Molly Kay Smith

This message is not about all men. I had the best experiences throughout my campaign with my male supporters. All these men were the greatest men I have ever known and all showed me love, kindness, and respect. I was encouraged throughout my campaign as I witnessed all the Godly forward-thinking men who wanted to see me serve in a position of leadership. They all treated me as an equal.

I would like to share why I think great people, men and especially women, who need to run for an elected office, refrain.

I experienced the evil and cruel side of politics that would cripple most people, especially women. As a woman, the comments were sexist, masogonistic and painted me as a horrible human being. I was called all kinds of cruel names. Private comments coming in from Facebook were mean, cruel, lies and evil bullies hiding behind their phones. No one witnessed this publically. I was dealing with all this torture privately.

I witnessed a vehicle stalking my fence row, even parked at my entrance gate for a long time. I wasn’t close enough to see a license plate and didn’t feel safe exiting my gate, so I turned back toward my home and the vehicle immediately took off in the other direction, out of sight. I had to install more security cameras on the ranch just so I could feel safe.

As each cruel comment came through, I would look up the person on Facebook and saw each were supporting one of my opponents. I realized all these vicious comments were from men, from my own county and outside counties, whom I had set a boundary with and all told the word, “no.” They were all using my Campaign page to take out their anger on a woman who wasn’t afraid of telling a man “no” and enforcing hard boundaries. None of these men respected a woman’s, “no.” All of these men had either hit on me and I rejected them, men who were free-loading off of me whom I had confronted, men who took advantage of my kindness and trust whom I confronted, and men who had lied to me and I confronted. The women who were sending cruel messages were classless women connected to all these men.

These cowards and liars were all hiding behind a social media platform to take out their insecurities and hate toward a woman and I was the perfect target. I wasn’t a private citizen anymore, but a public figure to attack. Yes, there are men who hate women. Yes, there are people who hated me just because I have a college degree. Yes, there are people who hate me because I have not yet married or had children. Yes, there are men who hate me because I own land and a business.

It’s sad that as a society we still have such insecure men attacking a woman for standing up for herself, having high morals and healthy boundaries. I can promise you, if I were married, none of these men would have the courage to bully me or spread lies about me. They are all cowards. Many are hiding behind a fake Christian disguise and church membership so the public thinks they are good people.

I hope this message will inspire education and discernment so we as a community can be forward-thinking and more considerate of others. I don’t know one woman who would want to go through what I just experienced in my campaign. I want more women to serve in positions of leadership and more great leading men to stand up to these insecure male bullies. I want us to come together as a community and confront all the cowards and classless behavior.

This message is only for all the men and women who are lacking in discernment regarding the appropriate or inappropriate dialogue to have with a woman. This dialogue applies to all situations, in a political campaign, business professional setting, on the street, church or a private meeting.

During my campaign, at a forum, an elected official called me “hun.” Elected officials have called me, “hun, doll, girl, sweetie, gal and pretty.” These are all the disrespectful pseudonyms I have been called by men throughout my campaign. My name is Molly.

If you are one of the men confused about what you can or cannot say to a woman, I will keep it simple. A comedian named Peter White said it best, “I think the golden rule for men should be: If you’re a man, don’t say anything to a woman on the street that you wouldn’t want a man saying to you in prison.” Perhaps, a slight pause before speaking is always best. Or, better yet, say nothing at all.

Here are just a few of the comments and questions asked of me by male elected officials, male candidates and other men during my campaign. I think these questions are not relevant to the qualifications to serve as a county judge or any leadership position. These questions lack respect, intelligent thought, compassion or empathy. I can promise you, no male candidate or any of my male opponents were asked any of these questions.

