With the American flag to her back outside the window of her new office, Dianne Edmondson predicted a Republican sweep in the upcoming general election.
The chairwoman of the Denton County Republican Party was one of the party members who passed through the new Denton headquarters Wednesday evening for the grand opening. The facility, located in Suite 200 of the BBVA Compass Bank Building at 729 Fort Worth Drive, is bigger and better equipped to handle the business of the party, officials said.
“We were at the other location five years and we outgrew it,” Edmondson said.
Party members moved from Corinth to the 2,300-square-foot space in Denton in a weekend.
“Getting everything straight and in place took a bit longer, which is why we are just now having our open house,” Edmondson said.
On hand for the event were several elected officials including Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Joe Holland, County Judge Mary Horn, Denton County Commissioners Andy Eads and Bobbie Mitchell, 16th District Court Judge Sherry Shipman, state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, and state Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound.
“I think it’s representative of the growth of the party here in our region, and certainly representative of the incredible economic success Denton County is having,” Parker said. “People know we’re a very blessed place to live and work and play and raise a family, and as a result, people are coming to Denton County and it’s important we have a facility that enables us to reach out to those voters and understand our Republican message.”
That Republican message will keep Denton County as one of the reddest in Texas, Edmondson said.
“[And] statewide we will continue our dominance in Texas; however, I have to give the Democratic Party a lot of credit for the hard work they are doing out there registering voters and trying to get their people motivated and ready to go to the polls,” she said. “We Republicans have to do the same, only twice as hard.”
Edmondson said the fracking ban issue in Denton will bring more people to the polls in November than a normal midterm election would, but the city is much like other municipalities where very few turn out for elections.
“The local government is the closest thing to any citizen and they should have more involvement, not less,” she said.
Rep. Myra Crownover echoed Edmondson’s positive outlook state and nationwide for the party in the upcoming election and added that locally she is hoping the fracking ban does not pass.
“I don’t think it’s the best thing for Denton to do. I understand how people are worried and concerned,” she said, noting the work she had done passing legislation requiring companies to reveal fracking chemicals, clean up their wells and efforts to monitor air quality.
“I do understand that there have been some bad actors that have been very rude and inconsiderate of people in our community, and I have visited with them,” she said. “But considering that, I think the ban would hurt Denton more than it would help Denton.”
Looking to the future, Edmondson said she fully expects Denton County to remain as red tomorrow as it is today with family-oriented business entrepreneurs filling the population in this region.
“There’s no telling how the entire state will be because we are a growing state,” Edmondson said. “We have a lot of people coming here for our jobs and we just have to hope they recognize we need to keep the same Republican governance to keep those jobs in Texas.”
BJ LEWIS can be reached at 940-566-6875 and via Twitter at @BjlewisDRC.
