We strongly endorse Leigh Wambsganss – Proven conservative for Senate District 9

We strongly endorse Leigh Wambsganss – Proven conservative for Senate District 9

Jan 8, 2026 | GAWTP Blog, Voter Info

Texas needs Leigh Wambsganss – a proven, prepared, principled MAGA conservative in the Texas Senate.  Leigh will put Texas families and small businesses first, pushing back on the Big Government culture in Austin that just keeps growing government – doling out taxpayer-funded corporate welfare while our property taxes soar!

Leigh Wambsganss has a record of defending constitutional liberties, Texas Sovereignty, gun rights, and holding state government accountable. Leigh is pro-life, pro-parental rights, and pro-Constitution.  She sees the dangers facing Texas in the Islamic push for Sharia-compliant local government, cultural Marxism, the globalist agenda, and the occupation by illegal border crossers.

Unlike other candidates in this race, Leigh Wambsganss has not taken campaign funds from casino gambling interests tied to China because she sees the great threat they are to Texas.  Chinese gambling interests are spending millions to buy political favor in the Texas legislature – pouring at least $1.1 million into the Huffman campaign.

MAGA Conservatives must win this seat to save Texas from dangerous outside interests. We urge you to vote for Leigh Wambsganss in the January 31 Election Day for the Special Election for State Senate District 9 and make sure your family and friends in SD 9 vote for Leigh.

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Election Day Voting

Map of Senate District 9 in the Fort Worth, Texas region.

#txlege @LeighForTexas

Hotseat Results – Job Interview Video

Hotseat Results – Job Interview Video

Jan 15, 2026 | GAWTP Blog, Voter Info

No matter where you live in Smith County, your County Commissioners Court (which includes the County Judge):

  • spends your property taxes and sales taxes;

  • is responsible for the condition of your county roads and bridges;

  • is responsible for maintaining all county office buildings;

  • is responsible for effective and efficient county budget management;

  • is responsible for the debt that you, your children, and grandchildren are required to pay off for the jail, the new courthouse, and the 2017 & 2021 incomplete road bond projects.

How did they do?

Catherine Roots

Austin Luce

See the unedited video of their public job interview here.

Watch Job Interview Video
BREAKING NEWS — Call for Forensic Audit of Smith County

BREAKING NEWS — Call for Forensic Audit of Smith County

Dec 5, 2025 | Smith County

BREAKING NEWS — Grassroots America Calls for Forensic Audit of Smith County!

We’ve almost hit the one-year mark on our tedious investigation into unfinished county road bond projects (years behind schedule) — the deeper we dig, the more their receipts don’t add up!

Numerous attempts to get answers from County Judge Neal Franklin and the two longest serving Commissioners have failed. We’ve been waiting for a plan since March. Commissioner Drewry is the lone voice asking questions.

Enough is enough! We are determined to get truth and justice for Smith County taxpayers.

On 11/25/25, we notified the Council of District Judges and the County Auditor that we are requesting a forensic and compliance audit of road bond projects, the courthouse/parking garage bond funds, ARPA funds (COVID federal stimulus), the Employee Health Insurance Fund, and unexplained variances in fund balances.

The District Judges and County Auditor have the constitutional and statutory authority to compel the County Judge and Commissioners to comply.  We hope it won’t come to that, but we are prepared to file a Petition for a Writ of Mandamus with a Smith County District Judge against the County Judge and Commissioners.

On 11/25/25, we notified County Judge Neal Franklin and Commissioners Drewry, Moore, Herod, and Caraway of our forensic audit request.  We also requested they take these necessary actions immediately to protect taxpayers:

  1. full cooperation with County Auditor Karin Smith
  2. cease plans to purchase more property that drain funds needed for county roads – a much higher priority
  3. cease planning for the reported light rail project that will drain funds needed for county roads – a much higher priority
  4. cease any new economic development plans (including downtown) that divert/drain funds needed for county
  5. freeze spending from the Contingency Fund until the audit has been completed
  6. order a moratorium on accepting any more roads/streets into the county maintenance inventory until the Commissioners Court
    • a) votes on a detailed plan, budget, and timeline to finish the promised road bond projects and
    • b) votes on a detailed plan, budget, and timeline to conduct a pavement assessment of county roads. The last assessment of Smith County roads was ten years ago and was a five-year plan.

