Born in San Angelo, Texas, Kelly Paulsen has been a faithful foot soldier fighting for liberty in Texas. Not content with simply watching the news and not too prideful to do the hard work of activism, she’s been making a difference and beckons others to join her.
“I don’t even know where to start,” Paulsen responds when asked what motivated her to get involved. “The overspending and elected officials that don’t vote the way they campaigned, ever-rising taxes, and those that believe they can spend my dollars better than I can.”
Wanting to see “good, conservative, liberty-loving men and women elected to office” and to leave something for her children to take pride in, Paulsen’s frustration drove her to action.
As anyone who has ever been sick and tired of politicians knows, it’s not enough to just decide to do something; you need people to help guide you on how to channel that frustration into taking actions that make a difference, people who will connect you with others just as motivated to enact change. For Paulsen, it was Margaret Lopez who brought her to a Republican club meeting, while Kensley Stewart introduced her to the battleground of block walking.
From then on, Paulsen was on fire for the cause. “I think I was just bit by the bug,” she says. “I soon found out that I had no trouble knocking on someone’s door and striking up a conversation with a complete stranger.”
“I’ve really had the best time.”
Block walking, poll greeting, becoming a precinct chair, and volunteering for candidates like U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and former State Rep. Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving)—Paulsen has done it all, and she isn’t slowing down. She’s currently volunteering on Chad Prda’s campaign for Dallas County Sheriff.
Activists also need examples to learn and draw strength from. JoAnn Fleming, Teresa Beckmeyer, Elena Blake, and Crystal Main are some of those who Paulsen looks up to and deeply appreciates for their hard work. She also mentions Morgan McComb as her “block walking partner in crime.”
For all her efforts, Paulsen earned a sword at the 2015 Empower Texans Conservative Leaders Gala.
When asked what tips she had for Texans who want to make a difference, Paulsen gave some very practical advice. “I guess I would say, just do what you can do,” she explained. “We need you, and we can’t afford to keep sitting on our hands.”
“And put down the keyboard, we need to protect our state.”
Paulsen currently lives in Irving with her husband. She has two sons and her full-time job is booking cargo ships while taking care of the logistics between buyers and suppliers.
When not focused on activism, Paulsen enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and good friends.