“Why aren’t you married?”
“What’s wrong with her? Why isn’t she married?”
“Why isn’t she married? Is she gay?”
“You are too pretty not to be married.”
“Why don’t you have children?”
“Did you want children?”
“Have you ever dated men?”
“Why did those relationships not work out?”
“Do you tan? Does your skin burn in the sun?”
“Is that your real hair color?”
“Your hair is stunning.”
“The current county judge is going to be attracted to you since you have the same hair color as his ex girlfriend.”
“Your speeches sound like someone is feeding you the information. They don’t sound sincere. Your speeches need to sound more like the other male candidates.”
“All people see is your blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“Stop looking at your notes and show everyone your beautiful eyes.”
“You are too serious. You need to lighten up. You need to smile more.”
“You smile too much. People won’t take you seriously.”
“What is your sexual orientation?”
“You need to be going to church during your campaign. You need to join a church.”
“How are you going to handle men who sexually harass you in the courthouse?”
“The outfits you wear are perfect.”
“You are easy on the eyes.”
“I’m not blind, I see what she looks like.”
“She is a feminist.”
“You’ll get the woman vote just because you’re a woman.”
“Where women rise up in the roles men should occupy denotes judgement, not blessing.”
“A woman as a result of the curse will desire the roles men are meant to occupy; but, sanctification should lead to willing submission, not attempts to overthrow the designated order.”
“If you would like to get together sometime and have dinner or just need someone to talk to, I’m available.”
“You are a serious candidate. You aren’t looking for a boyfriend.”
“You win the vote for the prettiest candidate.”
“Women only vote for the best looking male candidate, not the most qualified.”

A very disrespectful and insecure statement, said by a male opponent during his opening statement at our second forum: “You shouldn’t vote for a candidate just because they’re pretty.” I was the only female running in any contested race in the county.

I was accused of “bashing men” in one of my speeches. A group of men said that because I used the term, “FarmHer” and “RanchHer” in my speech, I was bashing men. It was my male supporters that loved the terms and the television programs. I heard from many of my supporters asking me if I watched either of these programs. There is a television show on RFDTV called FarmHer, all about women who farm. There is a television program called RanchHer on the Cowboy channel, all about women who ranch. I think these men who consider these terms as bashing men have deep rooted issues toward women, even hate women, and are insecure. Every man I know who supported me loves these two television programs and loved that I mentioned them in one of my speeches.

Daily, I have experienced someone bullying me on the internet, hiding behind a phone or a computer. I couldn’t understand the behavior as an adult. Why would anyone behave in such a vile and evil manner? Then, I remembered a conversation I had with my Dad.

He described the behavior as the same bullying on the internet that young girls in middle school and high school experience. I was a grown woman experiencing the same bullying. Too often, this same style of bullying is experienced by young girls and even grown women who aren’t mentally strong enough to handle the verbal and emotional abuse. Many of these young girls sink into a depression and commit su***de. Even as a grown woman, the attacks are damaging, harmful and hard to ignore. I didn’t have anyone filtering through and managing my pages for me, so I wasn’t protected from all the bullying comments.

When I asked other male elected officials how they handled all the internet bullying during their campaigns, they all said their wives helped them get through it all. I was handling this all on my own.

I can see why so few women file for elected offices with male opponents, especially an experience like mine with three males. Why would any woman put herself through so much emotional abuse and bullying? I was experiencing three groups of my male opponents’ supporters bullying me every single day.

I hope this message helps us learn, move forward and think about our goals as a society and county. Are we forward-thinking or are we going backwards? Do we want to allow this behavior to continue, keeping great men and women from running for office? My goals and vision for our county are to learn, grow and become a forward-thinking county. I pray one day we will treat all people with dignity and respect and sexist and classless comments like the ones I have experienced will stay where they belong, in the past.

I pray you follow my lead and want to join me in taking Brown County from good to great. ❤️

I want to thank everyone who supported me and voted for me. Thank you for participating in one of the greatest freedoms we have, a democracy and freedom to vote for the candidate of our free will. Each one of you who voted for me is making a significant difference in our community.

I have developed the most wonderful relationships with residents of Brown County throughout my campaign. The personal testimonies that were shared with me will stay in my heart forever.

I can look back on my campaign and see so much good. I have developed meaningful relationships with the greatest people in Brown County. I learned who my real friends are and those who were just using me. I learned there are a lot of fence-riders in politics. I have the greatest respect for all those who publicly endorsed me. The rest were just waiting to see if I could do anything for them before they made that public endorsement. I am very black and white when it comes to my values, my political platform and my responses. I lost a lot of votes because I never told anyone what they wanted to hear so I could win their vote. My message was consistent, clear and direct. I have never been gray, nor will I ever be. I am a straight shooter and you will always know where I stand. I think those qualities make the best leaders.

I learned throughout my campaign that every day was going to be harder than the previous. I knew all these experiences were preparing me to serve in another position that required even greater mental toughness and strength.

When I decided to run for county judge, I wrote down a list of goals and vision for our county. Then, I wrote down a separate list of goals regarding my campaign, if I lost.

#1 I handled my campaign with integrity and civility.

#2 I handled my loss with grace and humility.

#3 I helped inspire and pave the way for other qualified women to serve in higher positions of leadership.