The next Commissioners Court meeting is at 9:30 AM, Tues. Dec. 9, Smith County Annex Building, 200 E. Ferguson St, Tyler.  We’ll be there!

Request for Cooperation Relating to Our Recommended Forensic and Compliance Audit of Smith County Financial Records and Associated Reports

Request for Cooperation Relating to Our Recommended Forensic and Compliance Audit of Smith County Financial Records and Associated Reports

Nov 25, 2025 | Smith County

November 25, 2025

Smith County Commissioners Court
County Judge Neal Franklin
County Commissioner Christina Drewry, Precinct One
County Commissioner John Moore, Precinct Two
County Commissioner J. Scott Herod, Precinct Three
County Commissioner Ralph Caraway, Sr., Precinct Four

Electronic Mail Delivery: Request for Cooperation Relating to Our Recommended Forensic and Compliance Audit of Smith County Financial Records and Associated Reports Led by Smith County Auditor Karin Smith

County Judge Franklin and County Commissioners:

You were emailed a copy of our request submitted today to the Council of District Judges and County Auditor Karin Smith.

As a follow up to that letter, please consider this communication as our formal request for

1) full cooperation with County Auditor Karin Smith

2) cessation of any plans to purchase more property that will drain funds needed for county roads – a much higher priority

3) cessation of the reported light rail project that will drain funds needed for county roads – a much higher priority

4) cessation of any new economic development plans that drain funds needed for county roads

5) the freezing of withdrawals from Contingency until the audit has been completed

6) a moratorium on accepting any more roads/streets into the county maintenance inventory until the Commissioners Court a) votes on a detailed plan, budget, and timeline to finish the promised road bond projects and b) votes on a detailed plan, budget, and timeline to conduct a pavement assessment of county roads. Atkins Engineering completed the last assessment of Smith County roads ten years ago and it was a five-year plan!

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter,

JoAnn Fleming

JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director
(903) 360-2858

JoAnn Fleming

Tom Fabry, Board member; Chair, Government Watchdog Committee
(817) 721-6701

PDF of the letter
Request for Forensic and Compliance Audit of Smith County Financial Records and Associated Reports

Request for Forensic and Compliance Audit of Smith County Financial Records and Associated Reports

Nov 25, 2025 | Smith County

Smith County Council of District Judges
The Honorable, Robert Wilson, Local Administrative District Judge; 321st District Court
The Honorable Kerry L. Russell, Judge of the 7th District Court
The Honorable Austin Reeve Jackson, Judge of the 114th District Court
The Honorable Debby Gunter, Judge of the 241st District Court
The Honorable Taylor Heaton, 475th District Court

Smith County Auditor Karin Smith

Electronic Mail Delivery: Request for Forensic and Compliance Audit of Smith County Financial Records and Associated Reports

November 25, 2025

Honorable District Judges and Auditor Smith:

As previously shared and discussed with County Auditor Smith and some members of the Council of District Judges, our county’s financial and bond project-related records show troubling discrepancies that we have sought to reconcile for almost a year without resolution. Frankly, the deeper we dig, the more alarmed we become.

Discrepancies in fund balances and reports for bond-funded capital projects must be reconciled. In addition, staff actions that have never even been discussed in Commissioners Court – let alone authorized by an official vote of the Commissioners Court – present a troubling pattern.

In one example, we discovered a legal notice for a Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation related to an Employee Health Care Clinic for a project never discussed or approved by the Commissioners Court. In May 2025, we delivered proof via a copy of the legal notice…

Read the full letter