Let's Talk Local Podcast | Let’s Talk Midterms with Tim Davis

00:13

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

So Tim Davis. Yes. We have so many mutual friends.

00:16

Tim Davis

We do.

00:17

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And I am very grateful to you for being here today. I love it. Yeah. Thank you for for being here on such quick turnaround as well. So you do a multitude of things.

00:27

Tim Davis

Many

00:27

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

people. I have found. You're an attorney. Right. You serve in multiple forms and fashions.

00:35

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

You represent Tarrant County.

00:38

Tim Davis

Right.

00:38

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Right? You're the chair?

00:39

Tim Davis

I'm the chairman of the Republican Party. That's right.

00:41

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Of the Republican Party.

00:42

Tim Davis

That's right.

00:42

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

How is all of this working for you, especially coming from... And what caused you to wanna do it? Because, I mean, know many attorneys. Yeah. Too many.

00:53

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Just kidding. Oh, no. For sure. I like too many.

00:55

Tim Davis

I love

00:55

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

a good attorney. But we love you. However, I've always wondered, you know, how is it that someone in your position can become so involved, so visible, especially after Beau French stepped down?

01:08

Tim Davis

Mhmm.

01:08

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

How did it come to be? Tell us.

01:10

Tim Davis

Yeah. So I mean, in some ways there's a long road to it. In some ways there's a short road to Sure. And so I think when you become an attorney, you're always told like, oh, you're you're... You have a responsibility, you know, to be a a civic, civically involved person.

01:25

Tim Davis

You're a member of the bar. You have all these responsibilities. And so I would like to think that attorneys come to it naturally. Now we know that's not true, but maybe I'm just a true believer in that sense that we really do have an obligation to do that as attorneys. But, you know, for me, it becomes a lot wider and deeper than that.

01:44

Tim Davis

And just really goes back to the way that I grew up, which is that we do as as citizens in this country, especially, I think, and my parents raised me to believe, my grandparents raised me to believe that we have a responsibility to keep it and, and to improve it, to make it better. And so you can't ever stop. You can ever not do that. You always have to be involved in those things. So I think that's probably the macro sense.

02:06

Tim Davis

The micro sense is maybe I don't have any sense, you know, maybe I just, I need to make better decisions. But yeah, you're right. Beau French resigned and it became a very quick election. Yep. For folks that aren't familiar with that, he resigned right in the middle of the filing period, which is like the one thing that the Republican party and the parties in Texas do.

02:27

Tim Davis

The chair's responsible for that, for getting candidates on the ballot for the primary and then ultimately for the general election like we're in right now. It So was a little bit of, there was an urgent need, to do that. And so I had been involved in the party a few years before then our son was born and I took a few years off. And it just seemed like a good time to get back involved and especially in this cycle and in the fight that we're in right now.

02:50

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Got you. Okay. So, all right. You just felt called to

02:53

Tim Davis

it. Yeah. Yeah. I think just having two sons, you know, living in Tarrant County, which no offense, I think is a little bit better than Dallas County. And we can fight that out if we need to.

03:04

Tim Davis

Now we love Tarrant County. It's a, it's the, there's a reason that we moved to Tarrant County. There's a reason that our sons were born there. It's a reason that we go to church there. Yep.

03:12

Tim Davis

Our businesses there, all those things. It was just, it was too important to us just to, to take a flyer, and take the risk.

03:21

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. Well, I'm I'm grateful and glad that you decided to do it. Yeah. What is it that you felt was the most imminent need out in Tarrant County? Because it's it's the largest Republican county.

03:35

Tim Davis

Yeah. Yes.

03:36

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

In The United States Of America. Right?

03:38

Tim Davis

Gosh, there's so many ways to think about the best way to answer that. And so Tim O'Hare is our county judge, great friend of mine. I know you all know him. One of our other mutual friends. Yes.

03:50

Tim Davis

And so I think what Tim has done in the conservatives on the commissioner's court is incredible in the way that they've lowered taxes all four years. If we lose that seat, we lose that for sure. Just no doubt, that Tim's opponent would come in and go in a very different direction with that fiscal policy. But the main thing that was just so important to me, if I can just kinda give a long story that I'm sure will get cut in editing. But one of the great things that I get to do with our church is work with our church plants.

04:23

Tim Davis

And so I was in Las Vegas, we have a church plant in Lutbrook right outside of Las Vegas. And I was in Las Vegas recently visiting with one of our church planters. And a lot of times, you know, if you've, most church plants, they have to, it's kind of like a startup business. They don't have a facility on day one. Have to go like, you know, to a, most of ours go to like school auditoriums.

04:44

Tim Davis

Yes. And so, this church in particular meets in a school auditorium. And sometimes this is gonna be shocking to you and the work that you've done in education. Sometimes schools don't like what churches come in and say. And they get a little upset about what teachers at the church are gonna teach when people come in.

05:06

Tim Davis

And so our church plants all across the country, even here in Texas, have gotten hassled for those reasons. And so I was talking to the planter and then some people who were involved in the plant, and they were talking about just how that has not been their experience at all. That they they really received... Been well received by the particular school where they're meeting. And as I was talking to one of the leaders, he said it was because he thought that the area that they were in really had conservative leadership.

05:33

Tim Davis

The the, I guess their equivalent of the county judge, I'm not sure what they call it out in Nevada. But all of those leaders were really supporting the church plant being there and that you were in favor of the church plant being there, which is so different than other places. So as I was thinking about that, I had another, when travel, I try to meet with whoever my counterpart is in the various counties of where I am. And I was talking with her about that. And the chair of the Republican party out in Las Vegas.

06:02

Tim Davis

I mean, I can't even imagine the things that they get into out there.

06:05

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I know.

06:06

Tim Davis

Yeah. But I was telling her the story and she said that that was something that was so important to them, that they have a good relationship with churches.

06:12

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Mhmm.

06:13

Tim Davis

They have a good relationship with the faith community that's there for a number of reasons. But most of all, just because they want, they want to, in a city like Las Vegas, they want to promote that kind of behavior and that kind of activity. And I just, those two conversations and talking with those folks, it really sunk into me like how important this stuff is. Mhmm. Because if you have leadership that's hostile to what you're doing, and we saw that during COVID, for sure we saw that during COVID.

06:39

Tim Davis

For me, you've gotta be involved to be part of that. Mhmm. To to make sure that that the stuff that matters to us, to our values and to the way that we're raising our children has an opportunity in our culture to thrive. And not just get squashed out because somebody doesn't like it. Because somebody has made a decision to go the other way.

06:58

Tim Davis

I hope that was a long way to answer your question.

07:00

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

No. Yeah. It definitely was. Thank you. And I should have done this at the very beginning, but we'll do it now.

07:05

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

For our viewers and listeners who are not familiar, can you give just the the larger cities that Tarrant County encompasses?

