BRILLIANT IDEAS FOR A
GOOD WIN IN NOVEMBER

This is a critical article. Please read and ask any of your GOP candidate friends to follow the advice.

“…Winning them over this fall requires that Republicans do seven things.

First, don’t gaslight voters… Claims that collide with Americans’ day-to-day experience got Mr. Biden into trouble and now Mr. Trump, too.

Second, screaming “communist” won’t win additional votes. Instead, use a Democratic candidate’s own words and policies… Make Democratic candidates eat anything they say that’s extreme.

Third, don’t let Democrats get away with disavowing past outrageous positions… Raise doubts, suggesting that they’re untrustworthy and nothing keeps them from reverting to those extreme views.

Fourth, don’t let Democrats escape from dangerous associations. If someone like Hasan Piker campaigned for them or another Democrat on the state ticket, make every Democrat defend every terrible comment Mr. Piker has made…

Fifth, Republican… must explain why the DSA’s agenda won’t work and will hurt voters…

Sixth, force normal Democrats to disavow DSA policies…

Finally, Republicans can’t simply run on having done a good job last year. They must show concrete plans to make things better next year…” -Karl Rove

PRO-TRUMP BUSINESSMAN ENTANGLED
IN UNEXPECTED IMMIGRATION BATTLE

By Marc Cowart
Managing Editor

Houston-area businessman John Gannon is in a fight he never saw coming. It all started when the billboard magnate, who owns over 1000 billboards across Texas, was traveling to Las Vegas for an industry conference with his fiancée, Yasmin Suarez Reyes. When the couple exited the United lounge at Bush Intercontinental Airport to catch their flight on July 24, they were approached by I.C.E. agents who took Reyes into custody and spirited her away without explanation.

It took Gannon 10 anxiety-ridden days to locate her and determine that she was being held at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Montgomery Processing facility in Conroe, Texas awaiting disposition on the case against her for overstaying her visa. But Yasmin Reyes’s story is more complicated than a mere visa violation. 

Yasmin Suarez Reyes traveled from Spain and entered the United States legally in October of 2023. Upon entering the United States, the Venezuelan born Reyes immediately applied for asylum based on her family’s history as dissidents of the Venezuelan government. Yasmin’s father was a reporter who was an outspoken critic of the corrupt regimes of both Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro which to led to his persecution and the persecution of his family who were forced flee Venezuela and seek shelter in Spain. Spain though, did not feel safe to Yasmin, though. She could feel the presence of Maduro operatives and loyalists who were known to operate in Spain and decided to flea once again, to the United States for safe harbor.

Yasmin did in fact meet with U.S. officials, who granted her authorization to work legally in the U.S. and obtain a valid driver’s license, both of which she utilized while awaiting a determination on her asylum application. Further complicating the matter, Reyes was granted a “U Visa” as a victim of abuse which occurred prior to meeting John Gannon. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, “The U nonimmigrant status (U visa) is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. Congress created the U nonimmigrant visa with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (including the Battered Immigrant Women’s Protection Act) in October 2000. The legislation was intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking of aliens and other crimes, while also protecting victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse due to the crime and are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. The legislation also helps law enforcement agencies to better serve victims of crimes.” Victims of Criminal Activity: U Nonimmigrant Status | USCIS

Then in 2025, Yasmin’s life transformed, in way that had dreamed of—she met John Gannon, who would become the love of her life and she for him. A brief courtship led to engagement and wedding plans. The couple had already completed pre-marital counseling at Mary Queen Catholic Church in Friendswood, where Gannon is a member and where they intended to be wed.  Those plans though came to a crashing halt when Yasmin was apprehended from Bush Airport on July 24.

In the wake of the arrest, her fiancée John Gannon is reeling as his conservative ideology has crashed into his personal reality. Gannon says, “I previously voted for President Donald Trump and would do so again today. I 100% support the President’s efforts to detain and deport dangerous criminal aliens who have committed crimes such as murder, rape, assault, DWI and the like.  That is the policy that I supported when I voted for President Trump on three separate occasions and my support for President Trump in the deportation of violent criminal aliens has not waivered. I also support the hardworking and dedicated agents of I.C.E. who work tirelessly to keep violent criminals off our streets. But I also believe there is a place for compassion in our immigration policy for people like Yasmin.”

Gannon is hoping that his pleas will reach President Trump and ICE leadership to reach a satisfactory resolution to Yasmin’s plight. He added, “The President cannot know the details of every immigration enforcement action. I believe President Trump is fair and if he knew the details of this case, I believe he would correct the problem and free Yasmin.”

