02/19/2026
If you live in Senate District 3, Trent Ashby's campaign is running a television ad right now — in the final stretch before the March 3 Republican primary — attacking Rhonda Ward for signing the Texas First Pledge. The ad claims the pledge means "seceding from Trump's America," "rejects the US Constitution, and Social Security benefits, and dishonors veterans," and that Ward's donor runs a company "headquartered in China."
It's the most dishonest political ad running in Texas right now. And I can prove it, claim by claim.
He says the pledge commits Ward to "seceding from Trump's America." It doesn't. The pledge commits candidates to letting Texans vote on the question — a referendum. That's called democracy. Some pledge signers have publicly said they'd vote no on independence. And this commitment is the official position of the Republican Party of Texas, whose platform explicitly calls for legislation giving Texans a vote on whether Texas should become an independent nation. That's Ashby's own party platform. The one he claims to run on.
He says the pledge "rejects the US Constitution." The US Constitution isn't mentioned in the pledge. Not once. The pledge references the Texas Constitution—the same one Ashby swore an oath to uphold when he took office.
He says the pledge "rejects Social Security." Social Security isn't mentioned in the pledge. This was fabricated from thin air to scare senior citizens. That's not politics — it's predatory.
He says the pledge "dishonors veterans." Ashby has never served a single day in uniform. You know who has signed this pledge? Lt. Col. Allen West (Ret.), decorated combat veteran and former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. Lt. Col. Pete "Doc" Chambers (Ret.), a Special Forces Green Beret with 39 years of service, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient who earned his nickname saving wounded soldiers on the battlefield. A career banker who never wore the uniform is telling a Purple Heart recipient what "dishonors" veterans. The only dishonor here is Ashby using their sacrifice as a prop for his lies.
He says Ward's donor's company is "headquartered in China." It's headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. It trades on the NASDAQ. Five seconds on Google.
Five claims. Five lies. But it gets worse.
Trent Ashby was in direct conversation with TNM leadership in his district about signing this same pledge. He never raised a single one of these objections. His own endorsers — Alicia Davis and Rusty Kuciemba — are either Texas First Pledge signers or registered TNM supporters. Kuciemba was a County Coordinator for the organization. Other pledge signers have been endorsed by Greg Abbott and Donald Trump.
And while Ashby questions who Ward "answers to," a pro-casino PAC funded by Las Vegas Sands billionaire Miriam Adelson sent mailers supporting his campaign.
This man attacked a pledge he explored signing, while touting endorsers who support the same movement, running on a party platform that explicitly calls for the very legislation the pledge supports, and taking support from casino money — all in an ad that couldn't even correctly identify where an American company is headquartered.
The Texas First Pledge is two paragraphs. Read it yourself: taketexasback.com/pledge
Then ask yourself why Trent Ashby is so afraid of you having a vote.
SD-3 Republican primary is March 3.
The TEXAS FIRST Pledge commits candidates for political office in Texas to put the interests of Texas and Texans FIRST.
