I was humbled to learn that I will be featured as “Actiivist of the Month” in the National Faith in Action publication’s June edition reaching more than 3.2 million members and activists.

But honestly, awards like this are really opportunities to say thank you.

And while activists in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania are preparing for primary elections just two days from now, here is who I need to thank.

First and foremost is gratitude to God.

This Sabbath morning, I’m on my way to Most Merciful Jesus Church in Madison, Alabama. In activist work, there is always another phone call to make, another door to knock, another deadline to meet. But prayer must come first. And yes, this was written last night and scheduled for now so no work has been done on the Sabbath as I get in my car to make the 63 minute drive to the church :-). 

One of the simplest but best explanations of prayer I ever heard compared prayer to dry beans and the rest of life to rice. If you put the beans in the jar first — if you schedule prayer first — the rice can still fit around it. But if you fill the jar with rice first, there is no room left for the beans.

Jesus Himself modeled this discipline repeatedly:

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” — Mark 1:35

There may be room for “necessary work” on the Sabbath, but there must always be room for prayer every day of the week. Even if it is listening to Scripture or a meditation while driving between events, prayer cannot simply become whatever time is left over.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” — Matthew 6:33

Next comes family.

Beginning with my wife, Dr. Kalynne Pudner, and our family — like the families of so many activists — sacrifice has simply become part of life.

We have joked that during almost all of our first twenty wedding anniversaries, we were in different states because of my campaign schedules and election work. Raising nine children while married to an activist requires extraordinary patience and sacrifice. Now the same is true with nine grandchildren — including missing a grandson’s base hit yesterday and his scheduled pitching appearance on Primary Day in a 10-year-old recreation game.

I remember once undergoing a medical procedure that required anesthesia. The doctor later came out laughing and told my wife that while unconscious, I had apparently spent the entire time talking in great detail about all nine children and what each one was doing.

Family has always been at the center. I know for years I’d be told about spontaneous conversions at GOP conventions around the country where someone would say, “You know that political guy with 9 children – Pudner?” It’s not a bad tagline.

I was blessed to grow up as the oldest of nine children, and now God has blessed us with nine children and — so far — nine grandchildren. Faith in Action secured a family photo for the article that included nearly everyone, with only a couple of in-laws filling in for the oldest child who – unlike his Dad – prefers programming to being in photos and one grandchild who had not yet arrived at the time of the wedding photo.

As Psalm 127 reminds us:

“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.” — Psalm 127:3

After family comes activists and volunteers who make this work possible.

As we approach elections like Tuesday’s primaries, I often join our canvassing teams in the field. After ten hours of knocking doors trying to reach 200 homes, every activist eventually has the same thought: “Maybe I should go find a normal job.”

But then you remember why this work matters.

I hope people will take time to look through the biographies of the team at Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition and our governing board:
https://wisconsinffc.com/bios/
https://wisconsinffc.com/bios-governing-board/#ourboard

The editors of Faith in Action were especially impressed by Holly Klucarnich and her now-grown children — many of whom were homeschooled like mine but to her credit she raised five activists while none of my nine have the least interest in following in my footsteps — trudging through Wisconsin snowstorms to register Christians to vote and distribute voter guides door-to-door.

And when Holly and I are both pulled out of state, our Executive Director Kelly Herrell faithfully keeps the effort moving forward back home in Wisconsin.

Galatians 6:9 has long encouraged activists during difficult seasons, and we do view the work we do as truly doing good – not based on who wins an election but if enough faith-based voters show up that to vote that elected officials pay attention to them when they make policy.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Finally, thanks to the millions of grassroots supporters and volunteers who sustain this “loaves and fishes” effort.

As I often explain to donors, a tax-deductible contribution to the Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition in 2024 paid for 70,000 voter guides to be delivered to homes. But through volunteers, churches, and grassroots distribution, those materials ultimately reached more than 402,000 targeted Christians in Wisconsin who had not voted in 2020 — yet many turned out in 2024 and helped decide the election.

Why?

Because our teams never just distribute literature themselves. They equip volunteers who then carry materials into churches, community events, and neighborhoods across the state. Often pastors encourage their congregations to study the side-by-side candidate comparisons before voting.

This spring, it was difficult having to tell supporters we simply did not have the resources to produce Wisconsin Supreme Court voter guides.

Just think about the little boy who brought five loaves and two fish.

If he had brought nothing, there would have been nothing to multiply.

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them.” — Luke 9:16

Anything multiplied by zero is still zero.

One of the greatest reminders of the power of volunteers came in 2014. In a congressional primary, we had about 200 volunteers knockingon doors for us and roughly $20,000 a few months before the election. Our opponent had $5 million — but very few volunteers.

It became one of the purest tests imaginable of money versus grassroots activism.

And the volunteers won.

It remains the only time in American history that a sitting U.S. House Majority Leader lost a congressional primary.

We will not reveal all the contents of the upcoming Faith in Action publication — there is tremendous material from conservative activists across the country — but if you would like to receive this edition, or begin receiving the publication regularly, simply reply to this email and let us know and we will incur any costs to the publisher to put you on their mailing list.

As I said in my Fox News interview after that 2014 primary win, I only wish all 200 door-to-door volunteer canvassers could have been on the TV set instead of me – I was just sitting their to accept the praise in their place.