Dear Paul, You have covered me throughout my career in public service to Texas so you remember I was a proud Republican even when we could hold our gatherings in a phone booth. Having helped make the GOP the dominant party in Texas in the late 90s, I am committed to helping us get back on track both here in Texas and in the nation. We should rebuild for the right reasons—because we can make Texas better. While I know you wrote your article tongue in cheek, there is nothing humorous about the setbacks the party has suffered in the past decade under Rick Perry’s tenure. I plan to lead our state as a Republican who brings Texans together to achieve our common goals–better education, better transportation, better access to health care. Rather than narrowing our party, I will expand our party again to those who stand with us for lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, small businesses, and individual freedom. We should then strengthen our majority in the Texas Legislature as well as in local elections, which have eroded and even disappeared over the past 10 years. My Republican Party is still the party of Lincoln and Reagan, and I want to be the Texas Republican who leads the party and its elected officials back to governing responsibly, respecting the taxpayers and preparing our state for its bright future. All the best, Kay Bailey Hutchison [Sent by Rick Wiley, campaign manager]