Patriot Mobile Action, a general-purpose PAC in Texas, is based in Tarrant County where the conservative wireless provider Patriot Mobile has its headquarters.
While it can neither directly fund nor coordinate with candidates, the PAC advocated on behalf of 11 candidates during the course of school board elections in four school districts this spring and had a perfect record of victory. This includes direct mailers and “get-out-the-vote” efforts.
“These victories speak loudly to parents’ desire for exemplary education and not indoctrination,” Patriot Mobile Action Executive Director Leigh Wambsganss said in a press release.
“Voters are waking up to the left’s political indoctrination in our nation’s public schools and are working hard to take back school boards across America,” she added.
Patriot Mobile Action supported two candidates in Carroll ISD, two in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, three in Keller ISD, and four in Mansfield ISD.
The last victory came on Saturday, June 18, when Craig Tipping won a Mansfield ISD seat in a runoff against Benita Reed.
The PAC started by working in Tarrant County school board races for a couple of reasons, Wambsganss told The Texan. First, she has many years of experience in that arena, having helped form the successful Southlake Families PAC that led the fight against the cultural competence action plan in Carroll ISD.
Second, Wambsganss said that local officials, like school board members, are often the “farm team” for higher office.
“We need good leaders at the local level. We need school board members who love America,” Wambganss emphasized.
“We know there are so many good teachers who love America staying in the schools, but they need support,” she added.
Since its inception, Patriot Mobile Action has spent over $400,000 in support of candidates. Its largest expenditure, over $200,000, was to Axiom Strategies, a political campaign firm that has helped win races like Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin gubernatorial race and contracts with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Wambsganss told The Texan that the PAC researches and vets its chosen candidates thoroughly, including checking voting records and contribution records.
They look for candidates that match their values, including strong support of the First and Second Amendments, the sanctity of human life, and the military and first responders.
In answer to those who may think that school board trustees don’t deal with those issues, Wambganss disagrees. She said she has seen school board members want to defund and disarm school resource officers and try to allow Planned Parenthood inroads in the sex education provided by schools.
Patriot Mobile Action is also registered as a Super PAC and will be able to get involved in races across the state and eventually the nation.
This November, it plans to be very active in Tarrant County races to help conservative Republican candidates get elected, Wambsganss said.
Wambsganss also serves as the vice president for government and public affairs for Patriot Mobile, which is legally separate from the PAC. It was a large sponsor of the Republican Party of Texas convention in Houston last week, operating a large booth for delegates to visit and also hosting a gala.
During the convention, Patriot Mobile gave away 500 books authored by Cruz, who stayed and signed copies for delegates at the booth.
“We wanted to help with the expenses of the state convention, and we felt like it was a natural extension of our values,” Wambganss explained.
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Kim Roberts
Kim Roberts is a regional reporter for the Texan in the DFW metroplex area where she has lived for over twenty years. She has a Juris Doctor from Baylor University Law School and a Bachelor's in government from Angelo State University. In her free time, Kim home schools her daughter and coaches high school extemporaneous speaking and apologetics. She has been happily married to her husband for 23 years, has three wonderful children, and two dogs.