07:12

Tim Davis

Yeah. Tarrant County has Fort Worth, which I think as of last count was the thirteenth largest city in the and and growing, all the time. Arlington is there, which is a huge part of the other part of the county, closest here to Dallas County. Mansfield is a large city down along the Southern part of the county. I think there's about 70 ish different municipalities that make up Tarrant County all the way through really small places like South Lake where I live, about 30,000 people And all the bedroom communities in between.

07:43

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yep. And South Lake, let's take a stop in South Lake. My brother lives in South Lake and he's constantly touting, you know, all the fabulous things about South Lake.

07:53

Tim Davis

You're moving to South Lake, that's what I heard.

07:57

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

You have no idea how hard Amani and I tried to recruit him to Highland Park.

08:01

Tim Davis

Okay. Okay.

08:02

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And he was like, I'm doing South Lake. I'm doing South Lake. So he and my sister-in-law and the girls are And in he works at Ashford as well. However, and he is Latino like but he's constantly saying you know, it's such a wonderful place. It's family values, all the things.

08:23

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Moved from, were they in Mexico and Houston? I forget, no Houston area at the time. But I recently read. Yeah. At least in Southlake, and I think I texted you, about all of this.

08:36

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I was very concerned about something that I had seen in Plano. And so I sent you a clip of something happening in Plano, right? Where there was a mosque that had taken over a church in Plano. And then one of our mutual friends said, Sarah, this happened at this location. Mhmm.

08:59

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

The Islamic Center of South Lake.

09:00

Tim Davis

Pretty happened.

09:01

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And yeah. So Shannon can you pull that that for just a quick second? It's right across from what is it, Jack Johnson Elementary School?

09:08

Tim Davis

That's right. Right across from the Okay. Elementary school

09:10

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

So this Islamic Center of Southlake, how large is this? Because I hear that it's pretty it's pretty large in terms of attendees. And are there are there several of these?

09:24

Tim Davis

So that's the only one that I know of in if you look, right, it's there right across from the, the elementary Uh-huh. It's an old, I think maybe Baptist Church. Yep. That they bought. Mhmm.

09:35

Tim Davis

And then if you zoom out a little bit, you can see there's a lot of residential around it. Yep. And so I, I got a clip recently, of, there's just a lot of noise that comes there, that goes into the other, residential areas.

09:50

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

As in call... Calls to prayer?

09:51

Tim Davis

Correct. Yeah.

09:52

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh, so they do that. Yeah. Think so. I thought that was just in Frisco and Yeah. I didn't realize, okay.

09:57

Tim Davis

If I'm if I'm recognizing what I'm hearing on this clip, it was kind of a bad video clip. But the other thing, if you go on their website, if you go to the Islamic Center of Southlake. Yep. Their website. I don't know if I should have sent this to you.

10:09

Tim Davis

They are already saying like, we want to expand. Yeah. Here we go. Yes. If you check out, there's a, there's something on this page that was sent to me recently about how they're looking to expand, looking to go and get more land, get more property.

10:22

Tim Davis

Yeah.

10:23

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And your community is is pretty small. But North and in Capelle, Irving, like we have a bunch of changing demographics. Are you seeing that in any parts in addition to South Lake of... I mean, I know South Is Lake's pretty that also happening in Tarrant County?

10:42

Tim Davis

Sure. Our folks in Arlington are talking about this. Our folks down in Mansfield are talking about this. You know, I don't know the numbers in terms of what's happening there. But of course this is happening.

10:53

Tim Davis

If it's happening in a small town like Southlake, I think we're seeing it happen all over the place. You mentioned here in Dallas, but I think certainly it's happening in Tarrant County. Even Fort Worth, it's just Fort Worth is so large Fort Worth is growing so much. Absolutely.

11:08

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. And what does it tell you? I mean, is there anything there in particular that that stands out with respect to the demographics that are voting and more mobilized to vote?

11:21

Tim Davis

Yeah. Well, Southlake is probably a good example to think about and talk about. Southlake is, and I'll brag on it a little bit if I can. Southlake just has a fantastic school system.

11:31

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh yeah.

11:32

Tim Davis

So I think a lot of times the school system is what brings people to Southlake

11:36

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

and what

11:36

Tim Davis

makes Southlake, know, such a great, I know it's what makes it a great place for us to live.

11:40

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes.

11:40

Tim Davis

But what makes it a great place for everybody to live? I think that's what is happening, I think on the surface level. But you've mentioned some of these other communities where the demographics have shifted greatly because of all of these changes that we're And so in Southlake in particular, I think that has an effect, both at a school level, at a community level, all the way through what's gonna happen, at a county level, especially as it happens in other parts of the county. And I don't even think that we're even able to, to ascertain it much yet. Yep.

12:14

Tim Davis

Beyond just seeing this is the first of it happening here in Tarrant County, and being aware of it and and being aware of these communities that seem to be, hired... Folks are moving in at a higher concentration to these communities in other areas.

12:29

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. And let me kind of pivot for a second here. So I know that Biden had kind of taken Tarrant County. Yeah. Trump then regained it.

12:41

Tim Davis

Right.

12:43

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And then there was a state... Anyway, so tell me where where the status of Tarrant County Yeah. Sits today.

12:51

Tim Davis

No. So I think

12:53

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Leading up to Midterms.

12:54

Tim Davis

The two things that you've you've brought out there or we're talking about separately and then in connection. So I think Biden wins Tarrant County by something like eighteen twenty six votes. Not that I counted them all.

13:04

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I don't

13:04

Tim Davis

know, I don't know if that's exactly right, but something like that. And then the president swings it back four years later and wins by a very significant margin. We can say what we want to about the twenty twenty election. I think there was a lot of just odd things that happened in that election in terms of just even the volume of ballots that were cast in that election. But the president wins it back.

13:24

Tim Davis

Colin Allred actually won Tarrant County by a few thousand votes. Beto in his six years before won Tarrant County. And so when we ask like, you know, we love to say, and I think it's true that we are the largest red urban county in the country. But you gotta answer for some of those elections and some of those things that happened at the top of the ticket. And so when we look at what's gonna happen in this election in November, where is Tarrant County gonna be?

13:51

Tim Davis

I think what we will see with Tarrant County, Tarrant County... And we've done this math at the party. A good friend of ours actually did it. When look at Tarrant County and we've mentioned how much Fort Worth is growing, but the rest of the county is growing as well. Even areas like South Lake are growing.

14:08

Tim Davis

Everybody who's coming from other parts of the country, coming in as a new registered voter, they're coming to what are traditionally red areas of Tarrant County. We're really encouraged by that because hopefully what that means is that people are recognizing that the policies that they're leaving were terrible and they wanna move to places like Southlake, like other communities in Tarrant County that have low tax rates. So that they, because they are conservatives and they wanna go to conservative areas. We have good friends in Southlake that moved here from California. Yeah.

14:38

Tim Davis

And they're the best example of this. They looked, so they knew they wanted to leave California. They had the jobs that would allow them to go and work anywhere in the country. And out of every place in the country, they realized Southlake is a great place to live. And that's where they chose to come and live because they're conservatives.

