicians including Ted Cruz, Chip Roy, Mayes Middleton, Briscoe Cain, Bryan Hughes, and more attended panels, gave speeches, and speculated on the future of politics in Texas and nationwide. Featured organizations include The Heritage Foundation, The Atlas Society, Freedomworks, the Leadership Institute, and Conservative Leadership PAC.
The Young Conservatives of Texas has 28 chapters spanning across the state and had over a hundred attendees at convention. Taking place at the Hilton conference center and hotel in downtown Austin, the event was incredibly informative for those who want to work in politics on a local, state, and national level. Panels covered information about how to get hired in the political sphere, what it is like to be hired as a fresh graduate and alumni from YCT, and the different jobs within politics, ranging from journalism to activism.
On Friday, April 23rd, attendees poured in for the reception at 6pm, in which Ted Cruz welcomed everyone with a speech. He discussed the state of America and Texas, cancel culture, and the necessary push back against the leftist culture war. After Senator Ted Cruz’s welcome speech, the crowd was met by Steve Munisteri, the founder of the organization. He spoke on his experience creating a new organization to represent conservatives in Texas since 1980 and the uphill battle of getting national recognition and prestige. He described his pride at how the organization has progressed and has shown a bright future—the convention was the largest one yet, with more chapters and donors involved then ever before. His speech was very inspiring to observe, as alumni spanning all the decades since YCT’s creation got to revel in their own experiences and actions.
After a wonderful start, the convention went into full swing on Saturday. From 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, there were panels hosted by many different political figures and activists, giving their insight into the job market and more. The introduction to the panels was led by Kevin Roberts, the CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation—a research institute dedicated to liberty, free enterprise, and personal responsibility.
The first panel was titled “Where is the Real News?” and featured representatives of the publications The Texan, Collegiate Network, Texas Scorecard, and the National Review. They discussed the intricacies of running a non-partisan, but right-of-center news organization and the difficulty of overcoming public ire; it was evident that each publication is dedicated to giving a transparent, clear take on stories impacting Texans daily.
At 10 AM, the “Elected Officials Panel,” that Senator Bryan Hughes, Senator Kelly Hancock, Representative Briscoe Cain, and Representative Lacey Hull appeared on, went over the state of the legislature, the bills they would like signed, dealing with constituents, running a campaign, and winning elections. Their insights were incredibly valuable, as they are genuine examples of conservative representatives and what it means to put your principles over a party affiliation.
The following panel was “Hiring in the Conservative Movement” and showcased panelists from the Heritage Foundation, the Conservative Partnership Institute, the Texas Freedom Caucus, and The Texan. There were many positions they discussed, from leadership, activism, and journalism; they mentioned what they look for in an applicant and on a resumé, as well as what will keep you with a company long term. Riding off the topic of getting a job in the Conservative movement, the next panel was hosted by YCT alumni that became employed in politics—Liz Slezak, Julia Westwick, Stefan Fitting, Trip Holdridge, and Isaiah Mitchell conversed over how the organization put them where they are now. They mentioned their activism in YCT, how they changed their career tracks after being inspired working in the field, and how they remained passionate about politics.
Panels afterwards covered topics like the local political scene, gaining momentum for the movement during COVID-19, and even a lecture on the Natural Law and what it entails for politics by Professor J. Budziszewski of the University of Texas. Speakers were from Freedomworks, the Atlas Society, the Heritage Foundation, the Leadership Institute, the Conservative Leaders PAC, and many levels of local politics such as school boards or representatives of different house districts. JoAnn Fleming, Chris Putnam, Don Huffines, and Chris Fails gave their Conservative stories on being elected officials on a local level within the state.
Saturday’s events finished with a dinner and speech from State Representative Mayes Middleton and Congressman Chip Roy, who spoke on the future of the Conservative movement and what it means to work with the Young Conservatives of Texas. For Chip Roy’s campaign in 2018, YCT-ers worked closely with him to block walk and get out the vote; this resulted in Chip Roy being elected by a mere 2% of the vote, due to the dedication and diligence of the organization. Overall, Chip Roy and Mayes Middleton represent the brightest success stories of the Young Conservatives of Texas.
The 40th annual convention was a smashing success, despite the challenges of dealing with COVID-19 and having to cancel the event the year prior. The speakers, donors, attendees, and representatives came together to give valuable advice, experience, and education opportunities to the youth that comprise the movement and will one day lead it.