Associated Press
By Jon Platt
Reporter
State Sen. Dan Patrick, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, will speak on campus today at 5 p.m. in 104 Morrison Hall.
Colleyville senior Brandon Waltens, the state secretary of the Young Conservatives of Texas, said Patrick will speak with Baylor’s chapter of the organization. All students are welcome to attend the event for free.
In addition to his political career, Patrick hosts Dan Patrick & Friends, a conservative talk radio show. He is also an author, movie producer, musician and artist, according to his website.
In 2006, Patrick won his first bid for public office as a state senator for the Senate’s seventh district in northwest Houston. Patrick was reelected to the position in 2010 and has served on six committees while in office, including the Committee of Education, where he served as chair.
Baylor’s Young Conservatives of Texas, which was named Chapter of the Year in 2010, is dedicated to the founding principles of American exceptionalism, Christian ethics and the best of Baylor tradition, according to the chapter’s Web page.
After his speech, Patrick will be available for a question-and- answer session, Waltens said.
“This is a great opportunity to meet with him,” said Cisco junior Whitney Mechling, chair of Baylor’s Young Conservatives of Texas chapter. “We have lots of speakers come in, but most are not running for office. Being able to meet with someone who is running for office in Texas to make a difference in Texas is great.”
Mechling said she expects Patrick to talk about the position he is running for and the importance it plays in state government. Mechling said she also anticipates hearing about his plans for the state, should he be elected.
“The biggest things is coming to get informed,” Mechling said. “I feel students are not informed about elections. Typically, students vote based on political party. ‘Oh, that guy is a Democrat or a Republican, so I’ll vote for him.’”
By coming and hearing a politician speak, Mechling said, students can better understand the candidate and vote more accurately.
Being able to find out if the candidate supports and holds one’s own principles is a great value of this event, she said.
“It’s a very important thing for him to come here,” Mechling said. “He’s running for one of the most powerful positions in Texas government. Students should come hear what he has to say.”
Correction: Oct. 2, 2014. This article has been revised to reflect the following correction. State Sen. Dan Patrick was misidentified as host of The Dan Patrick Show, a sports radio show for DirecTV’s Audience Nation and NBC’s Sports Network. Patrick is the host of Dan Patrick & Friends, a conservative talk radio show for KSEN of Highland Park and KVCE of Houston.