14:55

Tim Davis

Southlake has conservative leadership. Tarrant County has conservative leadership. So when we look at what's gonna happen in November, if those folks show up, we win. And we win by a large overwhelming margin. That's why turnout is just so important for November.

15:09

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. And bear with me here. What, in your opinion, do we risk if just let's say if, right? Let's say let's say conservatives don't win.

15:21

Tim Davis

Yeah.

15:22

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

What does Texas look like? What does Tarrant County Well, look

15:26

Tim Davis

Tarrant County has the lowest crime rate of the five large urban counties in Texas. By a significant margin. And so all of our judges, our district attorney and our sheriff in Tarrant County are Republicans.

15:40

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

If

15:41

Tim Davis

we lose those spots, I think we will know what happened because we saw what happened here in Dallas when that flip, when that switch happened, crime will start to grow up. You guys have a DA in this county who says that he won't prosecute theft below a certain dollar threshold. That's right. I think that we'll start to see some of those policies start to get enacted. And you know what happens when they do.

16:02

Tim Davis

Crime starts to go up. Yep. Because of course it would. If we lose judges who are willing to put people in jail for the crimes that they commit, who are willing to enforce a bail policy, for instance, all of that matters. And all of that is a very tangible thing that happens if we don't have conservative leadership, especially at the criminal justice level.

16:24

Tim Davis

If you expand that out to Texas, and we think about what happens if governor Abbott isn't our governor anymore and somebody else is, those same things will happen. The the governor's opponent voted in favor of a state income tax.

16:38

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's right.

16:38

Tim Davis

That's been one of our most precious things in Texas. That's why these people are moving from Yes. Other states to And we're gonna pull the rug out from underneath them and just say, just kidding. Now we have this this State income income tax. And that's a real tangible thing for people.

16:51

Tim Davis

Like, you know, I'm about to file my taxes because we always file late. And it's a, it's a big thing. And I always love not having to file that state income tax return. It's that simple in Texas. If we lose that leadership, that's of course gonna come right away.

17:09

Tim Davis

All the way through stuff that's very important to me on social basis. I don't care what James Talarico was saying. He supports transgender surgeries for kids. He absolutely does. Don't believe his commercials, whatever he's putting up.

17:23

Tim Davis

I had to watch 10 of them yesterday during the football game. Oh my gosh. Did you? It's so obnoxious. Yeah.

17:29

Tim Davis

They're just constant now.

17:29

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh gosh.

17:30

Tim Davis

And so he's he's saying like all of this stuff that he just doesn't believe. And now he's on tape saying he doesn't believe it.

17:37

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I know it.

17:37

Tim Davis

You've seen that.

17:38

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Of course. But none of our friends who vote differently, their algorithms don't serve that up.

17:44

Tim Davis

Right, right.

17:44

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

So of course it's not, yeah.

17:46

Tim Davis

Hopefully they're seeing the football game. Because I, you know, I think that, that message just has to get out there. They're like, hey, they're not telling you the truth because those two things, the state income tax, and supporting transgender surgeries for children. I mean, are huge issues for most Texans that I talk to. And we've gotta do a good job of getting that message out there of like, that really is a risk in this election.

18:10

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. And is there anything else at risk? What about immigration? What about, I mean, those viable things to all of a sudden have concern about?

18:20

Tim Davis

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And I think for the reasons that we've talked about already. So when we think about immigration and who do we talk to about that, that's always a federal issue first. That's right.

18:30

Tim Davis

And so I think Attorney General Paxton will lead the way in the Senate for us on those issues that matter to us. But the governor has led on that issue too. And he said, we're not gonna have any H-1B hires in state agencies. That's within his power to do.

18:44

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's something

18:44

Tim Davis

that he did. So he's led the way on that. When you look at that issue in particular, and I think this is such an important one for us to understand, because you see that abused H-1B visas. These are visas that were originally designed, because there's apparently one person in the world who can do this thing. We've That's gotta go get them and get them here to do it.

19:05

Tim Davis

Now it's so abused for everything from just hairstylists to mechanics, to all these jobs that we have people here that are more than willing and That's able right. To And then all of a sudden, when that person comes, here comes their family right behind them. And so when we talk about what we're seeing in Southlake and these other we see that. We see that start to happen. And so if we don't have leaders that are advocating our cause for that, and it's an American cause that we have to advocate.

19:37

Tim Davis

It really is a situation where we have people who are able to do this work and who want to do this work. It's an economy issue. We've gotta have leaders that support that as opposed to ignore it, look the other way, or like the Biden administration did, just make it worse.

19:51

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. And I'm gonna ask you to take a look at this document with me. It's Shannon under the four Muslim members of Congress, all Democrats. That particular Google Drive doc. So my question to you is about this document that I'm showing you right now on this screen.

20:10

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

So Muslim elected officials in 2026 nominees. So our four members of Congress, right, Muslim, are Democratic. Nominees currently not in Congress, right. All Dems. The only Republican ticket is in North Carolina.

20:31

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And but then if you scroll down to any mayors, of course we have New York City, Dearborn, Michigan, and then Jersey. But the non partisan states clearly are not clearly defined here. But how is it in your opinion that this type of political representation at the congressional, state, city level have really developed a good working relationship with the Democratic party?

21:06

Tim Davis

Well, I think we've got to consider what the Democrats have become. You know, I was talking to somebody the other day, Bill Clinton 1993 version seems really great.

21:15

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Of course.

21:16

Tim Davis

Like I think we would all stand Yes. Up for that but look at in that short amount of time, like where they've come. Look at in the twenty five years since nineeleven. Yep. How far they have come, how far they have changed, how far they have moved.

21:31

Tim Davis

Because what they're having to do is build these coalitions. They've lost the center of the country. They have, in any way, shape or form. And so they're having to build these new coalitions to stay in power. And they're doing it with importing immigrants from all over the world and and turning them into Democrats.

21:51

Tim Davis

And they're doing it through... In in this way of where the left and the the extreme people who just don't love our country are forming political alliances. I mean, you go back up to the to the four members of congress Mhmm. All four of them have just said terrible things about this country.

22:08

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh, horrible. Terrible things They hate about this The United States Of America.

22:12

Tim Davis

Yeah. And yet they keep getting reelected and they keep being, I mean, Ehane Omar is a prominent member of the Democratic Party. So is Congresswoman Tlaib, prominent member of their party, would be considered leaders in their party. And think of the thing that those two women... Things that those two women have said about our country, it's shocking to me that a sitting member of Congress would say that much less keep getting reelected the way that they do.

22:39

Tim Davis

Both of them will win their elections,

22:41

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

presume. I believe so as well. Hands down. Yeah. Because their constituent base aligns with their thinking.

22:47

Tim Davis

Right. Right.

22:47

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And they've also co opted, you know, people whom they would otherwise kill, if numbers were high enough. Like our friends in LGBTQ spaces. Their alliance is terrifying to me because it's lies. Yeah. They're lies.

