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©2020 League of Women Voters of Texas | lwvtexas.org VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDITION 1

P.O. Box 4034, Wichita Falls, Texas 76308www.lwvwichitafalls.org | (940) 692-8498

Voters GuidePrimary Election, Wichita County

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

NOTE: Party affiliations are listed in parentheses after each candidate’s name. The League of Women Voters invited each candidate to respond to several questions for this Voters Guide. Answers are unedited. In contested races, names are listed alphabetically.

This VOTERS GUIDE is published and funded by the League of Women Voters of Wichita Falls (LWV-WF) through donations from League members, citizens of Wichita Falls, and residents of the Wichita Falls area. LWV-WF is affiliated with the League of Women Voters of Texas and the League of Women Voters of the U.S. It is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to promote political responsibility through active and informed participation of ALL citizens in their government. The League DOES NOT support NOR oppose any political party, candidate, or proposition. This VOTERS GUIDE is designed to convey factual information to help prepare citizens to cast informed votes. To conserve space, replies have word limits.

WHERE TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 37:00 AM to 7:00 PM

WICHITA FALLS Allendale Baptist Church, 4650 Allendale Rd. The Forum, 2120 Speedway Ave Western Hills Baptist Church, 5107 Ridgecrest Faith Lodge # 1158, 3503 Kemp Ave. First Christian Church, 3701 Taft Blvd. Texas Highway Dept., 1601 Southwest Pkwy Wesley United Methodist Church, 1526 Weeks St. First Baptist Church at Sheppard, 2101 Puckett Rd. Legacy Church of God, 1420 Loop 11 Cameron Gardens VFD, 153 FM1740 10th & Broad Church of Christ,1319 10th Street Kemp Sunnyside Community Center, 405 Walnut Region IX Education Center, 301 Loop 11 Martin Luther King Center, 1100 Smith JeffersonSt.BaptistChurch,401 Jefferson St. First Assembly of God, 3101 McNiel The Bridge Church, 4725 K Mart Dr. Life Tabernacle Church, 4350 Seymour Hwy Floral Heights United Methodist Church, 2214 10th St.KAMAY Kamay VFD, 8537 SH 258 W.BURKBURNETT Commissioner Pct. 2 Bldg., 102 West CollegeIOWA PARK First Baptist Family Center, 300 W. Park Faith Baptist Church, 411 S. Wall Haws Rd. Community Church, 2635 Haws Rd.ELECTRA First United Methodist Church, 1107 S. Bailey St.NOTE: Wichita County uses Voting Centers; therefore, any Wichita County registered voter can vote at any voting location, regardless of precinct.

WHERE TO VOTE EARLYDates and Hours are given for each location

WICHITA COUNTY COURTHOUSE900 7TH St., Room 139, Wichita Falls

& COMMISSIONER 2 BLDG.102 W. College, Burkburnett

& WICHITA COUNTY TAXOFFICE SUBSTATION400 N. Wall St., Iowa Park

Feb. 18th - 21st ................. 8:00 to 5:00 Feb. 22nd .......................... 7:00 to 7:00 Feb. 23rd ........................ Noon to 5:00 Feb. 24th - 28th ................. 7:00 to 7:00

HOME DEPOT, 3705 Kell Blvd.& SIKES SENTER MALL, 3111 Midwestern Pkwy

Feb. 18th - 21st ............... 10:00 to 7:00 Feb. 22nd .......................... 9:00 to 9:00 Feb. 23rd ........................ Noon to 5:00 Feb. 24th - 28th ................. 9:00 to 9:00

COMMISSIONER 4 BLDG., 2023 SH 25 N, Electra

Feb. 18th - 21st ............... 8:00 to Noon Feb. 24th - 28th ................. 1:00 to 5:00

PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTIONIf a runoff election becomes necessary,

it will take place on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

2 ©2020 League of Women Voters of Texas | lwvtexas.org VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDITION

U.S. HOUSE, DISTRICT 13

Background: What training, experience and background qualify you for this position?Healthcare: What legislation would you support to address access to and cost of healthcare?

» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESImmigration: What are your recommendations to improve the immigration system?Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be the most pressing in the next session of Congress and what are your positions on those issues?

