Eugene Ralph didn’t intend to make conservative activism a career; it just worked out that way for the concerned Christian father.
Now a political consultant, Eugene has lived in Dallas since 2005, but he’s from New Orleans. That’s where he first got involved in politics.
In May 1997, the New Orleans mayor passed an executive order giving benefits to same-sex domestic partners of city employees.
“I could no longer sit on the sidelines,” Eugene said.
Shortly after, he and other local concerned citizens formed a group to push back against the left-wing agendas of the time.
“We were the Christian Conservatives for Reform,” he said. “We joined efforts with other organizations to support good legislation on the state level. It was during that time that I learned how to lobby my representatives.”
Eugene says David Barton and Rush Limbaugh were his primary inspirations.
“I saw the ‘America’s Godly Heritage’ video by David Barton and realized how far off track our nation had drifted,” he said. “Also, I started listening to Rush in 1991, and I was shocked to hear about the crazy agendas that were being advanced by the radical left.”
At the time, I did not consider myself to be a conservative. Once I understood the issues, I quickly realized that I was. I got involved to make a positive difference. I never intended that this would be a long-term endeavor.
In the decades since then, Eugene has delved in to a wide range of activities, from attending protest rallies and participating in candidate and grassroots organization campaigns–sign waving, door knocking, phone banking, sign installations—to lobbying elected officials.
He’s also worked as a Republican Party precinct chair, a poll watcher, an election clerk and judge, and a talk radio host.
In 2019, Eugene was recognized by fellow grassroots activists with a Conservative Leader Award.
He hopes his activism will encourage more citizens to get involved, get informed, and learn how to hold their elected officials accountable—and he offers advice on how they can successfully do that.
Eugene’s suggestions for Texans who want to get politically active in their communities:
- attend local conservative meetings to get informed;
- set aside three hours a week and research the issues;
- get educated on issues you care about;
- learn to articulate your beliefs;
- get some formal activist training; and
- create a business card, email account, and social media pages specifically for activism.
When not busy working to make a difference in his community and state, Eugene enjoys traveling with his wife Lillie, who’s also active in conservative causes, and finding time to watch a good movie, read, or listen to music.
