West, Neerman, Adams, and Thompson

Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West, quoted in the Texas Observer: "At least 98 percent of what I deal with is drug trafficking. If you took away the border, my county would be like Mayberry. We'd be spending our time taking cats off the roof."

Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Neerman, talking about new state party Chair Cathie Adams in the Dallas Observer: "She has been part of an issue group that has gone after Republicans, and I don't know how she can shift gears and go from being an issue-group leader going after Republican candidates and elected officials to now being one where she has to try and grow the party."

Cathie Adams, quoted in the Austin American-Statesman on her view that Kay Bailey Hutchison should resign from the U.S. Senate to run: "If she's going to run for governor, I think that it would be best for our party if by January 4, filing deadline, that we know clearly who is running for what."

Gubernatorial candidate Mark Thompson of Garland on two other candidates in that five-person race, quoted in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "Right now I’m just re-evaluating because in a three-way race, I think I’d have a very good chance. [Tom] Schieffer has problems being a Republican and Kinky Friedman has problems being Kinky Friedman."