» Catherine “I Swear” Carr (R) No response received by print deadline

» Jamie Culley (R) No response received by print deadline

» Chris Ekstrom (R) No response received by print deadline

» Jason Foglesong (R)Background: The less experience the better - I am not a politician. I am a teacher - my subject is US Government. I have a degree in Political Science. I am a common citizen of common means. It’s time for people like you and me to

take office and take our government back from lobbyists, unions, special interests, and millionaires.Healthcare: Repeal Obamacare and promote a competitive market between states, which allows people to shop across state lines for the best service or value. Pre-existing conditions must be guaranteed coverage, so that no American is left out in the cold during this transition.Immigration: Restrict visas, and heavily vet candidates. We need highly skilled individuals - but only if we don’t have Americans that can do that

job first. We do not need low skill/low education manual labor. There is no such thing as a job Americans won’t do. I support building the wall, and would support heavily restricting all immigration for a period of five years while we sort out what kind of labor we have vs. what we lack.Other Issues: Border security. If we don’t get our borders and the rampant voter and benefits fraud that comes with every influx of illegal aliens, we Republicans won’t be winning many more elections. Gun control - there are more and more violations and infringements against our rights with every session of Congress, and as Virginia has shown us, many Americans are asleep at the wheel until it’s too late. Taxes - we need to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

» Timothy W Gassaway (D)Background: My background is in customer service and as a Congressman that is my job to be a voice and to serve my constituents. When working in customer service I worked diligently to ensure the needs of the clients were met and I will be able to do the same as representative for District

13. I have experience in problem solving and troubleshooting to address immediate or future problems by looking at all areas and devise several solutions. My leadership skills have been honed by leading or being involved in several boards where I worked collaboratively with others and have productive discussions despite differing opinions at times.Healthcare: America has been struggling with Healthcare issues since 1945 when President Harry S. Truman proposed a national healthcare plan to Congress. It is time we remedy this problem for good by creating the world’s best single- payer Healthcare System however, if you or your employer would like to continue with your current insurance that should be an available option.

Immigration: We need to revamp our guest worker, H1B visa programs and create a new program to cover the needs of the construction industry. End all forms of family separation of migrants seeking asylum. Establish a pathway to citizenship for migrants seeking to stay in our country.Other Issues: The issues I think will be most pressing issues are immigration reform, rebuilding infrastructure and caring for families, seniors and veterans. First, immigration reform is long overdue I think that we need to look at revamping our current visa programs, create new programs based on industry needs, and establish a pathway to citizenship. Second, infrastructure in the United States was given a D+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers this means we need to begin creating legislation that will fund green infrastructure revitalization plan. Third, caring for our some of our most vulnerable by restoring appropriate levels of funding in programs that affect families, seniors, and veterans.



» Lee Harvey (R)Background: As a business man, I know what it’s like to make payroll. Running a business takes lots of training, ie; IRS regulations, State and local requirements and many more. As your County Commissioner, I am involved in setting the county budget. I’m responsible to see that those dollars are spent in the most conservative way. My life experience has been in the petrochemical industry. As the General Manager for Turnarounds and Maintenance for the Gulf Coast for a large construction company, I sat at the negotiation table with companies like, Exxon/Mobil, Chevron, Valero, Shell and several other notable companies. Dealing with large contracts were a daily occurrence, and managing a payroll of 20 million, gives you lots of experience.Healthcare: I have a list of policy ideas that should be helpful. Tort Reform, Administrative regulatory reduction, Block Grants for States for Medicaid which include efficiency bonuses, high deductibles with tax advantages, health care savings accounts that put patients in control and increase skin in the game. There are many other things that can be addressed, just need to put our head down and go to work.

Immigration: We need to secure our borders and stop the Drug and Sex trafficking. We need to control who comes to our country. Our country depends on migrant workers to help harvest our crops. The Green Card program is old and antiquated and needs to be revamped, (using today’s technology), so that good people can come here and help us. They need a sponsor that would be responsible for reporting and account for their whereabouts.Other Issues: I think “Pro Life” needs to be at the forefront of our conversations. Killing babies has got to stop. We must stop funding “Planned Parenthood”. On average we see the deaths of 2700 babies per day in America. We have a moral obligation to protect all life, even the unborn. We need to support the President and provide the funding needed to secure our borders. We need to stop the States, like Virginia from destroying the 2nd amendment. Our right to bear arms was put in place to protect us from our own government. We cannot let them take this from us.