23:07

Tim Davis

Well, and help me remember El Syed in Michigan. Didn't he say we deserved nine Yes. He's the

23:12

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

one that said that? We deserved it.

23:14

Tim Davis

And so, you know, it... I mean, he's he's a contender to go to the United States Senate. Yep. And it's it's amazing to me that their party not only tolerates that, within their... If if that happened in our primary, I I just...

23:28

Tim Davis

I laugh to think about how quickly we would call that out and how... What little support that person would garner. He's a contender to go to the senate from Michigan. Mhmm. And that's amazing to me that they they not only tolerate that behavior, they support it, and now encourage it.

23:43

Tim Davis

I I can't imagine how he's gonna vote, if he gets to the senate.

23:46

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And let me ask you this. I'm gonna show you a clip from Tala Rico. And reason being is because I believe... I mean, I understand how people whom I love and care for in El Paso, Texas, I'm originally from Juarez And and El I grew up a staunch Democrat. Yeah.

24:03

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I no longer vote that way, but I understand when they see videos like the one I'm about to show you that sound so good. And the words are so inviting. Mhmm. But as a leader

24:18

Tim Davis

Yeah.

24:18

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

In the GOP, what is it that you would specifically say in response to this? Shannon, if you could play this.

24:24

Video

Christians and Muslims and Jews all worship the same god. Muslims love Jesus. They love Moses and Abraham. We are all branches on the same tree as the Abrahamic faiths. And so it's heartbreaking to watch extremists, whether they are Christian nationalists or whether they're the Taliban or Al Qaeda, perverting these beautiful traditions that have so much in common to attack others and consolidate their own power.

24:54

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

He's well spoken, he's kind, he has eyes that are endearing. And I understand how how this can be, where we are today. Because people a lot of times will vote for who they like. What words can you share in your now newly elected position to speak directly to some of the things that he said.

25:30

Tim Davis

Yeah. I think that race in particular is a great one to illustrate what you're talking about. I, like you, I understand there's a dynamic at work there in that race even folks that that I know are Same. Uncomfortable

25:45

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. Very much so.

25:46

Tim Davis

What's interesting to me though, is how much time is spent talking about one man's private life and not spent talking about another man's publicly stated positions. Yes. Like how how are you gonna go vote when you go to vote in the United States Senate? Attorney General Paxton, I'm pretty confident that I know he's gonna... How he's gonna vote and it's gonna be the way that most Texans would vote.

26:08

Tim Davis

Yet, James Talarico for all the reasons that you just said is getting a pass on this stuff. No, Christianity is not on par with other religions. It's just not. It's not. It's just not.

26:21

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

It is not.

26:21

Tim Davis

Even, I don't know, did you see this over the weekend that somebody did one of those grok tests?

26:25

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes.

26:26

Tim Davis

Did you see that? Yes. It was great.

26:27

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And that was the only one remaining.

26:28

Tim Davis

It was the Yes. Last one That's right. Now I'm, I guess I'm biased, to that extent, but I think I can back up my bias a little bit. And so to put, to put that religion on par with everything else, is exactly what you said. It's very smooth, but it's very deceptive.

26:44

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Very deceptive. It's wrong.

26:46

Tim Davis

Yeah, that's right. It is. It's wrong. It's absolutely wrong because there, it's not on par for all the reasons that we know. Mhmm.

26:52

Tim Davis

Yeah.

26:53

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And... Okay. So I I just... I wondered because for me, we clearly know that these types of groups, right, let's call them anyone who's gonna be voting differently from people such as yourself. It's important to me because they are mobilizing, they are organized.

27:14

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

There is, what is that Care recently said in the article that the Dallas Express reported 3,000,000 organized voters, Muslim voters who are just like in that sheet that we were looking at. They're supporting Democrats. And there is a huge influx of international money traced specifically from the IRGC from these terrorist organizations Right. Supporting opponents

27:44

Tim Davis

Yeah.

27:44

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

To the conservative movement. How can you encourage people to get out and vote? Yeah. Just simply to combat that sort of influence?

27:59

Tim Davis

Yeah. So I think to answer that question, we have to talk about why we do that. And then I'll tell you how we're doing it in Sure. Tarrant Do it. So for me, and we've talked about this a little bit, I have a six year old and I have an 18 old.

28:12

Tim Davis

Oh, know. You can babysit anytime. He's a wild one. He's a wild one. But, you know, everybody says this and I guess I just didn't appreciate it until it became true for us.

28:24

Tim Davis

But isn't that such a moment when you have children? Like how it just really distills and crystallizes your values, your belief system, and what's so important to you. And so for Lindsey and me, that's obviously a huge part of the why, is we want our boys to grow up in a country that is full of faith, very free, where they have the opportunity like we did to go and and really be anything that they wanna be. So, I mean, that's one reason. But we're we're property owners.

28:54

Tim Davis

I mean, I don't wanna be taxed out of my home. Wanna stay

28:57

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

there. I

28:58

Tim Davis

wanna keep living there. I wanna be able and I want them to come back and see us. Yes. You know, in in the house where we live, all those things. So it's just, you know, it's it's real family based.

29:07

Tim Davis

It's real just, can we just keep living in this place? All that stuff is important to us. Everybody has reasons like that for why. And so as we look at what's happening in our culture, what's happening in society, know, you you've said it very well, the left is organizing. They're constantly organizing.

29:25

Tim Davis

For them, this is a religion. Just, it's a churn for them of what's the next cause? What's the next thing that they can go and protest? What's the next thing they, what's the next meeting they can go and yell at and disrupt? And so as we looked at the party about, okay, what are we gonna do in November?

29:41

Tim Davis

And we started this actually during the primary even because we knew that it was gonna take quite an effort. We said sometimes the best way to fight fires with fire, that we have to be the most organized that we've ever been. And so for those of you that don't know, you know, every political party in Texas is organized with a chair, like that's me, with precinct chairs underneath who really are the heartbeat of the party. They have a small area, you know, sometimes about a thousand to 4,000 voters that they have signed up to work and to get out the vote in that precinct. And so it really is built towards this.

30:18

Tim Davis

It's really built towards organizing for elections. So there's, we've organized at the party just with a massive volunteer effort. I've never, two things that I've never seen. I've never seen us as unified. I really mean that, like that's not a platitude.

30:32

Tim Davis

I think everybody is realizing what's at stake in this election. But I have never seen us as motivated. We have nine phone banks, call centers, whatever you wanna describe them as, a week all across the county, in And Turin we're seeing just massive support at each of those every day because people are just getting involved, they're getting invested, they're getting interested in this election because of what's at stake with our families and our properties and all those things. But the other thing that we've done is in a county like Tarrant, a large county, there's a lot of political spend that comes in from large campaigns, the Senate campaign. Judge O'Hare has raised over a million dollars that he will spend on his campaign.

