Retired Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell, a public speaker from Granbury who survived the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon, said Thursday he’s running in a May special election for the state Senate seat vacated by Kip Averitt, R-Waco.

Birdwell, who was badly burned during the attack, started a ministry with his wife that provides support to burn victims.

He also is a featured speaker of WallBuilders. The organization describes itself as “dedicated to presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious and constitutional foundation on which America was built.”

Brian Birdwell

“After talking with conservatives across the district, I’m very encouraged by the strong, positive response received so far,” Birdwell said in a release.

“I believe this race is wide- open, so today I’m declaring my candidacy for state Senate and look forward to facing another challenge with determination and resolve.”

The release cited Birdwell’s military experience, specifically his work on the U.S. Army’s budget.

State lawmakers will face a budget deficit that could be as high as $15 billion. Birdwell said if elected, he would stand up to the federal government and use a conservative approach to the budget.

The release included quotes from several GOP officials, including Bill Crocker, a Republican National Committee member from Texas who called Birdwell a “genuine, articulate conservative.”

During the recent GOP primary, Crocker was a vocal supporter of Gov. Rick Perry and critic of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Perry’s opponent.

Crocker told the Washington Times that “Kay has risked injuring the leader of our November ticket for no good reason — at least no reason she has ever ar- ticulated.”

Praising candidate

WallBuilders founder David Barton, the former Texas GOP state vice chairman, also praised Birdwell’s character.

Barton has been in the news lately as the State Board of Education reworked Texas’ social studies curriculum. Barton served as an expert adviser during the process.

The board made a splash when it dropped President Thomas Jefferson — who is considered to have coined the phrase “separation of church and state” — from the state’s world history curriculum.

Two other Republicans, Burleson’s Darren Yancy and Waco’s David Sibley, have announced plans to compete in the special election. The last day for candidates to file is April 7.

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

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