» Elaine Hays (R)Background: I am a small business owner, community leader, and second term Amarillo City Councilwoman. I earned a Master of Science in Finance and Economics from West Texas A&M, a BBA in Marketing from Texas Christian University (TCU) and completed my designation

as a Certified Financial Planner from the College for Financial Planning. As a private wealth manager through Hays and Hays Financial Services, I work with individuals to help identify, communicate and achieve their financial goals. I have also co-authored two financial books, When God We Trust and Avoiding the Top Ten Money Mistakes. I have served as a Republican precinct chair and delegate to the state convention prior to being a candidate.Healthcare: I would support expanding health savings accounts and allowing consumers to purchase health insurance across state lines, which allows for competition that drives down prices, thus increasing access. De-coupling health insurance from employers, and allowing other entities to provide coverage would help end the common occurrence of losing your health insurance when you lose your job or voluntarily change jobs.Immigration: Every country must control its border to protect its

sovereignty. You cannot combine an open border policy with a welfare state and have a sustainable system. Migration from one country to another is not a right. It is a privilege, and one that is awarded to those that show a desire to become Americans and contribute to the success of our country. We must secure our borders to protect our citizens from those who would intentionally do us harm. We must enforce the laws on the books, end the incentives for people to cross the border illegally, and eliminate sanctuary cities across the country. I support a talent-based immigration system along with securing the border with steel structures, enhanced surveillance systems, and increased staffingOther Issues: The president has stated that addressing our national debt will be a top priority in the fifth year of his presidency. In just the past five years, our national debt has ballooned from $17 trillion to nearly $23 trillion. Government does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. Annual deficits exceeding $1 trillion dollars have become the norm and are pushing us further and further into insolvency. It is crucial that our federal government live within its means in the confines of a balanced budget, just as required by cities, states, households, and businesses.


U.S. HOUSE, DISTRICT 13» Richard Herman (R)Background: I have a unique understanding of the demographic working needs of our North Texas District; therefore, I will be an instrumental figure in the growth of our economy. I have not only been successful in business but received achieved many national accolades

of recognition. I was raised in our district, I reside in our district and am dedicated to supporting the push for economic growth throughout North Texas. I have 35 years leading teams at times managing budgets involving Hundreds of Millions and getting the job done. I am well versed at the law having served as a Judge and keeping all the promises made on the campaign trail. I will serve the people in our district well and represent them well.Healthcare: I believe that quality medical care, affordable deductibles, and reasonable prescriptions are issues that affect everyone. This has been increasingly affecting seniors, business owners, students, and families alike because it’s simply not affordable. I believe that current Health Care Coverage should be overhauled to provide relief to the people, reform to the base structure and provide necessary recovery from the failed Affordable Care Act because it was not affordable, not voluntary, and prejudicial to the welfare of businesses and individuals alike. It is an issue that needs to be confronted head on, and heavily

discussed among politicians and congressmen with input from business owners and the people. I will push for reform!Immigration: I am proud to support President Trump and push for reform throughout the current immigration system which includes building the wall. This is a serious issue of crisis proportions that has been impacting our safety, our economy, education and quality of life for many years. It is up to me to stand in the gate while addressing this issue head on, and rally the support needed to make the proper changes necessary for a safer way of life.Other Issues: “When we empower our families, we empower Texas. When we empower Texans, the opportunities are limitless.” It’s time to put families first again, and that starts by supporting measures that make raising children and healthcare for our seniors more affordable. As a husband, son and father, I believe in the importance of family and creating better opportunities for our children and grandchildren. I know that families are stronger when children go to good schools, parents have well-paying jobs, and seniors have high quality health care. If we are truly going to restore our nation, then we must start by strengthening families. I believe our nation must do more to support the family structure and help combat systemic barriers in society.

» Ronny Jackson (R) No response received by print deadline

» Diane Knowlton (R)Background: I’m a 5th-generation resident of Clay County, and I currently live in Henrietta where I work as an attorney. I have 25 years of experience in business and business law, working for many of the industries that make up our district’s vast economy, such as oil and gas, ranching, government contracting, and banking. I also worked in Washington, DC for a few years--not on Capitol Hill, and never as a lobbyist--but as a consultant to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, helping them make their administrative procedures more efficient. So I understand how government works, and from my legal training, I understand the Constitution, legislation, and regulations.Healthcare: We can provide the best healthcare at the lowest cost to all citizens by repealing Obamacare and allowing health insurance to be sold and purchased on the free market, which will lead to lower premiums and improved quality of coverage. We must eliminate the Obamacare “minimum essential coverage” requirements, so that health insurance customers have a choice of what kind of policy they want to purchase--ranging from full coverage to a “catastrophic” policy only. We should enact legislation allowing for health insurance companies to sell policies across state lines, thus allowing for increased competition and more choice. The only exception to the free market should be the prohibition

on denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions.Immigration: Our immigration system is facing many threats and challenges. The most important improvements we need to make are: (1) Continue building the wall at the border. Our border is our nation’s first line of defense. A wall is the best way to deter illegal immigration by preventing undetected border crossings. A wall will also make our country safer, by preventing the crossing of known or suspected criminals. (2) Improve systems for identifying, locating, and removing visitors who have overstayed their visas. We still have several hundred thousand people who have overstayed their visas in our country at any one time. We must develop new systems that can comprehensively compare and match entry and exit records throughout the country.Other Issues: Protect our Constitutional rights, including but not limited to our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and our Second Amendment right to bear arms; (2) Continue with the goals and achievements of the Trump Administration, such as growth of the economy, tax reform, improved border security, and the defeat of terrorism; (3) reduce spending across the entire government by requiring all agencies to conduct process improvement to make their procedures more efficient and less costly; (4) fight against the Socialist policies advocated by “progressive” Democrats.



» Matt McArthur (R)Background: I’ve worked in business, specifically oilfield construction as a manager. I’ve learned how our energy industry runs as well as it’s importance to Texas. In Texas alone three hundred thousand jobs exist because of oil and gas and I’m the only candidate in this race with experience

in the field. I also oversaw large numbers of people and millions of dollars of materials in a management capacity. I’ve also been a police officer. The purpose of the Congress is to write and pass laws, I’m the only candidate in this race with actual experience enforcing laws.Healthcare: I want to see health insurance sold across state lines. We need more free market in the health care industry, competition is always a good thing. Addressing the cost of medical school as well as civil suit

abuse would also have major impacts.Immigration: First of all we need the wall and to make sure we know who’s coming into the country. I would support an Everify requirement for employers as well as require prosecution of employers who break the law. I’d also support legislation to add immigration judges to increase the number of deportations. I would like to support a guest worker program but I would require that any workers being let in weren’t taking jobs from Americans.Other Issues: Supporting the president and making sure his agenda has an opportunity to succeed will be the major priority. Beyond that I think fixing infrastructure, spending control, protecting the second amendment and helping drain the swamp will also be major issues.

» Mark Neese (R)Background: For over 20 years, I have been finding ways to make life better for others. I learned this by watching my father serve in the Air Force and seeing my mother assisting in his absence. This led me to be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army by participating in ROTC

at college where I also ran track and participated in student government. My majors in political science and psychology have given me the skills to understand systems and discover ways to work with others. I have served communities and families as a teacher, Counselor, Assistant Principal, and Principal. I have seen education assist in making life better for individuals and communities. Both rural and urban areas are greatly improved as education is made a priority.Healthcare: For healthcare I support legislation which supports: The ability to keep your doctor if you like your doctor! The ability to maintain coverage for dependents until the age of 26. The ability for individuals to have options of coverage without being forced to purchase something. The ability for pre-existing conditions to be without being priced out of the market. The ability to promote tax credits for families

who do not purchase their insurance through their job or from the government.Immigration: To fix the immigration system I recommend: 1. Securing our boarders 2. Enforcing existing immigration policies or developing new ones. 3. Increasing our court systems and boarder patrol to assist in expediency. 4. Developing equitable ways to allow access to the United States in fair and balanced way.Other Issues: I believe the most pressing issues include: 1. The dysfunctional partisan political system we currently have in D.C. Congress needs to find ways to work together to assist our citizens. 2. Roe-V-Wade I believe abortion is the slavery of our lifetime. Generations will look back and wonder how we ever supported such evil actions. My wife is adopted and we are unaware of the circumstances of her birth. I will never support a policy where her existence and that of my son would be discarded. 3. Financial Accountability Congress must address their own responsibility of balancing a budget. For these reasons, I stand for the FLAG: Faith Leadership Accountability Gratitude

» Asusena Resendiz (R) No response received by print deadline


» Greg Sagan (D)Background: BA Political Science WTSU MBA Organizational Behavior/Marketing UCCS ABD Industrial Relations/Labor Economic/Statistics UT Austin Former LCDR USN/Vietnam vet Former US Navy delegate to

SEATO Former human performance consultant to nuclear utilities Former consultant on leadership, teamwork and corporate culture to Rocketdyne, New York Life, Bell Atlantic, Showtime Networks, EDS, HR Textron, Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, American Nuclear Society, various divisions, of Singer et al 14 years writing weekly Op/Ed for Amarillo Globe-NewsHealthcare: Universal, single-payer health care, commonly referred to as Medicare for All, or some similar approach is the only way to ensure adequate health care for all Americans. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst published a study last year showing that the U.S. economy would save $5 trillion in the first 10 years of Medicare for All. A study published last summer in JAMA showed that America spent $3.5 trillion on health care in 2017, of which between $500 billion and $900 billion was wasted. Almost every argument supporting a national military, instead of a multitude of private militias, can be applied to universal, single-payer health care.Immigration: If most illegal immigrants are coming over our southern border for economic reasons then the solution must also be economic.

When Donald Trump was inaugurated, immigration from Mexico had been declining, and actually showing a net OUT-migration, for ten years. The reason was mainly DACA, which finally created a viable middle class in Mexico. America depends on immigrants for skills American workers no longer possess and to contribute to federal revenue, especially Medicare and Social Security, so we should welcome these immigrants and make it easier for them to become citizens. It’s also true that most of the unwanted immigrants from other countries come in by air, by sea or through Canada, and we need more powerful tools to stop it.Other Issues: Education – 1. Spend tax revenue on public schools only. 2. Upgrade schools and provide adequate materials for all students in all grades. 3. Improve teacher pay. Energy – If it isn’t renewable then it isn’t sustainable. Enlist energy producers to develop alternative energy sources. Environment – Climate change is a real danger, not a hoax. The current conservative/Republican opposition is false and disingenuous. Economy – Strengthen unions, increase federal minimum wage Money in politics – Overturn Citizens United; outlaw “vulture capitalism.” “Virginia School” of economics – Reverse America’s slide toward plutocracy. Pension plans – Remove income limits for FICA; rescind the tax bill of 2017; protect private pensions plans.


» Vance Snider II (R) No response received by print deadline

» Gus Trujillo (D)Background: I was born and raised in Amarillo, TX where I’ve lived my entire life. I went to local public schools and then on to Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University. I have a Bachelor of Business Administration

(B.B.A.) Degree in Management with a minor in Political Science. In 2013 I was awarded the DC Internship Scholarship at WTAMU which allowed me to become a Congressional Intern for Representative Mac Thornberry (TX-13) at the Capitol in Washington, DC. As an intern I learned how a congressional office worked for our district. Some of the duties I completed were researching policy and legislation, attending committee hearings and briefings, preparing reports and assisting the legislative staff.Healthcare: I would support legislation that allows the people a choice to either keep their existing corporate provided healthcare plan or to enter into a public option that is affordable and provides quality coverage. A medicare for all plan should not be imposed onto those who don’t wish to accept it. The freedom to choose a private or public option should be left up to the people and not the government. In addition to this I would support legislation that allows for pharmaceutical drug prices to be completely negotiable as they are currently ridiculously overpriced.Immigration: The system we have in place to process immigrants is in dire need of improvement. Our government may allocate more funds to

control the border, but this will only grow as time passes. Immigrants will continue coming to our borders to seek better opportunities or to flee a dangerous country. Rather than treating the symptoms of mass immigration we should attempt to heal the source. It would be more effective to utilize Foreign Policy and invest in Central & South American countries in order to improve their overall economic conditions. The improved conditions would avert the mass migration that we’re experiencing today. A good example of this is the decreased immigration rate from Mexico to the U.S. as Mexico’s economy continues to improve.Other Issues: The shrinkage of the middle class will be the main issue. The middle class continues to shrink because wages have not kept up with inflation, retirement/pensions are disappearing, opportunities for young people to earn more & save for the future are harder to come by, and healthcare costs are rising. I know that after addressing these issues we can bring back the growth and strength of the middle class which is what built this great country. For a democracy to work effectively we must guarantee that opportunity and fairness are available for everyone and not just a lucky few. This does not mean providing handouts to all indefinitely, rather it means that everyone should have a fair shot at improving their financial situations.


