Quin Hillyer of Alabama; A Full Portfolio Conservative

By Ken Blackwell, CP Op-Ed Contributor Monday, July 29, 2013

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Charles Krauthammer, Thomas Sowell, or the late William F. Buckley got elected to Congress?

We may be on the cusp of something similar. Quin Hillyer, the respected conservative journalist, is running for Congress in Alabama.

For those of you who don't know Quin, let me tell you a little bit about his story.

His mother pushed him in a stroller to turn out the votes for Senator Barry Goldwater in 1964. His father was a College Republican friend of conservative icon and Leadership Institute President Morton Blackwell (no relation – though we sometimes joke about it), and Quin became one of LI's earliest graduates.

But he's not resting on his family's conservative legacy. Quin went onto play a distinguished role as a Reagan appointee, and later, as a staffer during the conservative takeover of the House of Representatives in 1994.

With a wide-ranging intellect, Quin transitioned into journalism, making principled arguments against government largess long before anyone heard of the modern "tea party."

His defense of conservative originalist judges was so effective that the late Ted Kennedy denounced him on the Senate floor.

In the era of Barack Obama, Quin has remained an unwavering defender of limited government, free markets, strong national security, and family values.

But while all of that is impressive, what impresses me most about Quin is his elegant defense of civil rights and minorities.

In 1989, as a founding Board Member for the LA Coalition Against Racism and Nazism, he lead the effort to organize Republicans and Conservatives against the anti-Semitic lunatic David Duke in the Louisiana governor's race. Duke was unfortunately a serious candidate. That year, Quin's efforts helped reaffirm that the party of Lincoln, the Republican Party, has no room for bigotry and conspiracy theories.

That's why I am especially delighted to endorse him in the special election for Alabama's 1st district.

And I'm proud to join Rick Santorum, Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard, Rich Lowry of National Review, R. Emmett Tyrrell of the American Spectator, David Bossie of Citizens United, and Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in their support of this thought-leader for office.

When elected, Quin will immediately be among the most savvy and conservative Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Because he already understands the legislative process, Quin will hit the ground running in the fight against illegal immigration, Obamacare, and the job-killing debt.

The people of Alabama's 1st district and the country would be well served by this honorable conservative warrior.

Ken Blackwell is the Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment at the Family Research Council. He serves on the board of directors of the Club for Growth and the National Taxpayers Union. He is also a member of the public affairs committee of the NRA. Mr. Blackwell is also the former Mayor of Cincinnati and a former Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.