County Republicans host meet and greet

COLUMBUS — The Colorado County Republican Party is set to host a social and a program by a few featured speakers on Sept. 21 at the Old 300 Saloon.

The GOP is inviting the public to mingle and meet the candidates that they will find on the Republican ticket in the upcoming elections. Campaign season has officially begun as the politicians prepare for the whirlwind of travel and campaigns that lead up to next year’s elections, along with the general presidential election.

The featured speakers will be Dr. Steve Hotze and Tonya McLaughlin, candidate for the 14th Court of Appeals. Dr. Hotze has written several books on wellness and has been an active GOP supporter and donor since 1982. He is often associated with his emphasis on religious views and has earned significant influence among republican circles. McLaughlin, a native Texan, has been practicing criminal law since her graduation in 2006 from the South Texas College of Law. She worked in the Harris County District Attorney’s office as a prosecutor for several years before building her own private practice in 2009.