(Annie Black) – If you thought I gave up on politics, think again.
I’ve been busier than Sleepy Joe’s handlers trying to keep him away from the nearest ice cream truck.
After deciding to take a breather from politics following my Congressional run, I wasn’t sure when – or if – I’d jump back into politics.
But as it turns out, what my friend Chuck Muth says is true…
“The only way to get politics out of your bloodstream is with embalming fluid.”
Thanks to Chuck for all his hilarious adages AND for inviting me to apply for the Leadership Institute’s Campaign Leadership College.
If you’ve never heard of it, the weeklong boot camp is like Navy SEAL training – but for people who want to run campaigns.
It covers everything from strategy to fundraising, voter outreach, and just about every campaign component you can imagine.
In October 2023, Chuck, Melissa Clement of Nevada Right to Life, and I headed back East for this grueling week of training.
By the end of it, my brain was full, much scotch and food were consumed, many laughs were had – and I still had no idea where I was headed politically.
But that was okay.
I went home and back to work.
Shortly after returning home, a friend I met at the training told me her organization, Make Liberty Win PAC, was hiring.
If you’re not familiar, Make Liberty Win is a political action committee under the Young Americans for Liberty umbrella.
Originally founded as Students for Ron Paul, they focus on state legislative races, endorsing and electing candidates who are serious about shrinking government, defending liberty, and kicking RINOs out of office.
It was a match made in Heaven.
With my background as a legislator, I applied for the position of Endorsement Director—and landed it.
My job? Interview hundreds of candidates across the country, assess the viability of their campaigns, and recommend where Make Liberty Win PAC should invest its resources.
No sooner had I accepted the job than I was on a plane to Texas for a team orientation.
We dove headfirst into confrontational politics – a concept I’m no stranger to.
And, as a bonus, I discovered Buc-ee’s for the first time. Let me tell you, it’s not just a gas station; it’s a way of life.
The retreat ended, and I was promptly thrown into the deep end.
My days quickly filled with hours of candidate interviews, campaign analyses, and recommendations.
Juggling that with running a household, managing my real estate business and traveling to candidate trainings kept me on my toes.
There were a lot of 4am interviews and late-night election watch parties that went well past midnight.
It all paid off.
2024 was nothing short of monumental.
By the end of the primary season, we sent shockwaves through the establishment.
Let’s break it down:
• 160 primary wins nationwide.
• 75 RINOs ousted, including some of the most entrenched establishment figures in state legislatures.
• 3 Swamp Kings dethroned.
These weren’t just your run-of-the-mill incumbents – they were high-ranking legislative leaders:
• Idaho Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Winder
• West Virginia Senate President and Lieutenant Governor Craig Blair
• Wyoming Speaker of the House Albert Sommers
• Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan (runoff-bound)
Four additional high-ranking members of leadership ousted:
• Idaho Majority Leader Megan Blanksma
• Wyoming Speaker Pro Tempore Clark Stith
• South Dakota Majority Whips Gary Cammack and Becky Drury
40 committee chairs and vice-chairs sent packing.
63% incumbent challenge win rate. To put that in perspective, the national average win rate for challengers is just 8% without us.
By backing the right candidates, Make Liberty Win boosted their odds of victory by 55%, making them 8x more likely to win.
Half of all incumbents ousted nationwide were targeted by Make Liberty Win. In our focus states, that number rose to nearly two-thirds.
Nearly 90% success defending pro-liberty incumbents. Even with America’s lowest-funded candidates on our roster, we stood our ground and won.
This is rock solid proof that victory is possible when money, strategy and the right candidates align.
We proved that even entrenched establishment figures – who’ve built careers on cronyism and complacency – are vulnerable.
And we didn’t stop there – our momentum carried into the general elections, but I’m still waiting on all the final stats.
The final political event of the year was the Nevada Right to Life Gala, hosted by the incredible Melissa Clement and featuring none other than Seth Dillon, the Babylon Bee Chief himself.
Seth’s presentation was both hilarious and thought-provoking.
One theme in particular stuck with me: Mockery is our moral imperative.
“The absurd has become sacred because it hasn’t been sufficiently mocked. But isn’t mockery mean and cruel? Well, that depends. We’re not talking about mockery for the purpose of putting people down and making them feel bad. We’re talking about using it as a tool to expose foolishness for what it is, so that it isn’t taken seriously. Mockery of this kind is not only cleansing, it’s a moral imperative. Why? Because bad ideas can have catastrophic consequences.” – Seth Dillon
Translation: It’s not just fun to mock the Left’s insanity – it’s our duty.
This year, I had the chance to pick the brains of conservatives across the country.
Interviewing them early in their races and debriefing with them again after their elections were over.
One thing became abundantly clear: The problems conservatives face in Nevada – bad consultants, inept party leadership, entrenched establishment figures – are the same problems everywhere.
Even in deep-red states.
But here’s the good news: Make Liberty Win PAC proved that these obstacles can be overcome.
We ousted corrupt RINOs and replaced them with liberty-minded fighters.
It can be done – and we did it.
Ms. Black is a former Mesquite city councilwoman and former Nevada State Assemblywoman. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views.