By Loretta Fulton

State Rep. Stan Lambert was supposed to get a plaque of appreciation from Pastors for Texas Children at an event Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the Grace Museum.

The plaque didn’t arrive in time and will be presented at a future event, but Lambert got plenty of appreciation from the raucous crowd of supporters at the rally. Lambert is being challenged by Liz Case in his bid for the Republican nomination in the March 5 primary. A native of Abilene who has spent the majority of his life here, Lambert first was elected to represent District 71 in the Texas House of Representatives in 2016. 

“He’s got Abilene written all over him,” former Abilene Mayor Norm Archibald said in his introduction.

Contrast that to “Dallas Liz,” as Case is derisively called in Abilene. Case only registered to vote in Taylor County on Nov. 15, 2023, and she has a homestead exemption in Dallas County, according to several published reports. She said at a candidate forum hosted by the Taylor County Republican Party that she and her husband bought a ranch in Taylor County 18 years ago, with plans to retire there.

Stan Lambert speaks at a rally in his honor after an introduction by Norm Archibald, left. Photo by Loretta Fulton

A central issue that Case and Lambert disagree on is Gov. Greg Abbott’s push for school vouchers or school choice. Lambert and other rural Republican and Democratic representatives are opposed, arguing that vouchers would take away funds from public education. Case is backed by Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Donald Trump, and Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, who Lambert voted to impeach. 

It’s Lambert’s voting record for public education that earned him the plaque from Pastors For Texas Children, an organization that supports public education and is led by Rev. Charles Johnson, founder and executive director. The opening of its vision statement reads:

“Pastors for Texas Children believes that public education is a human right, a constitutional guarantee, and a central part of God’s plan for human flourishing.”

Each year, the organization presents a plaque to a state legislator whose voting record is in alignment with that vision statement. This year, Lambert was selected. The plaque didn’t arrive in time for the Feb. 27 rally but will be presented at a future event. The wording says:

“Pastors for Texas Children honors Representative Stan Lambert as a “Hero for Children” in appreciation for his support of Texas Public Schools. This award has been given annually for the past 10 years.”

Previous winners are:

Rep. Drew Darby– R San Angelo
Rep. Charlie Geren– R Fort Worth 
Rep. Four Price– R Amarillo 
Rep. Ken King– R Canadian 
Sen. Beverly Powell–D Fort Worth 
Sen. Kel Seliger– R Amarillo 
Rep. Kyle Kacal–R College Station 
Rep. Ramon Romero-D Fort Worth 
Sen. Nathan Johnson-D Dallas

The Feb. 27 rally at the Grace Museum was held on the same day that Abbott was in town to attend a rally for Case at the 201 Mesquite Event Center. At Lambert’s rally, he touted his connections to the district, which consists of Callahan, Jones, Nolan, and Taylor counties, and contrasted those to Case. He is a product of the Abilene public schools and is a graduate of Abilene Christian University. Lambert noted that he grew up shopping at locally owned department stores like Minter’s and Grissom’s.

“When I got my driver’s license,” he said, “I circled Mack Eplen’s,” referring to the former drive-in on North First Street famous for its square burgers and pink cookies. 

Lambert hammered home the theme of local control and representation. Some in the crowd at his rally yelled out “carpetbagger!” when Case’s name was mentioned.

“This is about control,” Lambert said at his rally, “and it’s about losing our rural voice in Austin, Texas.”

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene