Texas gained a twenty-third congressional seat as a result of reapportionment based on the 1960 US Census, but because the Texas state legislature failed to reorganize its congressional districts in time for the 1962 election, the twenty-third seat was the subject of an "at-large" statewide election. Houston’s Des Barry ran for this seat as a Republican, losing to Democrat Joe Poole. In one campaig n ad, Barry and a fellow Republican candidate were described as "fighters for individual liberty . . . for a balanced budget . . . for a tough foreign policy that proclaims victory over communism."
The pictured comic strip emphasized each of these aspects, but particularly Barry’s take on "individual liberty." It primarily described Barry’s efforts as the owner of a freight shipping company to resist the unionization of his truck drivers as part of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. After preventing the unionization of his own drivers, Barry’s ensuing fight with the Teamsters is described in the panels reproduced here (bottom image). The use of a comic strip seems designed to appeal to younger voters, and is representative of the many creative ways that conservatives attempted to win minds, particularly in campaigns for public office. For other examples, see "Elect Dick Morgan Captain of Conservatives" and "Campaign Advertisement for George Macatee," above