For anyone who is considering running for an elected office one day: Nikki Haley, our former US Ambassador to the UN, shared this message at a forum for young professionals, “Push through the fear.” We all feel fear. We all have the choice to allow the fear to weaken us or make us stronger. I chose to push through the fear.

Another wise friend shared this message with me toward the end of my campaign, “That glass ceiling will cut you as you shatter it but won't kill you as you go right through it!” My campaign felt a lot like shattering glass or building fence. I’ve had barbed wire break on me when I’m stretching wire, ripping my clothes and skin, but I didn’t die. I just went back to building fence and finished the job. I’ve been bucked off a horse and trampled by cattle but I got up, dusted myself off, and went back to work injured, but not dead. I’m getting back on the horse. My job here is not done.

This is only the beginning and the best is yet to come. I know that my decision to run for county judge has inspired many and given hope to those who felt hopeless. I know my campaign will light a fire in many who thought they didn’t have the courage to run for an elected office. I am a living testimony that you can do whatever you set your mind to. With a strong faith, grit and determination, you too can make a significant difference in your community. May God bless everyone in Brown County. ❤️🇺🇸

Today is Election Day, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Polling locations are open from 7am-7pm.

As an American, I encourage everyone to participate in one of the greatest freedoms we have. You matter, your values matter, and your vote matters. 🇺🇸

Election Day, Tuesday, March 1, 2022

For anyone wondering why you have not seen my campaign signs or me on the street next to the Elections Office these past two weeks:

As a candidate, I have the same opportunity as my opponents to display campaign signs and my person next to the courthouse during the two weeks of primary early voting.

I chose not to participate for many reasons. First, I think displaying campaign signs or myself that close to an election location is poor etiquette. I have chosen not to solicit myself to anyone throughout my campaign as I think the behavior reflects poor manners.

I think parking my vehicle, a trailer, campaign signs or my person so close to a voting location makes voters feel uncomfortable. I think a voter should be able to walk down the street in peace without being solicited by a candidate. I respect voters and the voting process and will not place myself in such an inappropriate position on a side street causing anyone to feel ill at ease.

I have talked about improving morale and using decorum throughout my entire campaign. I am unwavering when it comes to my values and how I think elected officials should behave.

I hope by setting an example of decorum, manners and courtesy, more candidates will follow my lead in the future.

Polling locations for Early Voting and Election Day:

www.browncountytx.org

What an honor and privilege to participate in one of the greatest freedoms we have.

Early Voting begins today, February 14th. Election Day is March 1st.

I always prefer to vote early. There are two weeks to vote early so there is really no excuse not to vote. Even when I lived on a ranch that was a great distance from town, there would have been at least one required trip to town to buy groceries during the early voting period. I never planned to vote on Election Day for fear I would have a scheduling conflict, my pickup broke down or livestock emergency and miss out on my civic duty and right as a law abiding citizen.

I pray everyone makes the time to vote early and cast your vote for what best represents your values. I will keep having a vision for what I hope to see the next time I am standing in the ballot box, people lined up out the door, down the sidewalk and around the block.

I think about all those before me who were not allowed to vote. I think about all those who fought for me so I could be the only female in line to cast my vote. If you have never voted, it’s never too late to start.

Your life matters. Your values matter. Your vote matters. I hope you will participate in one of the greatest freedoms we have. Please make the time to vote and vote early. 🇺🇸

This photo is why my number one priority will always be water conservation. I have survived two serious droughts. Three of my large ponds that provide water for the wildlife and livestock went dry in 2011. I don’t want this to happen to our Lake Brownwood that provides water for everyone in Brown County.

I am not running to catch up on a backlog of lower level judicial cases. I am here to solve problems that affect everyone in Brown County.

We cannot ignore the issues that affect everyone, like water conservation.

I disagree that our lower level judicial cases are backlogged so badly we are in a crisis or near a crisis. I think that statement is exaggerated. Running out of water is a crisis.

Due to negligence by our current county judge, our county court judicial cases are behind, but we will catch up. No one will work harder at that than I will. I will deal with this court issue. Then, I’ll tackle the problems that affect everyone. I will move on to the people’s business.

I was raised on a ranch. I am a farmer and a rancher. I have practical business experience. I come from a world of problem-solving.

I think we need a county judge who is proficient in practical experience over legal experience. When our county is in a real crisis, like running out of water, fires, floods or a disease outbreak, I am not calling an attorney. I am calling someone who can solve problems.