31:16

Tim Davis

We've raised a lot of money at the party just to support our efforts. And so we said, it's not smart for all of us just to shotgun our money out there. Let's get get together and plan how we're gonna deploy it as best as we can. Because if you're targeting a group of voters, I don't need to come behind you and target them at the party because you've already talked to them. Or at least I don't need to do it in the same way that you're doing it.

31:39

Tim Davis

There's all these different messages now that we get. I saw somebody is putting up billboards on the way here. Not my favorite way to get up the boat, but hey, I guess it works for somebody. You know, versus all of this online targeting that we do now. And I know everybody hates the text messages, but they work.

31:57

Tim Davis

We've sent out already to date in this election over a million text messages from Yeah. The Wow. And so don't be mad at me, just go vote, just go vote. Yeah. And so it's taking coordinated effort like that all across campaigns, all across the county in order to win this election because you gotta be organized.

32:16

Tim Davis

They are. I mean, they a multi decade plan for how they want to take over these things that matter to us. And we've gotta be more organized and we've gotta be better at it.

32:27

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Have you read General Flynn's books?

32:30

Tim Davis

So somebody that we know has recommended those I to need to get there.

32:34

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

You have to read them. But I've heard, I mean you have really touted the need to organize. I've heard you know large numbers that you all have raised in efforts to do that. Is your number one spend one, two and three spend? Is it you know voter ID, digital advertising?

32:57

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Is it door knocking? What is it that you all are spending that money on today?

33:03

Tim Davis

So our biggest spend would be the category just voter contact. And so that comes in a number of different ways. What what all the studies tell us is that the best thing at the door, if somebody knocks on your door, the best person on the other side of it is the candidate him or herself. And so a lot of our candidates, Lee Wamsgans, who's running for Senate, John McQueeney, who's running to be returned, go back to the State House, David Lowe, a ton of our candidates are doing that. I mean, it's actually been amazing to me, the effort that they put in.

33:31

Tim Davis

Arma Mazzani, who's running for, I mean, I'm just going down the list, Ellen Fleishman, even Tim O'Hare a county wide race is door knocking.

33:39

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah.

33:40

Tim Davis

And so that to me is the most effective. If we can support those efforts with all the money that we raise. The second is the most effective thing at the door is somebody like you and me. We may not be the candidate, but we say, Hey, I know Tim. I know Lee.

33:53

Tim Davis

I know Armin. I know Ellen. And I want you to vote for them because they're so great for these reasons. I, the number I should have brought it with me, doors that we've knocked already. I think across the county, we've already knocked nearly a quarter of a million doors.

34:07

Tim Davis

Wow. Which was amazing to me.

34:09

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah, that's crazy they

34:10

Tim Davis

told me about that the because other these candidates are working. Oh. And like they believe in the value of voter contact. After that, I would say, let's get somebody on the phone. Now here's something interesting that I found out.

34:23

Tim Davis

Cycle, I've never seen it before. We are behind our schedule on talking to people on the phone, but ahead of schedule and getting them to respond to text messages. So there's this new feature, I didn't, you probably have it on your phone, where you can screen a call.

34:38

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh yeah.

34:38

Tim Davis

It comes in.

34:39

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Cloaked.

34:39

Tim Davis

No one told me about this.

34:41

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Really?

34:42

Tim Davis

Yes. Somebody needs to set it up for me.

34:43

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh yeah, it's the best.

34:45

Tim Davis

So we start doing voter contact calls. Just calling them on the phone. And we were surprised because we kept getting, hitting the call screener. Now you apparently don't hit the text message screener. So when I send you a text and I say, Hey, this is Tim from the Republican party.

35:02

Tim Davis

Let me know how, you know, how you gonna vote in November. Let me know how you're gonna vote. We were getting like double the response rate to that than we expected or what we planned for. And, you know, like I say, less calls. So obviously we shifted to these text messages.

35:16

Tim Davis

Wow. It's, but it's that kind of thinking that we've gotta do. For too long in Tarrant County, we just said, oh, you just gotta win the primary and then everything will take care of itself come November. I don't think in Tarrant County and even in Texas anymore, that we can take that for granted. I think that we've got to assume that the only way that we win is if we work And our folks are really stepping up to that.

35:39

Tim Davis

And it's wonderful to see. Yeah.

35:42

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And yeah, that's a beautiful answer to it because I, you know, I thought to myself, is this really $3,500,000? But what is it used for? Yeah, yeah. You know early voting registration, all of these items, mail. But, and I'm gonna just toggle over quickly.

36:00

Tim Davis

Sure.

36:00

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

To Christian churches.

36:02

Tim Davis

Yeah.

36:06

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Again, I've spoken about the organization

36:10

Tim Davis

Mhmm.

36:10

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Of certain systems to turn out votes. Right. Do you all work with churches?

36:17

Tim Davis

Oh, yeah. This is you're gonna have to tell me like, hey, you're talking too much about this. Because I really love, I love talking about this. There is no doubt that if every Christian shows up and votes, we win every time by huge margins. And so I was telling somebody this the other day, I had a professor in college who said, we don't really have a democracy in this country.

36:40

Tim Davis

We have an apathocracy. We're ruled by our

36:42

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

own Yes.

36:43

Tim Davis

Because we just kinda like what I said, we just take it for granted. Like, oh, well.

36:47

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Someone else will take care of it.

36:48

Tim Davis

Someone else

36:48

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

will Someone will do it.

36:49

Tim Davis

Yeah. That's right. Yeah. The easiest thing in politics is to say somebody else should do something. Yeah.

36:54

Tim Davis

And that's what it seems like it happens so often. So in this campaign, we have some great churches in Tarrant County, some phenomenal churches.

37:01

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah, huge ones too.

37:02

Tim Davis

Some churches that are really invested in this campaign, really invested in this work. And so yes, we've reached out to them to start working with them. We've had events with them. In fact, the last two Sundays, I'm sorry, the last three Sundays, I had an event at a church where it was designed to do exactly what you're saying. Like, here's the important issues.

37:23

Tim Davis

Here's election day. Please, please, please go vote. And please, please, please volunteer with us. At all of those events and this, you know, again, it's kind of the, the investment that we're seeing from all, all parts of the county. In all of those events, we saw our involvement spike.

37:39

Tim Davis

People really are signing up. It's not just apathy anymore. They really are signing up, getting involved. The people who are sending these text messages are people from these churches. And so we've focused on that in a number of different ways.

37:53

Tim Davis

One, I'll go to any church that will have me between now and the election and talk about this stuff. But the second thing that we focus on is getting the pastors together. And so we're gonna have a call with the pastors soon that's really targeted with them. Some of them are, it's so funny. They know there's an election, but they don't know when it is.

38:10

Tim Davis

Is it December? I don't, you know, maybe it's coming up. So we, Wow. We're doing that kind of thing of saying like, Hey, tell your people.

38:17

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah.

38:17

Tim Davis

It's November 3. It's November 3. The fourth.

38:21

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

My gosh.

