As citizens across the state and nation continue to face threats from government, Dallas citizen Cindi Castilla has taken action to help protect and preserve our rare gift of freedom.
“I’ve always known [being engaged with government] was important because I was raised in a politically involved family,” Cindi told Texas Scorecard. “Anywhere I lived, in college or otherwise, I just immediately sought out opportunities to be involved—[be it] precinct chairs, campaigns, and Republican groups.”
Cindi’s originally from St. Louis but came to Texas to finish college at Baylor University, where she studied Business Administration. After graduating, Cindi married her Texan husband and they started a family, eventually having three boys.
Despite having various marketing and business jobs at different times, Cindi eventually decided to be a stay-at-home mom, to not only focus more on their children, but to “lean in more to the political issues they cared about.”
She also started getting connected with other citizen activists and learning more about issues.
“As I was growing as a believer, I did a better job of putting my faith into my politics, and that got me more interested in issues,” Cindi said. “That’s where I really started loving it, because I have this sure foundation that I stand on with everything I do politically. It has to be constitutional and Biblical. I can’t be for some things, because God is not for them.”
After the boys grew up, she was able to become even more involved. Cindi became the president of the pro-family advocacy group Dallas Eagle Forum, and she is now the president of the statewide Texas Eagle Forum. According to their website, the group is “rooted and grounded in biblical principles and values” that works to “protec[t] the pillars of limited government and liberty in our constitutions both within our nation and our state.”
Some of the issues she’s worked on at the state Capitol are education, taxes, election security, and protecting children; she helps inform citizens of what’s happening and encourages them to engage with their lawmakers.
“We really work on everything that affects the family—which is everything,” Cindi said. “I’m a volunteer, so it’s hard to do everything, but we sure try.”
In this year’s state legislative session, Cindi focused on proposed laws to secure elections—because “if we can’t get our people in office, we don’t have much hope of getting anything passed”—and to stop mutilating gender operations on kids, an issue in Texas that has recently drawn a national spotlight.
“One of our primary issues is protecting kids from transgender medical transitions. That’s probably the biggest and most public thing we worked on. We had a whole lot of members who are really invested in that issue,” Cindi said.
Republican state lawmakers, however, did not end up approving the protections.
“That was a giant and really devastating loss. Our governor never spoke—that I heard—a word about it during the legislative session. And that was really, really disheartening because it’s so obvious.”
Cindi also said she’s seen over the years how representatives who publicly say they support protecting children and families will often privately work against it, which has caused her to investigate even more and fight even harder.
“Some of the people aren’t true to who they say they are when they run. But that just helps me dig in deeper when you find things aren’t right, to be involved in trying to change that,” she said.
What leads Cindi to want to be involved?
“The first reason is just the entire intent of the Founders in creating this nation,” Cindi said. “They went to God and were informed biblically, and I think they were brilliant. So I would like to preserve what we were given. It’s a gift that really hasn’t been recreated anywhere in the same way, and I feel like we’re losing that because we haven’t held on to it well enough.”
“We haven’t promoted the reasons why our nation is great, and we’ve let the left get education and make the narrative on a lot of issues. But I appreciate organizations like Eagle Forum, which have helped me learn how to take back the narrative.”
Amid learning and researching the issues, Cindi enjoys seeing others also realize the treasures we have in this state and nation—and how they’re worth defending.
“I love seeing people wake up … some of the stories people tell about becoming enlightened. That’s been really fun,” she said. “Also … making a difference, and educating and watching some legislators also get it over time.”
“It’s always a battle, but it’s easier knowing that I have to look to God for what I’m doing,” Cindi concluded. “I try to stand always on His foundation and always look for His favor, not man’s favor. So that makes me grow, and that’s been exciting for me to see growth in my life.”
In her free time, Cindi loves to travel, read, and spend time with her family.