U.S. HOUSE, DISTRICT 13» Josh Winegarner (R)Background: Born and raised in this district, I learned at an early age the value of hard work, determination, and an entrepreneurial spirit. For the last 14 years, I have worked for Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) defending and protecting farmers, ranchers and other agricultural

producers from environmental and animal rights activists. As a family man of deep Christian faith, I will protect the precious gift of life and defend those who cannot defend themselves. I will stand with President Trump to protect our constitutional rights, secure our borders, and defend our country from the socialist agenda. I am proud to be endorsed in this election by the Texas Farm Bureau and nearly every major agriculture organization in the state.Healthcare: We must work to lower the cost of care, support the right of patients to choose their own doctor, and keep rural hospitals from closing down. To start addressing these needs, I will vote to repeal and replace Obamacare once and for all. I will also vote to replace Medicaid expansion with a block grant so that the states can adopt their own health care plans without interference from the socialists and coastal elites in Washington. I will also support legislation to bring an end to surprise medical billing, especially emergency care.Immigration: I will stand with President Trump and Governor Abbott:

we need to build the wall and outlaw Sanctuary Cities. National security starts with strong border security. Until our border is strong our families won’t be safe from crime, drugs and human trafficking. I support using every tool at our disposal to make our border secure and safe, including: • Walls • Stopping Sanctuary Cities • Other physical barriers • Increased funding for our border patrol officers • Drones & other technological force multipliers We must also reform our legal immigration system by requiring more intensive background checks and a way to monitor who is in our country to prevent people from overstaying their visas.Other Issues: I believe the far-left will continue to push socialist policies, and I will oppose them. I’m 100% pro-life and will continue to defend those who cannot defend themselves. I’m a proud member of the NRA and will vigorously defend the 2nd Amendment. I will continue to fight tax increases and onerous regulations, and I will stand up to the coastal elites who want to dictate our agriculture and energy production practices through environmental policies like the Green New Deal. I support President Trump’s trade deals, like the USMCA, which protect American interests through free and fair trade. I pledge to be a strong defender of Sheppard Air Force Base and our military and will work to ensure that veterans receive the care they deserve.

» Monique Worthy (R)Background: The Constitution and the adherence there-of, the fact that even as an everyday citizen, who just wants to live their life without interference from the government or those in government who think they may know more about me and the way I should live my life and like those

from our founding, who weren’t all business owners, college graduates, people with noble titles, millionaires, or people who may have served in the military, and probably wouldn’t “qualify” for this position today as the elites would call qualifications, I too feel the need to bring regular everyday people into the decision making positions that so many in the days of our founding felt the need to do. And as such, I have the perfect background to be qualified.Healthcare: Ending the feds stranglehold on healthcare and healthcare innovation. Getting the feds completely OUT of healthcare. Sending healthcare back to the states where it belongs. Let the 50 states decide what kind of healthcare system they’d like to provide their citizens. Giving citizens the right to mobility and choice. To have 50 different

options to choose from. Because choice and freedom of choice is how you address access to and the cost of healthcare in a very meaningful way.Immigration: Place a moratorium on immigration until we can improve the immigration system and get those who are here illegally OUT. Until we can know for sure that those who are coming here, do not plan on being wards of the state or to do us any harm. Until we can perfect our immigration laws, customs and regulations there should be no more immigration.Other Issues: The Debt. If we clear the federal government of issues that is none of it’s business we could eliminate alot of debt. Some of those issues include, so called “studies”, welfare, infrastructure, education, healthcare, etc. These are our principal drivers of debt. All of those are issues that need to be at the state level. Period.


TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 69

Even though your race is not contested, please share your priorities for the next term and how you will address them


» QUESTION TO CANDIDATE


» James Frank (R) Unopposed1) Reducing Health Care Costs- the state can help reduce health care costs with smart and efficient Medicaid operations as well as consumer friendly medical billing and pricing requirements to bring down costs for everyone.

2) CPS Reform - though CPS continues to improve, we’ll still be monitoring implementation of community based care as well as improving prevention services and the removals process to keep more kids with their families and out of foster care.

» Meredith Kennedy (R) UnopposedMy plan is to continue to move cases through the 78th District Court in a timely and efficient manner. I have already established an uncontested docket which will allow attorneys and self-represented litigants to set uncontested matters quickly. In addition, I will be working diligently to ensure cases reach the trial docket. I have been a trial lawyer for 23

3) Guardrails on Government - ensuring that laws are in place to restrain behavior of governments at local and state levels so that basic constitutional freedoms are not impinged and services are provided efficiently.4) Local Issues - rural job creation and protecting Sheppard AFB

years. I enjoy being in the courtroom and have a very strong work ethic. Even though I have moved from being the trial lawyer to the judge, I still want to be in the courtroom as much as possible and that is so important to ensure that all parties have their day in court.