38:22

Tim Davis

It's the third. Oh my gosh. So it's stuff as simple as that too. Here's how you can get We need you throughout the year, not just at election time because our legislature is about to come in to session in January. The legislature does is important to our churches.

38:38

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yep.

38:39

Tim Davis

And they have got to get invested. They've got to get at least informed as to what the legislature is doing. When I talk with a lot of these pastors, they're so surprised about, well, I didn't know that the legislature can do that. Of course they can, they're the legislature. And being involved with all of that is so important.

38:58

Tim Davis

But I was talking to a group of pastors of the day and you'll appreciate this. One of the things, say whatever you want to about President Trump. And I know a lot of people do. But President Trump in his first term, and especially now in his second term has appointed some really great judges.

39:14

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Chuck, To federal bench. I agree.

39:17

Tim Davis

I mean just fantastic judges. Yep. And so in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is the federal, I'm putting my lawyer hat on for a second, That's where Texas is. There's this doctrine called the ecclesiastical doctrine, which basically says the government is not gonna tell you how to run your church. We're gonna stay out of the business of your church, out of the polity of your church.

39:41

Tim Davis

We're staying out of that. And so don't bring your disputes here. We want you to resolve them church. And that's important for a number of ways. Because think about if the government could tell your church who it had to hire to be your pastor.

39:54

Tim Davis

I mean, that's just, that's a crazy thing for us to think about. There was a case recently that challenged that doctrine in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. And it's not any famous case from around here. So don't just, if you're thinking of a case, it's not that one. But, the Fifth Circuit looked at that, doctrine really closely.

40:13

Tim Davis

And those of us that that that's important to, we're really watching that case really closely. And president Trump's appointees not only reaffirmed that doctrine in Texas, but strengthened it. That's another thing that's at stake for these churches when I go and talk to them, because some of them say that, they say, Oh, I didn't even realize that was a thing that could happen. Well, of course it is. And these are the people who are making those decisions.

40:36

Tim Davis

Thankfully, the president helped put them there. And all of that stuff is so important for our churches. If they show up, this stuff happens, and it kind of happens on autopilot in a way. You of understand the apathy at that point. We have to show up and vote because that stuff's at stake.

40:52

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. And it's interesting because you would think that pastors would have that knowledge.

40:58

Tim Davis

Right.

40:58

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Especially because that's their industry.

41:00

Tim Davis

Right.

41:01

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Right. But I can understand how they don't.

41:04

Tim Davis

I grew up in a faith tradition that was really hands off when it came to the government. And so my grandparents, I would always thought it was interesting. They would, they would sit around and they would talk about the stuff they didn't like, you know, in society or that, you know, particular leader did this or that. And I, it always was strange to me because I thought, well, you didn't vote though. So why why do you...

41:24

Tim Davis

Yes. Why are you expressing all these thoughts? Jesus has, you know, these Pharisees come to Jesus at one point and they wanna try to trick him about paying taxes. You know the story? And they say, oh, you know, teachers, should we pay taxes or not?

41:43

Tim Davis

Jesus was always so clever about this stuff. I always say like in my law practice, I wish I just had like half of like just how savvy he was. And he says to him, give me a coin. So they give him a coin. He looks at it and he says, well, whose picture's on it?

41:58

Tim Davis

They say, well, it's Caesar's. And you know, the whole reason that they were trying to trap him was if he says, don't pay taxes, well then the Roman government is gonna come And down on if he says, well, do pay taxes, well then the Jewish people were gonna be upset at him because the Romans were exploiting the Jewish people paying taxes. And so he looks at it and he, like I say, he's just so clever. And he says, well, you know, Caesar's pictures on here, you give to God what is God's, but you give to Caesar what is Caesar's. And that I just had thought about that so much over the last few months because what he's saying is, of course, our first allegiance is to heaven.

42:31

Tim Davis

Yep. He didn't say anything other than that. But sometimes you gotta give something to Caesar. And as I've just gone through this campaign and thought about all these things that matter to us, it feels like in a way, my grandmother would be so upset to know that her grandson is the chairman of the Republican party.

42:47

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

It's okay. My parents, before they passed, it's the same. But I think towards the end they said, I understand.

42:54

Tim Davis

No, get it.

42:55

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I understand. But yes, go ahead. Go ahead.

42:57

Tim Davis

Well, I think like in some ways that's what I'm doing is I'm just, I'm I'm because of what I believe and because I think of what the Lord taught us, this is me giving to Caesar, you know, what Caesar is due. So that we can keep giving to God what God is due. That really is part and parcel of what he was teaching us there.

43:15

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Oh, that makes me a little emotional. Yeah. Because I've never heard that described in that manner. That's pretty powerful. And do you find that you come across many, let's say churches still.

43:30

Tim Davis

Sure.

43:30

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Who support different politics than yours?

43:36

Tim Davis

Yeah, oh yeah, for sure. I mean I'm probably pretty conservative as people come, but James Tylerico is a great example. He would tell you that he's a pastor. And there's, have you seen all these secret videos of his

43:49

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

pastors Of and his his pastor, yes, yes, yes.

43:51

Tim Davis

Very, very strange. Some of the things that they're saying about him even. Yep. So yeah, I mean, there are definitely, there's a broad spectrum of churches that are in this state, in this country, in a broad spectrum of their activity level. You know, his church is probably a good example of how active they've been politically in And we have churches just the same on our side that are active.

44:15

Tim Davis

It's those in the middle that are just, you know, like I say, where people you have to remind them like, no, there's actually an election coming up and it's important to you. Yeah.

44:23

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And let's talk about that for a second. I mean, you and I've seen the videos of, you know, his pastor commenting about his politics will return to what you know they were beforehand. Don't be fooled basically, But I

44:36

Tim Davis

isn't that crazy that she would say that? Like she's basically admitting, oh he's just saying stuff to get votes.

44:41

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes.

44:42

Tim Davis

I was taught he's lying. Yes. I mean that's what how I was raised.

44:45

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes. And so for what it's worth, how is it that you know, my family, right? They have their faithful Catholics, Christians, all the things. And they they vote differently. Yeah.

45:04

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Right? They vote differently.

45:05

Tim Davis

Yeah.

45:05

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And pastors do as well. How do you have those conversations when you're Yeah. In your role?

45:12

Tim Davis

Yeah. Mean, is maybe a good way to think about it. We have a a precinct chair, just a sweet, sweet lady, and she was telling me about this. She's black. Mhmm.

45:20

Tim Davis

And she was telling me about how her family has responded to her conservative views. Mhmm. And in some... One of her family members told her like, just don't come back around here anymore. I mean, it's

45:31

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

that It's that polarizing.

45:33

Tim Davis

And I think faith is kind of like that as well, that certain churches have just adopted, don't come around here if that's gonna be your view. I think we have to have always first a Christian response.

45:43

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes.

45:44

Tim Davis

We just have to We

45:44

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

are called to.