I know what hard work is. I will give it everything I’ve got.

I am here to solve problems that affect everyone in Brown County.

When I first saw this photo, I saw that God had answered my prayer.

The day I filed to run for Brown County Judge, I wrote down a list of goals. I listed my goals and vision for all the residents of Brown County. Then, I thought about all the leading women who paved the way before me to serve in higher positions of leadership.

This was my #1 goal: I want to help pave the way for more young women to serve in positions of higher leadership.

Toward the end of our forum, I was asked this question by one of the students, “We are putting our faith and trust in you. Who do you put your faith and trust in?” Tears were filling up my eyes. I had a huge lump in my throat and I didn’t think I could get the words out. I had to gather myself and answer the question directly. “I put my faith and trust in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

No one will ever know the load a candidate is carrying throughout his or her campaign. As the first woman to ever run for the office of Brown County Judge, I carry a load unlike any.

I am the first woman to run for this position. I am the first woman to run in a contested race with three other men. I am the first single woman to run in a contested race with three other men. As an unmarried female, I have dealt with highly inappropriate behavior by men throughout my campaign that no man would ever have to deal with. I have been asked highly inappropriate questions by men that a man would never be asked.

When I stepped up on stage at one of our forums, I had never stood on a stage of that size before. I was experiencing something completely foreign to me. I had never spoken to a large group like that before, had brights lights blinding me, moderators asking me questions, and three large digital timers buzzing, warning me my time was expiring. First impressions are everything. I stood there, focused on the questions asked of me, trying my best to answer directly so my message was clear. I focused on my notes for concern I would lose track from all the distractions. I know with some time and experience, I will no longer need my notes and can speak directly to an audience. For my first time, I think I carried myself well.

Until you’re walking in my shoes, you will never know the level of courage it takes to rise above all the evil and cruel side of politics I have experienced throughout my campaign. The level of mental toughness I am required to maintain throughout my campaign is not for the meek or thin skinned.

As I look back at this photo, my heart melted to see all the young women lined up next to me on stage. We were not commingled, but divided, not in a negative way, but in a powerful way. We were women standing tall next to one another. I was honored to have these young women standing next to me as the future female leaders in our communities.

When I first felt the call the serve my county, I remember praying that God would allow the opportunity to touch at least one young female’s life. This campaign has been full of extreme highs and extreme lows. You have people pulling you from every direction. I have listened to hundreds of peoples’ testimonies, pouring out their hearts and souls about their needs and concerns for our county. The load I carry when I come home each night is a heavy weight, but I can handle the job.

As the forum came to an end, I experienced another highest of the high. One of the young women looked up to me and said, “I hope you win.”

Brown County judge candidate: Molly Kay Smith Brown County judge candidate: Molly Kay Smith

All four county judge candidates express views at May forum MAY – The May Community Center, May Elementary Council of Students, and May High School Beta Club presented a Republican Primary candidates forum at the May High School Auditorium Thursday night, which was attended by all four

Candidates in local GOP primaries state views in forum Republican

Candidate Forum Tonight in May,Texas A Candidate Forum will be held tonight (Thursday, February 10) at 6:00 pm in May, Texas at the May School Auditorium. All candidates for Brown County Judge and Precinct 2 County Commissioner have been invited. The Forum

Molly Kay Smith To Host Meet And Greet At Teddy’s Brewhaus on February 17th Molly Kay Smith, candidate for Brown County Judge, is hosting a meet and greet and fundraiser at Teddy’s Brewhaus on Thursday, February 17th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.The meet and greet is come and go and informal. “I

Brown County Republican Primary Forum: County Judge candidates A Republican Candidates Forum, organized by the Brown County Republican Party, took place Tuesday evening at Victory Life Church. The three-plus hour event featured introductory and closing comments, along with question-and-answer sessions with candidates for Brown County

Thursday, February 10th, 6pm.

I have confirmed I will be attending.

Does the position of Brown County Judge require a law degree and law license to practice in the state of Texas?

No, the position of Brown County Judge does not require a law degree or a law license to practice in the state of Texas. The position is also referred to as “Commissioners’ Court County Judge.” Due to the significant level of administrative duties such as head of Emergency Management and Presiding Officer of the Commissioners’ Court, you may also hear the County Judge position referred to as “County Mayor.”

I am not applying for the position of County Attorney, Court-at-Law Judge or District Judge. All of these positions require a law degree and law license to practice in the state of Texas.

