Lt. Col. West is the third of four generations of military servicemen in his family. During his 22-year career in the U.S. Army, Lieutenant Colonel West served in several combat zones and received many honors, including a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, one with valor device, and a Valorous Unit Award. In 1993, he was named the US Army ROTC Instructor of the Year. He is also a former commissioned officer in the Texas State Guard.

In November 2010, West was elected to the United States Congress, representing Florida’s 22^nd District. As a member of the 112^th Congress, he sat on the Small Business and Armed Services Committees.

West is the former Executive Director of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas, and a former Director of the Booker T. Washington Initiative (BTWI) for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In July of 2020, Mr. West was elected Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas by an overwhelming majority of State delegates.

Announcing a change in event format. 

In addition to Lt. Col Allen West and US Senate Candidate Eric Hovde, this event will now serve as a "campaign kickoff" for Ben Franklin (88th Assembly), Jim Rafter (State Senate District 30), and Patrick Buckley (89th Assembly), Jessica Henderson (90th Assembly).