Wayne Allard: “Some people have the capacity to change your life. For me, Ronald Reagan was one of those people. Ronald Reagan's…”

“Some people have the capacity to change your life. For me, Ronald Reagan was one of those people. Ronald Reagan's message of strengthening individual liberties, maintaining a strong national defense, cutting through the thicket of Government regulations and lowering taxes inspired me to run for public office in the 1980s. He made me believe it is possible to bring about change for the better. I first ran for the Colorado State senate in 1982, the second year of Reagan's Presidency, and fought to pass resolutions there supporting the policies that the President advocated, such as the balanced budget amendment. I was a small businessman. I operated a private veterinary practice. So Ronald Reagan's vision of strengthening America's small businesses, because they are the backbone of our economy and way of life, had a great deal of appeal. His belief in small Government and cutting taxes to allow people to decide how best to spend their own money have been two of my guiding principles since I was first elected to public office. I believe him to be the father of the modern Republican Party.”