On February 8, the Gray County Republican Party of Pampa hosted the 2024 Candidate Forum at the MK Brown Heritage Room.
The forum, hosted by Anne Franklin and Laura Carter of the Top of Texas Republican Women’s Club, featured guest speakers that included Karen Post, 31st District Attorney Franklin McDonough, Todd Alvey, Bo Lake, Sheriff Michael Ryan, County Commissioner Logan Hudson, and County Treasurer Terri Kitchens.
U.S. State Representative of District 88
Karen Post is running to take the seat of District 88 State Representative against now representative, Ken King, who was not present at the forum.
“I’m running for the office of House District 88 because I think the district needs representation that will lead with vision-a vision for a stronger and more prosperous and abundant district,” she said.
“The 19 counties in our district have been suffering from a slow death that I think every one of us has seen in different areas of that. Some with seeds of scarcity, our businesses are closing and moving out or leaving. Local governments are being overregulated from Austin and from Washington, and I think we all know that.”
“West Texas is the backbone of Texas and has long been the morals of Texas, and with that we have to step forward and lead with vision for a brighter future for you and for House District 88. Throughout this campaign, I have heard from Republicans and county chairmen, small business owners, local sheriffs, local elected officials and citizens that they don’t hear from our representative at this time.”
31st District Attorney for Gray County
Franklin McDonough, who has been the 31st District Attorney for Gray County for 12 years is being opposed this term by Todd Alvey,
Alvey was the first to address the audience.
“I have been practicing law in Pampa for 32 years doing a little bit of everything,” Alvey said.
“I was a County Attorney for 10 years from 1994 to 2003. I had a private practice from 2004 to 2019. I had an office in Wheeler, Pampa and Amarillo. I’ve been serving the Texas Panhandle, specifically the eastern Texas Panhandle my whole career.”
“I want to be your District Attorney. It’s not something that’s gradual for me, I always wanted to serve the Texas Panhandle and the people there. For the last five years, I’ve been working for the Department of Family and Protective Services, you many know it as CPS. I basically handle all of the welfare cases north of I-40 and it’s time to go on to something else. And sometimes change is good. A little change can be a big thing. Change for me is good for my career-it was good for me when I left private practice and went to work for CPS. I’m just asking that you consider that when you go to vote in two weeks. Remember me when you go do that.”
McDonough spoke next.
“I know criminal law. I’ve been an attorney for over 18 years and in that 18 years, I’ve been a felony prosecutor,” McDonough said.
“I’ve prosecuted every level of felony. I am the only attorney in this district who can say he has prosecuted continuous sexual abuse of a young child. With that I will tell you this: my story is not a story of history. My story is a story of my voice.”
“I would not say that there’s anything special in me as a person, except for this: there’s very few people who have the heart and the mind to sit with a five-year-old child and hear stories of things that were done to them and then put them on the stand and let them tell their story and know that that case rides on your shoulders.”
“I’m not a show horse, I’m not going to put on a big show. When the time comes, I go to war. I have not been overturned on appeal in a criminal case involving violence. With that, I am your District Attorney.”
Gray County Sheriff
Bo Lake is in the running against current Sheriff, Michael “Big Mac” Ryan, and they both gave their background history in law enforcement that can be read in previous editions of the Pampa News.
County Treasurer
Terri Kitchens, current County Treasurer who is running unopposed spoke to the audience, giving a brief background of her family and employment with the county.
“I want my office to be founded on honesty and integrity and always do what’s best for Gray County,” Kitchens said.
County Commissioner for Precinct 1
Logan Hudson, current County Commissioner for Precint 1 who is running unopposed, briefly addressed the audience.
“I have been County Commissioner for Gray County since October of 2020 when Joe Wheeley retired, and this has been an exciting first term. I look forward to a second go at it,” Hudson said.
Constable for Precinct 1 & 3
Jason Rushing, current Constable for Precinct 1 & 3 who is running unopposed, also addressed the audience.
“I’ve been in law enforcement for about 23 years now and enjoy doing what I do. I’m honored to be your Constable, thank you very much.”
County Chair for Republican Party of Gray County
Anne Franklin, current County Chair for the Republican Party of Gray County who is running unopposed, informed the audience that not only would this be her third year, but also her last year of Chair.
“I would like to recognize each one of our precinct chairs. I want to recognize everyone I have ever approached and said would you serve? and did not hesitate,” Franklin said.
“I’m glad that I’ve been able to serve, it’s been a wonderful time. Thank you all very much for being a part of this.”
Questionnaire Key Moments
Karen Post was asked what she would do to revitalize the 19 counties she would represent if elected.
“It would take representation not only from me, but from you all in the audience. You are the eyes and ears of these counties. I will listen to you and see what we need to do to revitalize each of these counties because they’re all different,” Post said. “Your information to me will be a better help to revitalize areas that are not strong.”
She was asked what her thoughts were on school choice.
“Any discussion on school choice should start with the parents and teachers,” Post said, also explaining the importance of competitive pay for teachers and better education for rural communities.