45:45

Tim Davis

We're called to. Yes. We have no other

45:47

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

option. We cannot be hateful and angry and all the things.

45:49

Tim Davis

That's right. Have to we have to love everybody and we have to accept them for where they are.

45:53

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's right.

45:54

Tim Davis

The best thing about love though, the best the best... One of the best attributes of love is that I can love you best sometimes by telling you the most truth.

46:03

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes.

46:03

Tim Davis

By telling you the truth the best. Yep. And so I don't wanna be, you know, first Corinthians talks about that. I don't wanna be hateful. I don't wanna be spiteful.

46:09

Tim Davis

I want to say the truth in love and on all those characteristics of love that we hear about every wedding that we go to. We have to be like that. We have to adopt that and just say, I know that you might disagree with me about this, but I see it this way. And I see this as the best way for all of these reasons and just lay it out

46:29

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

and

46:29

Tim Davis

be kind, but be truthful. And then from there, they'll respond how they respond, you know. Yeah. And they'll say what what they say. I'm always amazed and I'm so lucky that, you know, I've never been kicked out of a family because of something that I think.

46:46

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes. Me too.

46:47

Tim Davis

Yeah. I'm grateful. And so these these folks that have those stories, I'm just... I'm always so humbled to hear about that because, they're they're examples of that, that they know what's true. Mhmm.

46:58

Tim Davis

And they're firm about what's true. And they're enduring all that chaos around them.

47:02

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

That's right.

47:03

Tim Davis

Anyway. I have a question for you.

47:04

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. Okay.

47:04

Tim Davis

Okay. So Ask me. I get this question a lot and I'm so interested to hear what you think. The Latino vote, what's gonna happen in November?

47:15

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

I believe that we've done a very good job at losing the majority of the Latino vote.

47:20

Tim Davis

Yeah. Yeah.

47:22

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

But I can tell you that for a lot of my family who is in California, my biological family, it's horrible what it has done to parts of the community.

47:37

Tim Davis

The

47:38

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

ICE narrative and actual ICE agents, some of the treatment from ICE agents, not the overwhelming majority as it's made to seem, but it's still happening because humans are humans. Yeah, right. And it's an unfortunate reality in that, yeah, I do believe that we've lost significant strides in the Latino community.

48:02

Tim Davis

And I, sorry to put you on the spot about but I trust your voice on this because I think that I've always considered, first of all, I don't like segmenting the vote into racial groups. I know it. So I, when the media calls and asks, oh, what are the Latinos gonna do in Tarrant County? I don't know. Yep.

48:17

Tim Davis

Like, because they're not monolithic and I think we deserve, they deserve, all groups deserve more respect than just being distilled to the sum And of its so to me, as I think about that question, I know our party is pro family. And I know our party is pro faith. And I know our party is, conservative for all the reasons that we've talked about. It would seem like there's a large segment that identifies with that. Yeah.

48:44

Tim Davis

But I'm concerned that what you said is also true that we have not honored it enough. And we've not communicated it well enough. Yeah. And that there's all this other chaos in the culture that just seems to shut down those things. So I'm interested to see what happens in November.

48:59

Tim Davis

I hope that we, I hope that all that returns to, you know, what we would hope for. Yes. But it's something I'm keeping an eye on for sure.

49:07

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And even my birth mom, she owns barbershops and a lot of her clientele is, I mean maybe like 100% of her clientele is Latin. And so she'll comment and say they are not coming out. Are not coming to get their haircuts. Because they're afraid of x y z. And I just think to myself oh my gosh this is where we are.

49:34

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And so I hear, I have a very very keen understanding of the true I believe pulse of the community. And it's not overwhelmingly positive at this point but as you know, Latin people are family. Family, family, family, family. God, God, God. I mean we are that.

49:55

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And so because there has been a lot of very intelligent investment on the social media front, the spin is real. But the truth also exists. We were allowing murderers, horrific murderers into our country. And guess what? An overwhelming majority of them were not Latino.

50:23

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Like some, sure. But I'm talking convicted felons in other countries. Right, and so that will get me going very quickly. Good, When good, I sit there and have conversations and say, you're being lied to. We have child rapists that are being let in because of the open borders.

50:47

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

We cannot allow that. Everything that you love about wanting to come to The United States is gone. We're losing it quickly because of what is coming into our country.

50:57

Tim Davis

And I think like that's getting held against us more than the other side even though we weren't the cause of

51:03

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

it. No. We were not the cause. Yeah. And anyway, so we can, we can yeah, go down a really slippery slope I on this one very

51:13

Tim Davis

just want us to be better communicators to

51:15

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

your I know. Point about

51:16

Tim Davis

Because I think that what we're doing in our party, the values that are so precious to us reflect that community.

51:22

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yep.

51:23

Tim Davis

It's just, we've gotta say it more. Yep. We gotta talk about it more.

51:26

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yep. And that's to your point, I meet everyone where they are. Yep. And I know, oh I'm not even gonna bring it up around these friends or family members because it's just not worth it to me to lose their love and to like for them not to have my influence of love and support and all the things that my relationship brings. Like right just as a human, as a person that loves them.

51:50

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

So I stay away from some of this sometimes. Of course. But if there is an opening I will take it.

51:54

Tim Davis

That's right.

51:56

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

May I do some rapid fire questions with you? I rarely do this with people, but I think that you are someone that is intelligent enough, prepared enough, and just able to handle it. You know, we might not even use it in the interview, but it's good for socials.

52:13

Tim Davis

Yeah. This is great.

52:13

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

It's good for socials. Let's do it. So... Alright. Fin...

52:17

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

If you can. K. Finish these sentences for me as best as you possibly can.

52:21

Tim Davis

Alright.

52:22

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

The biggest threat to Republicans in Tarrant County is?

52:25

Tim Davis

Republicans who aren't aware.

52:28

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. The biggest mistake Republicans are making is?

52:32

Tim Davis

Not communicating our values strongly enough.

52:34

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. Yeah. The demographic change Republicans understand least is?

52:40

Tim Davis

Gosh, there are just so many. I think, the demographic change that we're not, understanding the most is any group that comes that doesn't support American values.

52:51

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes.

52:52

Tim Davis

If that's a demographic.

52:53

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yep. Yeah. Yep. The voter Republicans aren't talking to enough is?

53:05

Tim Davis

So part of me wants to say, this isn't good for the socials, but I'll tell you.

53:10

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Uh-huh.

53:10

Tim Davis

Part of me wants to say that we're not talking to the college educated white woman enough. But I think we are. I just think it's not being heard.

53:19

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yeah. There's blocks.

53:20

Tim Davis

Yeah. So I would say, this is gonna be a surprising answer to you. Okay. The, the, the voter that we're not talking to enough are the Trump voters. And you would think, well, you're the Republican party.

53:32

Tim Davis

You should talk to them. All of our research shows that there's a segment of voter that only shows up when the president is on the ballot. Why is that? It's because we're not talking to him enough. We're not saying what he's for, we're for.

