“Tea Party” candidate - Kentucky Election Results

By Eric Wilson

We are in a battle for our freedoms and voice. We are fighting politics as usual and bringing power back to the people. You will here a lot about Dr Rand Paul and the “Tea Party” victory. I am not taking anything away from his significant primary win and it is great to have a candidate that shares the fiscal values and smaller government mentality of the liberty movement. In this war though there are other soldiers that may need recognized and are as much a “Tea Party” candidate.

There are many stories of average patriots that ran for office this year. One of them ran in KY House District 62. This was a man who attended tea parties not as a speaker or organizer but just another face in the crowd waving his “don’t tread on me” flag. As a 9/12er he attended every monthly meeting, went to the Making of America seminar, educated himself, and founded himself and family in principles and values. When the need arose he stepped up and made the trip to Washington DC twice (once for Healthcare the other on 9/12) to be part of the voice of regular Americans and send a message in our Capital. He was motivated and the things he did were never because it was politically calculated but because in his heart it was what was right for himself, his family, and this nation.

It was after the 9/12 trip to Washington DC that I sent out a letter encouraging people not stop and become more active. I asked people to start blogging, start talking to their neighbors, and if complied run for a local office. He toke me serious and decided to run for KY House of Representatives. This was not a spontaneous decision on his part though. He had considered this before and was in deep prayer about it before ultimately deciding to put himself and more significantly his family through an election. But he did, not out of political aspirations, but because of inspiration and passion for our State and this Country.

He soon found himself in a contested Republican primary against a candidate groomed for this moment by the establishment. For the first time he was no longer just a bystander but was actually running against the party he was a member of. He was out spent, he was running not only against his opponent but well connected insiders, and he did not have any political strategist advising his campaign. No he had never wanted to run for office and knew nothing about politicking. He did not know politics but he knew relationships and principles. So for 5 months he went out knocking on doors 1 at a time and personally asked for a vote. He stood strong in principle, worn his heart on his sleeve, and did things the only way he knew how.

On May 18th sadly he was defeated in a close race in the 62nd district. I will not say his dream came to an end because this was not a dream. I will not say this was a lost for a “tea party” candidate either because an average electrician that never was even active before not only woke up but tried to do something about the problems and run against politics as usual. This is a testament to our cause, this is spirit of our movement, this is about ordinary men fighting here in our small towns for our liberties and voice, THIS IS THE “Tea Party” candidate!

To his family I thank you for supporting him; to Ricky Hostetler candidate for 62nd district I am proud of you. And to him and all the other candidates who ran not because they may have wanted to but knew they needed to; we salute you.