By JoAnn Randall

“Everyone was in upbeat spirits on a beautiful spring day and all were looking forward, enormously, to hearing from and meeting Beto O’Rourke. No Senate candidate had visited these rural communities since LBJ some 70 years ago.”

On Friday, April 6th, I had the privilege of helping Congressman Beto O’Rourke and his team navigate the rural, geographical center of the great state of Texas. We call it the “True Heart of Texas.” He was well on his way completing a visit to every county in our very large state by car, in an effort to connect with Texans in his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Rafael Edward (Ted) Cruz. Beto’s real name is Robert, but having been born and raised in El Paso he’s always gone by the affectionate name of “Beto” and is fluent in Spanish. Cruz, a Cuban-Canadian by birth, has gone by “Ted” since middle school.

I’d been communicating with Team Beto for almost a year in various capacities. Because I’m a retired journalist who has been ranching in rural Central Texas for 25 years, they invited me to assist the growing number of journalists covering his rural town halls, and to guide them from one little town (San Saba) to the next (Brady). Our ranch is between the two, so I know the shortcuts… and the speed traps.

What a pleasure it was to sit on the bench outside the restaurant in San Saba that would host the first town hall of the day. Keeping an eye out for press, I tried to greet everyone, pointing them in the right direction to the separate meeting room inside. Everyone was in upbeat spirits on a beautiful spring day and all were looking forward, enormously, to hearing from and meeting Beto O’Rourke. No Senate candidate had visited these rural communities since LBJ some 70 years ago.

A photographer from Bloomberg and a reporter from The New York Times sat with me on that bench and we were the first to greet Beto when his Dodge Caravan arrived. His driver for the day was his wonderful wife, Amy, who in the ensuing hours would become my new best friend. I gave his director of logistics and events, Cynthia Cano, a big Texas hug because by now, she felt like family. We’d first met at a Brownwood town hall and had communicated often after that. I greeted his director of communications Chris Evans, and got a warm and appreciative welcome from Beto himself. Beto and Amy O’Rourke are like that. It’s as though you’ve known them personally for years.

We measure things differently here in rural Texas. The room was packed, and for a small Texas town that’s noted as heavily Republican, that’s impressive. There were easily 70 to 80 people there. With no microphone, Beto strained his strong voice and held their attention, interrupted often by enthusiastic applause. Then he did what he does best. He asked people for their questions and invited them to share their concerns and suggestions. Two women in the audience had gone to high school with the beloved former Texas Governor Ann Richards and told Beto that Ann would be so proud of him. (Before Ann was defeated by George W. Bush and the Bush family machine, the entire state was pretty much blue.)

Pulling Beto away to get to the next venue, I led a convoy of vehicles down U.S.190 from San Saba to Brady, a trip of 41 miles. If I hadn’t known the shortcut into Brady, we’d never have made it in time. Amy was driving the Dodge, and she and Beto commended me on staying within the various speed limits. Small burgs like Richland Springs and Rochelle try to slow you down as they’re both school zones, and I didn’t think it was wise to invite the usually non-existent law enforcement to catch us speeding. Fortunately, 75mph is the norm and my big GMC ranch truck loves to go that fast. Beto’s vehicle kept up and was followed by a couple of press cars. We must have looked somewhat odd, given there’s very little traffic on our stretch of 190,.

The town hall in Brady was slated for the community room next to Brady National Bank, which is located on one corner of the busy town square. I had lowered our expectations but we’d been buoyed by the turnout in San Saba, which I believe is bigger than Brady, but not by much. Both McCulloch County and San Saba County are what many regard as Republican strongholds. That seems to be changing, however, thanks largely to Beto.

The shortcut avoided the square that surrounds the fairy castle-like county courthouse where four major highways converge. Since the biggest local industry is frac sand, trucks and other big rigs are always present, along with the many vehicles necessarily going through town, so that route would have cost us at least ten more minutes. The proposed I-14 slated to mirror U.S.190 will alleviate much of that through traffic, but for now, the square is to be avoided. The shortcut goes by the construction site of the new (expensive) county jail, which McCulloch County likes to call a “law enforcement center.” I pointed it out from my window, so Beto got to see that. Prisons are big business in Texas. Beto O’Rourke would like to see that change.

Expecting only ten to 20 people at the Brady Town Hall, my goal was to safely park behind the bank, where my husband, a Marine veteran, was providing security. Except for a few slots for bank customers, the parking lot was loaded, so I pulled up, instead, to the vacant old Super S parking lot across the street. I handed Amy and Cynthia my cooler full of delicious lunch goodies for their trip west. There’s never a chance for these intrepid road warriors to eat properly, so I’d packed mesquite barbequed chicken and ham sandwiches garnished with wholesome romaine lettuce, slices of my famous quiche, homemade chocolate chip cookies, a bag of my favorite dark chocolate candies and RO water. I love preparing good, nutritious food, and these “kids” needed proper nourishment.

Still cameras and network-level video cameras and reporters greeted us as we approached the community room. Team Beto’s Chris recorded it all as usual, live streaming on Beto’s Facebook page. I’ve dubbed it “BetoVision” and it is getting to be everyone’s favorite channel. I introduced him to our local newspaper editor and the hostess who coordinated the town hall, and much to my delight, the room was packed, and with all the right people. A cozy, comfortable, and very attractive venue, the community room has a capacity of 50. The local radio station owner agreed that it was full.

