In the days leading up to Election Day, Congressman Charlie Stenholm and his wife, Cindy, have been busy making last-minute appearances in the campaign for the 19th Congressional District 19 Congressional.

Cindy Stenholm toured the Levelland campus of South Plains College, on Oct. 18, in an effort to gain support for her husband’s campaign. Dane Dewbre, dean of College Relations escorted Stenholm and told her about the college, while she visited with students and staff and encouraged everyone to “vote for Stenholm.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s website at http://www.census.gov, 77.3 percent of college students did not vote in the 2002 elections, a fact, which brought Stenholm out to visit with students.

“I wanted to see the college and get Charlie’s name out,” Stenholm said. “If you want to be the voice for West Texas, you have to work at it, provide service that is needed, and that service is to represent the 19th District.”

With many constituents tired of all of the mud slinging in the campaigns, Stenholm finds it to be “funny”.

“When voters stop watching mud-slinging and negative ads, and do their own research to see the record, mud-slinging will pass,” Stenholm said. “It will be good for the country.”

While in college at Texas Tech, Cindy ran for senior class secretary and asked fellow student Charlie Stenholm to be her campaign manager. Now the shoe is on the other foot, as Cindy campaigns every day for her husband.

“I do not want to be Congresswoman,” Stenholm said. “He [Charlie] is the quarterback, and I am the team.”

After they were married, the Stenholms lived in Jones County, where Charlie was a cotton farmer and Cindy was an elementary school teacher. She also taught at Jackson Elementary School in Lubbock.

Now, Charlie is a congressman and Cindy helps him campaign each year.
 

Even though it is a lot of hard work, “you’ve got to roll with the punches,” Stenholm said.
This is the 27th year that the Stenholms have campaigned.
 

“You get to meet wonderful people, interesting people,” Stenholm said.
 

Though campaigning and being away from home and family can be stressful, Stenholm lives by the phrase “this too will pass.”
 

Her husband is currently the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and also sits on the Armed Services Committee.
 

“Charlie has West Texas values. He got seniority the old-fashioned way; he worked hard every day,” Stenholm said.
 

Stenholm continues campaigning every day because, “I believe in my husband.”
 

Campaigning every day of the year takes a toll on the Stenholms, but Cindy supports her husband every step of the way.
 

Stenholm is a member of the Bethel Lutheran Church in Ericksdahl. She is also a member of the Abilene Woman’s Club, the Christian Women’s Fellowship, and the P.E.O. Sisterhood, which is a statewide organization. Stenholm is a member of the 20th Century Study Club and the Abilene Philharmonic Guild. She also sits on the Advisory Board for Contemporary Arts, as well as the advisory boards of the Texas State Technological College, Serenity House, and the Abilene Preservation League.
 

“There is stress in every job; you learn to deal,” Stenholm said.