January 2015 marked a historic change for Texas. The first week of the month saw most of our recently elected statewide officials get sworn into office with the inauguration of Attorney General Ken Paxton, Land Commissioner George P. Bush, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton, and Comptroller Glenn Hegar.
Later in the month saw the inauguration of Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. The inaugural activities began with a reception thanking campaign volunteers at Scholz Garden in Austin. RPT Chairman Steve Munisteri attended the event and introduced then Governor-elect Abbott to a packed crowd.
Later that evening, Governor Abbott and Lt. Governor Patrick hosted an event at ACL Live at the Moody Theater to honor the outstanding work done by Young Texans during the election. Those who attended were treated to a concert by Josh Abbott Band, and even included a guitar solo by Lt. Governor Patrick.
Following a prayer service on the morning of the inauguration, the Oath of Office Ceremony commenced at 11:00 A.M. on January 20, 2015. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick was sworn into office by his son, Ryan Patrick, who is currently a Harris County District Court Judge. In his inaugural speech, Lieutenant Governor Patrick declared that it was “A New Day in Texas”. He outlined his plans to stick to his campaign promises, including keeping the Common Core curriculum out of Texas, ending the gas tax, funding border security more than even before, building up the state’s infrastructure, and protecting life, family and the Second Amendment.
Governor Abbott took his oath of office next and was sworn in by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice, Nathan Hecht. Governor Abbott then spoke about his goals as Texas’s next Governor, upgrading the state’s infrastructure with more roads, securing the border, speeding up water projects, and ensuring that Texas will remain number one in the country in job creation. He also spoke about the necessary steps Texas must take in order to become a leader in education in the nation and announced a plan to reform our current education system to meet and surpass national levels.
Click here to watch the video of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s inaugural speeches.
Following the Oath of Office Ceremony, thousands of Texans lined the streets of downtown Austin to watch the inaugural parade before preparations began for the Inaugural Gala taking place at the Austin Convention Center later that night. Country superstars Lady Antebellum and Pat Green headlined the evening that saw nearly 10,000 people show up to support our new Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
These events marked the first time in 14 year since Texas has seen a change in leadership at the highest level. Governor Rick Perry ushered Texas into the economic juggernaut it is today, and we will never forget the many years of service that he devoted to his state. Governor Perry has some pretty big shoes to fill but the Republican Party of Texas believes that Governor Abbott is up to that task and we look forward to the next great era of Texas’s conservative government under his leadership.
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