53:44

Tim Davis

His values are our values. And we're not showing that there really is this movement in our party to make and keep America great. And we've gotta do a better job talking to them.

53:54

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. I I would agree with you on that one.

53:57

Tim Davis

Yeah. Especially in a in a midterm cycle, that's front of mind.

53:59

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

You're good. You're good. Let let's keep going. Hold on. Hold on.

54:03

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. The lesson from senate district nine is?

54:06

Tim Davis

Don't have a snowstorm in the middle of your special runoff election.

54:10

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yes. Okay. That that's a good one. The thing Tarrant County business leaders aren't paying enough attention to is.

54:17

Tim Davis

The risk, that we lose County leadership that's conservative. I think, you know, we talked about apathy and I'm sensing that from our business community. There's just like an understanding that, oh, you know, Tim O'Hare, the DA, Republican judges, they'll get reelected. There is no community at a greater risk than our business community if that doesn't happen Because taxes will go through the roof, crime goes through the roof, nobody wants to live there anymore, nobody wants to have their business there anymore. It's that simple.

54:50

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

What would you tell those business leaders who are so reliant on everyone else? This is not part of the is not part of the rapid fire. But what would you tell the business leaders who are of the opinion that everyone else is gonna take care of it, and that they do not need to be encouraging their employees to vote to maintain pro business policies in the community.

55:12

Tim Davis

I mean, know that's not true. Like if you have that mentality that somebody else is gonna take care of it, know that that's not true. Like there there are so many examples across the country, California being one of the best. Look at the business that California has lost over the last just twenty five years. And they're losing it all to Texas.

55:31

Tim Davis

And we know why, because taxes are out of control in California. The cost of living is out of control. Then you say, well, why, you know, I'm a I'm a rich business guy. Why does that matter? Of course.

55:43

Tim Davis

But you have all of these people that work with you at your company for whom it is a very important thing. And it's important to the rich business guys too. Yep. It's just if you want to have a business that thrives, that does well, that expands even, you cannot live in a high tax, high regulatory environment. You just can't.

56:00

Tim Davis

It's very simple. There's a reason that Fortune 500 companies are fleeing these states and coming to places like Tennessee and Texas and Florida that have a low regulation, low tax environment, because the more that you can operate within your business and the freer that you can operate within your business, the better your business does. It's just, it's not hard to It's just that a lot of times our business has been here for five hundred years or whatever. Yeah. And we don't wanna move.

56:28

Tim Davis

We like living in this state. You're getting taxed out of your business. It's that, just like I don't wanna be taxed out of my home, these places are getting taxed out of their business,

56:37

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

moved That's right. Thank you. Thank you for taking that detour for yeah, just a moment. Sorry. Okay.

56:42

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

The thing Christian churches aren't paying enough attention to is?

56:45

Tim Davis

I think the state of our society. Like, if we would spend just a few, this is where I'll get a little bit emotional. If we would spend a little bit of time looking around at what's happening in our society,

56:59

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

that

56:59

Tim Davis

one in five children are in poverty. Yep. And hungry.

57:02

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yep.

57:04

Tim Davis

Every night when they come home. When we think about how many kids are in foster care. When we think about just the crime rate and the reason behind the crime rate. When we think about anti family policies that are, that are very present in our society. If the churches would pay attention to that and realize that we have somehow gotten off mission, that we have gotten away from the great commission, that we've gotten away from telling people that Jesus really is that great.

57:30

Tim Davis

He really is. He really is who He said He was. He taught the greatest things that have ever been taught. He lived the best life that has ever been lived and get, you know, out of our little, our little holy huddles as we talk about and realize the force that the church can be on culture and on society and how it can really... The cultural change happens at the family level.

57:53

Tim Davis

It will never happen in that state house in Austin. It just And this is not a rapid fire answer again, sorry. But if churches would realize that, that if we can impact the family and if we can make family life better and easier, if we can get moms and dads together to stay and take care of their kids, how in a generation we can change this society. If the churches would realize that and get engaged behind that, my job is irrelevant. Who cares about politics at that point?

58:27

Tim Davis

Yeah. They won't matter.

58:28

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Yep. But as you know, it's all under attack.

58:30

Tim Davis

That's right.

58:31

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Okay. The most important thing Republicans need to do differently before November is?

58:39

Tim Davis

Donate to the Tarrant County GOP, www.tarrantgop.org. That's the most important thing. We will honor that money. I don't get paid in this job, so it's not even that. But yeah, I think it's somehow give your time, your treasure, your talent to a campaign or to the party to do all these things to get this message out.

59:00

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And finally, if Tarrant County really is the largest Republican county in America Yeah. What do Republicans have to do right now to keep it that way?

59:12

Tim Davis

They've gotta vote. Mhmm. And they've gotta get 10 other people to do the same thing. We will win this election if we turn out. Mhmm.

59:19

Tim Davis

Tarrant County is a right of center county. All of our studies, all of our, demographics, all of our polling is showing that. It's just you cannot take this one for granted. You gotta go vote.

59:30

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

And what else would you add, if anything, that we haven't covered? I had so much more. You you have no idea. I could have gone for days. But is there anything

59:38

Tim Davis

I'll come back.

59:39

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Please. Is there anything else that you would like to add that we didn't touch upon?

59:44

Tim Davis

Yeah. So, you know, I've lived in a number of different states and just been able to, fortunate to travel. And the way that I tell this story, wife's family lived here when we got married. And I told her at the time, was like, listen, I'll never live in Texas. So you can just give that up.

60:02

Tim Davis

It's not happening. And as wives do, she kinda turned me around a little bit on that. She's very persuasive. And I would say that like our move to Texas was just so great for for us. It brought us closer to family.

60:18

Tim Davis

It, our business has done so much better. We love where we live. We we love this area. We love this part of the country. And so as a person who has lived somewhere that isn't Texas, I wanna say like two things.

60:33

Tim Davis

Those people who haven't lived, who have lived in other parts of the country recognize what I'm talking about and recognize what a special place and a special thing Texas is and what a special place Tarrant County DFW is. If you've lived here your whole life, please listen to us that have lived other places, and take our experience as your motivation to keep it so great. Because as I talk to a lot of native Texans who are so proud of this state, so proud of this place where, they have lived and grown up, and I love that by the way, I love that my two sons are native Texas. Yes. It's just great.

61:10

Tim Davis

But I get to say to them, the Texas miracle is a real thing. And it's really at risk if we let other people import their policies here and destroy what has made Texas the miracle that it is. So, I would just say if you're from here, recognize it. And if you didn't grow up here and got here as fast as you could, work to keep it the place that you moved to.

61:31

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Thank you.

61:32

Tim Davis

Yeah, thank you.

61:33

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Thank you. I appreciate your time, Tim.

61:35

Tim Davis

Oh, thank you. This is great.

61:36

Sarah Zubiate Bennett

Thank you.

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Episode Timeline

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Fight for The Truth

The Dallas Express reports what Legacy Media won’t.