She was asked about her opinions on border security.
“This isn’t an invasion of people, it’s an invasion of drug cartels and I think we all know this. The cartels are far more organized unfortunately than our law enforcement is. There are issues in every county and I feel for our law enforcement for having to deal with the cartels,” she said reiterating her support for fighting to remain a sovereign state.
Franklin McDonough and Todd Alvey were then presented with questions, the first being their philosophy on the importance of the job of District Attorney.
“It is not my job to put people away. It is my job to seek that justice is done,” McDonough said. “I am very passionate about making sure that those who need to be put away are put away. However, to say that every criminal needs to immediately be put away is incorrect. A DA’s job is to know the difference.”
“The discretion lies on my shoulders to make a decision on whether or not justice says this is a case where someone needs to make sure they never walk among us again, or this is a case where somebody has made a life choice that was wrong and they can in fact be rehabilitated.”
Alvey was asked what his mindset was to make those kinds of decisions.
“I don’t know what qualifies me other than two things: I’m a father of four and a grandfather of seven and if those things don’t make a difference, I don’t know what does,” Alvey said. “The Texas Panhandle is a great place to raise a family and it needs to continue to be a great place and in order to do that, we need safety and that’s part of the job of the District Attorney.
They were both asked how their ethics and morals effects their decisions.
“I have seen the very worst things that can happen to children and I can tell you that goes into my family life,” Alvey said. “We have to talk about those things. Family and faith are the only things that get you through that. There is evil in this world and I’ve seen it. I love the job that I do, right now I help children who have been neglected and abused every day. We help those parents and those children and I believe God gives me the ability to do that.”
“Back in 2012 when I decided to run, I said that I believed that I was led to have this job,” McDonough said, telling the story of a decision he made to give a young man a second chance to get clean and the bond he felt with the man’s family since.
“I can tell you that I sleep good at night that in the goodness of God that if a young man or a young woman has a chance to get right, they need that chance. There are some wrongs you cannot right, but if there’s any chance for a young man to get clean, to get off drugs, to get out of the streets, even as a prosecutor I will say this: my God said it’s not my job to ruin his life. My job is that justice is done so that he may have a chance.”
The final question asked was why one or the other should be District Attorney.
“Todd came to me before he ran and I said this is personal. It’s personal because I am the District Attorney. This is my job and if the only reason you can tell the people to fire me is because of change, I am your District Attorney,” McDonough said.
“Whether Mr. McDonough wants to believe it or not, change can be a catalyst to make things better and I want to make things better. It’s time. We want change because we need to be better, our counties need to be better, our district needs to be better,” Alvey said.
Sheriff Ryan and Bo Lake were the final candidates to be questioned.
Sheriff Ryan was asked what he was most proud of during his career as Sheriff of Gray County.
“What I’m most proud of is the guys that I work with. They come to work and they get it all done. Whether it’s in the office or out in the streets, they get the job done,” Ryan said.
Lake was asked a similar question about his law enforcement career.
“Serving the public is the greatest thing I could accomplish and making the community safer,” Lake said.
They were both asked about the importance of working with other County departments as law enforcement.
“You have to be able to work with these guys and you have to be able to give them the best report you can possibly give in these criminal cases so they can move forward,” Lake said.
“You have to have a great report. You need more than just that professional relationship. It’s a very important thing to have,” Ryan said.
They were asked what their top three priorities would be for Gray County.
“Putting officers in all schools and in the rural communities,” Lake said. “Also, the drug problem is 99.9% of all crime. Everything is around that and you have to try to deter it, but it’s hard to do. You have to have a good relation with the sheriff’s department, the police department and DPS. It’s everybody to stop that criminal activity.”
“And finally team effort within the law enforcement community. This job is hard enough as it is without individual departments doing what they do. They have to come into a team effort and block that criminal activity,” concluded Lake.
Ryan reiterated the importance of team work between departments and the communication that must happen to deter criminal activity, as well as the drug problem in the Pampa community.
He also spoke of the importance of more of a police presence in schools.
“Just going to the schools and being in the schools and letting people know that you’re there,” Ryan said. “It’s a big deal. That’s why I’m usually at the schools anytime they’ve got something going on, I’m always there.”
On a lighthearted note, someone asked about the cars in the lot across from the Sheriff’s office in the parking lot and the audience was informed that there would be an auction on March 2.
The last question was why the people should vote for either/or as sheriff.
“I’ve been here for about 20 years and I haven’t left,” Ryan said. “And we’ve got more work to do. We’re not stepping forward, we’re stomping forward.”
“I’ve got over 30 years of experience,” Lake said. “I’ve got a really diversified background and so I think as a leadership role I can show the deputies what I can do.”
“I’ve been blessed to have been raised in Gray County and this would be my opportunity to give back to the citizens.”
Early voting will begin on February 20 through March 5 at the Gray County Courthouse, located at 205 N. Russell in Room 104. The last day to request a ballot by mail is Friday, February 23.
