WRITE OF CENTER
You likely read in the June 8 Boerne Star that Jennifer Barreras-Rawls was elected as our new Kendall County Republican Party (KCRP) Chair following my resignation.
She’s a remarkable leader and a veteran federal agent who served 20-plus years with the U.S. Border Patrol in the field on the front line and in policy positions in Washington DC. She’ll do an outstanding job, and I ask you to support her as fully as you supported me. Now I’m off to Washington, having been honored with a presidential appointment as a Senior Advisor in the Small Business Administration (SBA) working in Washington, D.C., with commutes home to Boerne most weekends.
I’ll be serving in the Office of Investment and Innovation, focusing on expanding programs that support growth-oriented small businesses and startups through loans and guarantees. The mission is to strengthen public- private partnerships that promote innovation, improve access to capital and make sure our technology does not continue to fall into the hands of our adversaries.
Resigning was not an easy decision. But the opportunity to serve our country in President Trump’s administration, especially at such a critical time for small businesses, was a calling I could not ignore.
Under the Biden administration, our small- business community faced relentless challenges: soaring inflation and excessive regulation hit hard. Today, 99.9% of all businesses in America are small businesses, employing 62 million Americans. They are the heart and soul of our economy and the living embodiment of the “American Dream”.
The past few years leading our local party have been some of the most meaningful in my life. We’ve accomplished so much together, and I’ll deeply miss the relationships that have grown into family. Boerne is a special place, and I leave the chairmanship proud of what we’ve built.
Together, we made Kendall County the statewide leader in early voter turnout for counties of our size. We helped to deliver 78% of the votes in the county for President Trump. Our county helped secure a Republican majority on the Fourth Court of Appeals by providing a significant portion of our Republican judges’ margins of victory. As Kendall County grew, we didn’t just hold the line; we grew stronger and reached further.
We broke fundraising records, expanded getout- the-vote operations and invested in our future through scholarships. One of my goals was to engage young people and their families, to show that the Republican Party stands for our community and its values. I believe we succeeded.
With the support of the Kendall County Republican Women (KCRW) and Kendall County Republican Club (KCRC), we awarded 11 scholarships this year to local graduating seniors. One thing that sets Republicans apart is our diversity of thought. We don’t shy away from debate. We embrace it. That strength allowed us to unify different voices and forge a stronger local party. Today, the KCRP, KCRW, and KCRC are more aligned and supportive of each other than ever before.
Our Lincoln-Reagan Dinner was the event of the year, headlined by Sen. Ted Cruz and Congressman Chip Roy, with special guests including Comptroller Glenn Hegar, state Sen. Donna Campbell, and state Rep. Ellen Troxclair.
But the highlight of the night was welcoming our very own Boerne Little League team, fresh off their trip to the Little League World Series. We raised nearly $20,000 to help cover their travel expenses to Williamsport.
I want to thank every volunteer who made our success possible; those who staffed HQ, block walked, made calls, showed up at Market Days or marched in parades. You make this party what it is.
To cap all of that, winning the Senate District 25 State Republican Executive Committeeman (SREC) position at the 2024 Convention was one of my proudest moments. All 36 Kendall delegates voted for me, a powerful display of unity.
I’ll continue serving on the SREC, working to unify our party and keeping Texas red. In Kendall County, we’ve shown how a principled, united party can thrive, even when we don’t always agree.
So, I’m off to Washington. But my heart remains in Boerne, with my wife, my family, and the many dear friends I’ve made along the way. This isn’t goodbye — just “so long for now.”
With gratitude and resolve, Mike Wheeler.
Michael Wheeler is the former Kendall County Republican Party chair.
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