Our newly elected County Judge, Bill Spiller introduced Beto. Bill won in the primaries but won’t take office until November. You don’t even have to bother going into the general election these days if you’re a winning Republican. Bill will make an excellent, fair, and compassionate judge. Like so many of us, he’s really an Independent. We all just vote Republican in the primaries so we can get rid of the worse rascals. Bill is against even more strip mining; frac sand plants abound in McCulloch County. We don’t need even more in the form of a proposed cement plant that wants our white rock for more grand buildings in Dubai. Goat meat is another big industry here. Ironically, for all the Republican talk against Middle Eastern people by Republicans, that goat meat from this red county goes to feed many of them back east and abroad.

Beto shook almost everyone’s hand going up the aisle to the microphone. Then, tirelessly as usual, he talked for a few minutes before taking questions. “At the federal level, what will you do to protect and enhance the market for Texas agriculture?” asked Amy Winters Greer, who with her husband George, operate a Wagyu and Angus cattle meat business, Winters Family Beef. Amy was recently included in a delegation that went to Washington D.C. to meet with legislators and agencies on behalf of Texas farmers markets. Beto was quizzed on immigration policies and the actions of the House Armed Services Committee and Veteran’s Affairs Committees, on which he serves. Go to his Facebook page and hear his words for yourself.

Beto’s honest answers are what made the day so wonderful. So uplifting. So… hopeful. Ted Cruz is likely to start making this a difficult, partisan campaign. “Tough as Texas” is Cruz’ slogan this year. That rings wrong with me. Sure, when the going gets tough, like in hurricanes, floods, tornadoes or wildfires, we can indeed be tough and fight like hell to save our land and help rescue our neighbors. But the truth about Texans is that our compassion and friendliness towards one another exists year-round. That changed over a year ago when the negativity set in, full force, and began to divide our country bitterly into “conservatives” and “liberals.” It became especially divisive in our rural areas. But that’s not Texas. That’s Republican “divide and conquer” tactics at work.

As an Independent, I guess I’d be classified as a fiscal conservative and a social progressive. I care about our staggering and mounting national debt and funding of oil wars. But I also care about the welfare of my fellow citizens and the natural environment, too. We run our ranch as a native wildlife refuge. I think we all care about the cost of healthcare, veterans’ services, fair treatment of immigrants, and the education of our children. Those issues all came up at the Brady town hall, and Beto is a true and honest champion. Coming from El Paso, the safest city on the Mexican border, he doesn’t see a need for a wall. Quite the opposite: Border Patrol and local law enforcement are doing a terrific job. The National Guard isn’t required and the Republican mayor of El Paso agrees. Parties don’t really matter anymore. People do.

Beto O’Rourke is one of a growing number of sensible politicians, at all levels, who ally on issues, not party. He regularly reaches out to reasonable Republican colleagues to actually get something done. To hear him closely, you’d think he’s more like the majority of those of us who prefer to be thought of as “true blue independents.”

In a lovely smaller board room at the back of the community room the national and regional press guys got their chance for more pictures and interviews. Beto had appeared on CNN just before his Central Texas tour, and complained that when prodded by the interviewer to come out with fighting words against his opponents—especially the President—he simply couldn’t engage. “I suck at that,” he says. Instead of playing their game, he’s doing it his way. He meets people face-to-face, listens carefully and sincerely, then does everything he can to help solve the problems. There’s nothing offensive or angry in his words.

Buttons, bumper stickers, yard signs and t-shirts were eagerly purchased as people left the town hall in Brady with smiles on their faces and hope in their hearts. For the next seven months Team Beto will keep on trucking through Texas, visiting every county in the state, over and over. Meeting and greeting. Listening and learning. Gaining popularity and support with every hand he shakes and every photo he takes.

That’s how Beto O’Rourke is going to win this election. Not by purchasing expensive attack ads or nasty mailers that nobody wants. Not by begging for PAC or corporate money from those who want only to “own” a candidate. Beto’s growing legion of followers are too intelligent to fall for those tactics. He has refused to take any PAC money or corporate contributions. His entire campaign is being financed by individuals who contribute $5, $10, and whatever they can afford. My contribution that Friday was lunch. And when I first met him at that Brownwood town hall, I slipped him my only five dollar bill. A few days prior, on BetoVision, I had watched him buy four boxes of Girl Scout cookies at an event in Brenham. My five dollars, I told him, was for the next Girl Scout he ran into. He cracked up. But that, and my “braids and shades,” probably made me a bit memorable.

Beto draws huge crowds in the big cities. But importantly, he’s drawing progressively more every time he visits a smaller city, town or community center. And he’ll keep doing that up until November. If you get a chance to attend an event, do. The great thing about these smaller meetings in the rural areas is that you, like me, get to have some quality face time with this amazing U.S. Senate candidate.

It was one of the most exciting, enlightening, and hopeful days of my life.

JoAnn Randall is a retired journalist and rancher living in McCulloch County.