By Thomas Warren, Potter County Tax Assessor-Collector
Two years ago, I had the incredible honor of being elected to serve the people of Potter County as their Tax Assessor-Collector. As Tax Assessor-Collector, we’ve begun modernizing services, created new cash handling safeguards to ensure protection of taxpayer dollars, negotiated a landmark new credit card processing agreement that will save our taxpayers, and worked to create programs to honor our veterans and first responders. We’re working hard, and we’re delivering for taxpayers.
But two years ago, I wasn’t the Tax Assessor yet. I was just a candidate, waiting to see if voters would pick me to have the honor, privilege, and responsibility of representing them for the next four years.
I remember a few years ago listening to Victor Leal talk about running for office. He had served as mayor of Muleshoe and, at the time, was running for a spot in the Texas Senate. He told me something to the effect of, “There’s no greater honor than the voters of your hometown choosing you to work for them,” regarding his election as Muleshoe’s mayor.
Victor was right. When your hometown elects you, it’s a feeling unlike any other. I served on the State Republican Executive Committee and was elected by voters from across 45 counties at the 2022 Republican Party of Texas Convention, with strong support from our friends in the Permian Basin. Still, nothing compares to being chosen by the voters in the county where I was born and grew up to be their servant.
Today I’m an elected official, but back on election night in 2024, I was just a candidate. I recently had a local candidate from this election cycle ask me about what my election night was like and what advice I have for those running for office now.
I thought about it, and I think there are a few things to share.
First, surround yourself with the people you love and your community, because they’re the ones you should be doing this for.
My wife and I were talking earlier tonight about how our theme song during the 2024 campaign was Keith Urban’s “Better Life.” I felt like it was such a fitting song for that time, particularly these lyrics:
This road we're on
You know it might be long
But my faith is strong
It's all that really matters
I got into the race, not to enrich myself, but to serve the community I love. I wanted to be the elected official that I felt like we needed more of in this world — a person who loves the community, cares about the people in it, and puts their values at the center of their decision-making. It’s a hard road when you’re running for office, especially when you’re dealing with constant attacks from your opponent and the headache of mending campaign signs that have been knocked down by the West Texas wind. But if you keep those you love and care about at the center of your mission, and don’t let your faith be shaken by the brutality of the campaign trail, you can stay on the right road.
On Election Day, seek out the community members and loved ones who you put at the center of your campaign. Win or lose, Election Day should be a celebration of what you accomplished in your mission to serve your community. Never forget that.
Second, don’t take yourself too seriously — and don’t get in your own head.
I’ve noticed that some candidates treat Election Day as a coronation of sorts. They might appear at the polls and mingle with some voters, but really, in their minds, they’ve already got the thing in the bag.
That’s fine, but the truth is, the election isn’t over until it’s over. Taking yourself too seriously — and declaring premature victory in your head — is a surefire way to set yourself up for failure on election night.
Don’t let up, and keep working until the very end. If you win, you’ll reap the benefits of your hard work. And if you lose, you’ll always wonder what would have happened had you just stayed out there working a little longer.
Finally, talk to God on Election Day.
I remember on election night in 2024, before any of the votes were counted and released, I got on my knees and prayed a little prayer to God. It went something like this: “Lord, I trust you. I want to win this election, and I want to serve my community. If it’s possible, I sure would like this. But if you have a different plan for me or a different path for me, I trust you and I will follow you wherever you want me to go.”
Every election night brings on nerves, but that simple prayer put my heart at ease in that moment. I realized that I, a child of God, was on the road He placed me on, no matter what happened in the election. If I won, I’d be following God’s will, and if I lost, I’d still be following God’s will. I wanted to follow the path He set for me, and I surrendered myself to Him, telling Him that I trusted Him and I’d go wherever He wanted me.
God doesn’t need your permission to have His will be done. Still, it doesn’t hurt to talk to the Man Upstairs and let Him know that you trust Him and you’re with Him, no matter what His plan is.
The most important piece of advice I can give those running for office is to talk to God throughout Election Day and be ready to accept His will, win or lose. If it’s His will that you win, you’ll have the opportunity to take on one of the most exciting adventures of your life. And you never know, losing an election might just be a blessing in disguise.
Good luck tonight. May the will of God be done, and may our community elect the representatives we need and deserve.