Serving as Brown County Judge, I think the fact that I do not have a law license is an asset, not a liability. This will ensure that our licensed attorneys, Court-at-Law Judge and District Judge are the only team members handling our higher level judicial cases. I want to serve and fill a void wherever I am needed. I am a team player and will consult with our Brown County attorneys and judges. We will decide as a team what judicial cases I need to handle to help each of them and Brown County operate as efficiently as possible.

This will limit my power as our County Judge. I think my limited judicial authority is a good business decision for Brown County and prevents any potential judicial conflicts of interest. Too much power in the hands of an elected official is not good policy for any level of government. Brown County has a sufficient number of licensed attorneys in our courthouse to handle our higher level judicial cases. I think checks and balances in Brown County government will ensure that one elected official does not become too powerful. As our County Judge, my limited judicial scope of practice will ensure political power is not concentrated in the hands of one individual.

I am not a career politician. I am a person of integrity, have no political baggage, owe no one any favors, and have no bias toward anyone. I will always treat people with dignity, respect and fairness. I will be a breath of fresh air, serving as our Brown County Judge.

The state of Texas will provide the adequate training and education necessary for me to perform the required judicial duties. The curriculum will be an intense accelerated law curriculum taught by an accredited university. I will complete all the required continued education courses, statutes education and administrative training. The judicial duties are limited to misdemeanor criminal and small civil cases, probate matters and appeals from the Justice of the Peace Court. The duties of the County Judge vary depending on the population of the county.

I am an intelligent person, have a strong desire to learn, but most importantly, I am teachable. I am well educated in our Texas State Statutes and Government Codes. I am proficient in efficiently accessing all the legal resources online. I am currently studying the County Judge’s Benchbook, preparing me for Judge’s School.

Early Voting begins Valentine’s Day, February 14th. Election Day, March 1.

Early Voting begins Valentine’s Day, February 14th. Election Day, March 1st.

I encourage everyone to read through my questionnaire on Brownwood News, which also includes links to my Bio and Political Platform.

Molly Kay Smith Molly Kay Smith for Brown County Judge Follow Molly’s Campaign Page Keep up with Molly on Facebook The desire to serve my local community has been laid on my heart for many years. A few years ago,

FORUM WILL BE BROADCAST LIVE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE:
“We are always happy when people come out and meet the candidates,” said Robert Porter, Brown County Republican Party Chair. “A lot of people don’t vote in the primary election, but the primaries are essential because they decide who actually runs in the general election. This is an opportunity to become informed about the candidates, their positions, experience and qualifications for the office they are seeking.”

I encourage everyone to make the time to listen to Martin Luther King’s entire speech. ❤️

Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech - August 28, 1963 I Have a Dream SpeechMartin Luther King's Address at March on WashingtonAugust 28, 1963. Washington, D.C.When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from e...

Primary candidates provide introduction at BCRW luncheon The Brown County Republican Women’s Club hosted a Candidate Meet and Greet Luncheon on Friday, January 14th, ahead of the March 1 Primary. The purpose of the meeting was to give Brown County voters the opportunity to

Candidates in contested primary races speak at luncheon Candidates in contested primary races speak at luncheon

To all those who care so deeply about Brown County and who have reached out to show support, the calls are humbling. I have a very long list of people asking to meet with me, return calls, text messages, lunches, coffees, businesses and home visits.

I am managing my campaign all on my own and trying my best to reach supporters in all areas of our county. Unfortunately, it is not humanly possible to meet each patriot’s requests.

Friends, thank you for giving me grace throughout this campaign process. If I do not respond to a message promptly, it is because I am giving each person I speak with my undivided attention. I am spending quality time with each supporter, on the phone or in person.

I am doing my very best to promptly return correspondence. My Bio and Political Platform messages are lengthy, but they were written to best try and answer all your questions at once. Thank you for your patience and for understanding.

This campaign process has allowed me the honor and privilege to listen to so many concerns in our county. I am beyond encouraged and hopeful to meet so many patriots who care deeply about the welfare of Brown County. I cannot save the world, but I know I can help and make a difference in our local community. Slow and steady wins the race every time. I know I will eventually make my way around to everyone. The process just takes a little time. ❤️

Brown County Candidate Forum Set for February 8 A Candidate Forum will be held on Tuesday, February 8, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Victory Life Church in Brownwood. According to Robert Porter, Brown County Republican Party Chairman, the forum will give local residents

Voters will have opportunities to hear from candidates Voters will have opportunities to hear from candidates