Thoughts This Fortnight

US SENATE RACE TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

As TCR predicted during the Republican Primary Election, the race for United States Senate in Texas between Attorney General Ken Paxton and State Representative James Talarico is much closer than Republicans would like. In fact, all the recent publicly released polls show the two in a dead heat within the polls’ margins of error.  Republicans need to get engaged, especially those who do not vote in mid-term (non-presidential year) elections, if they want to prevent the Democrats from winning their first statewide election in Texas since 1994.

DFW AIRPORT BACKS DOWN ON MUSLIM ACCOMMODATION
UNDER PRESSURE FROM GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT

Thanks to the leadership of Governor Greg Abbott, planned construction of facilities to accommodate Muslims at DFW Airport has come to a grinding halt. The installation of the “wudu” or ritual washing stations at DFW are similar to those constructed at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport in 2024. Abbott calls the stations in DFW as well as those in Houston illegal on the grounds that they violate the federal law prohibiting discrimination and has referred the matter to the United States Department of Transportation for review and investigation. If an airport spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to accommodate Catholics or Jews, the outrage would be immeasurable, but Muslim accommodation is met with silence by the Left. The double-standard is blatant.

Holly Hansen with The Texan has more on this at https://thetexan.news/issues/social-issues-life-family/dfw-airport-cancels-plan-to-build-muslim-ritual-washing-stations-after-backlash/article_4e3e5145-8880-4c6f-9ebd-adfdd7f9f599.html

COMMISSIONERS COURT COULD COME
LOOKING FOR MORE OF YOUR MONEY

On Monday, Management and Budget Executive Director Daniel Ramos presented the Fiscal Year 2027 proposal to Commissioners Court, which included a projected shortfall of $184 million in the $3.1 billion budget. To bridge the deficit, Ramos suggested a variety of measures including adopting the Voter-Approval Rate (VAR), the maximum rate increase allowed under Texas law without voter approval, which is estimated to produce an additional $218 million in revenue. Commissioners Court will vote on the budget and the potential tax increase in September.  Unfortunately, the Democrat-controlled Court can operate with impunity since there is only one Republican, Commissioner Tom Ramsey, to oppose their reckless spending. Commissioner Tom Ramsey is the lone voice of reason who is desperately in need of allies, which is why we must elect Orlando Sanchez as county judge and Steve Radack and Richard Vega as county commissioners in November.  That is the only way to save Harris County from the financial abyss created by the Democrats.

MID-TERM REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION JUST WEEKS AWAY

Republicans from across the country will descend on Dallas on September 9-10 for the historic, first-ever midterm Republican National Convention.  President Trump has announced that he will attend. The event will be held at the American Airlines Center and is free to attend but requires tickets which will be awarded by a lottery. To request tickets, click here

TEXAS YOUTH SUMMIT 2026 JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Speaking of Don’t Miss Events…mark your calendars for the 2026 Texas Youth Summit happening October 9-10, just1 month after the RNC Convention.  The annual event hosted by founder Christian Collins will once again be held at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center. The Texas Youth Summit is open to attendees of all ages, with admission just $1 for youth and young adults ages 10–26. TYS features an all-star lineup of conservative speakers including Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Tulsi Gabbard, Congressman Brandon Gill, Senator Mayes Middleton, Senator Paul Bettencourt and many more! To see the full lineup of speakers and to reserve tickets, visit https://www.texasyouthsummit.com/txys-2026

ADVERTISE HERE!

To advertise online or in a printed edition of the Texas Conservative Review, please contact Marc Cowart at 832-282-2175 or email [email protected]

ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS OR FEEDBACK?

E-mail Marc Cowart at [email protected]

ABOUT YOUR EDITOR

Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who served three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as “the most successful county Chairman in America” by Human Events – The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his twenty-eighth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. For the last twenty-three years, he has edited the Texas Conservative Review. As a public service for the previous 20 years, Gary has published election guides for the GOP primary, general elections, and city elections, all to assist conservative candidates. Gary also for 20 years cohosted Red, White and Blue on Houston Public Media TV 8 PBS Houston, longest running political talk show in Texas history and for the last four-plus years Gary has been a regular commentator on Fox 26-Houston’s “What’s Your Point” airing Sunday’s at 7 a.m. Gary serves on the Board of Directors of American Values, a national pro-family, pro-faith, conservative organization supporting the unity of the American people around the vision of our founding fathers and dedicated to reminding the public of the conservative principles fundamental to the survival of our nation. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.