WICHITA COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE, 78TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

Even though your race is not contested, please share your priorities for the next term and how you will address them» QUESTION TO CANDIDATE

» Charlie Barnard (R) UnopposedI intend to continue to push hard to try as many cases as possible if there are no plea bargains. I will continue to work hard, treat all in my

courtroom with respect,and move as many cases as possible.

WICHITA COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE, 89TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT


WICHITA COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR

WICHITA COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 1

WICHITA COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 3







» Tommy Smyth (R) UnopposedSince January of 2013 we have been very self-conscious of providing great customer service to you and your family while constantly looking for amenities that add convenience and promotes a better customer experience. That was our intent from day one going on (7) years ago and we have never deviated from it. Creating better work flow models have expedited services in our lobbies. Good customer service is a work in

» Mark Beauchamp (R) Unopposed No response received by print deadline

» Barry Mahler (R) Unopposed No response received by print deadline

progress and our great staff are committed to it. We will always strive with providing great customer service to our citizens. Great customer service remains priority #1 with our staff. We cannot thank our citizens enough for the support they have shown our office and we will continue to do our very best to meet their expectations.

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24 VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDIT ION © 2020 League of Women Voters of Texas | lwvtexas.org

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Barbara HotinskiTerri Hudler-HullKathleen IrvinJohn JaggersJulie LowenbergDorothy MarchandAileen Jacinta McMurrerJohn NolanCarol OlewinJane PakNancy ParraLynette SchilloMarguerite “Meg” Scott-JohnsonDiane SheridanDiana TomchickElaine WiantNancy WilsonLaura Yeager

Special thanks to Margaret “Peg” Hill, PhD, for her generous sup-port of the Voters Guides.











































ACCESS THE INTERACTIVE VOTERS GUIDEAn interactive version of this Voters Guide is available online at www.VOTE411.org. Enter your address and zip code and view the races and candidates that appear on your ballot. You will be able to compare the candidates’ responses to the questions side-by-side and create a printout of a ballot that you can take to the polls.

DATESFirst Day of Early Voting ..............................................Tuesday, February 18, 2020Last Day of Early Voting .................................................. Friday February 28, 2020Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail ..............................Friday, February 21, 2020Last Day for County to Receive Ballot by Mail ......Tuesday, March 3, 2020, 7 p.m

To view this Voters Guide online or get the PDF,visit www.lwvwichitafalls.org

and click the Voter Guide Download button


JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 1, PLACE 1

Qualifications: What are your qualifications for office (including your occupation, education, training and experience?Duties: What do you think that the community should know about the

» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESduties of the Justice of the Peace?MostSignificant:Of all the various duties of the Justice of the Peace office, which do you consider to be most significant?

» James Hughes (R) Qualifications:I was born and raised in Wichita Falls. I graduated from MSU with a degree in Criminal Justice. I worked for the Wichita County Juvenile Probation Department for ten years as a Juvenile Probation Officer. I currently work in the Justice of the Peace office and have for the past eight years as the Wichita County Truancy Case Manager. Working with parents, teachers, counselors, and Principals helping students stay in school as they work to earn their diploma. The past eight years have served as direct on the job training. Working in this capacity has allowed me to work alongside Judges, Clerks, School Districts, and the Public. My experience of working in the Justice of the Peace office sets me apart from my opponents.Duties: The Justice of the Peace can assist the public in filing civil paper work. The Justice of the Peace Court is a “common mans” court. The Justice of the Peace Court is a place where the everyday average citizen can file their civil case to be heard by a Judge. It is not a requirement for you to have an attorney present to file paperwork, because that service is offered by the Justice of the Peace office. Other duties tasked to the

Justice of the Peace Office are truancy hearings, animal cruelty, juvenile pleas, emergency protective orders, occupational driver’s license, evictions, debt claims, small claims, and weddings to name a few. The JP Office prides itself on assisting the community on important everyday issues in a timely manner.MostSignificant: Of all the duties that the Justice of the Peace Office handles, I believe our Truancy Program is the most significant. Working handin hand with parents, teachers, counselors, social workers, and Principals to ensure every child has the opportunity at success and graduation. Some of the services offered to help assist families are counseling programs, community service, tutorial classes, makeup work, helping students get involved in extra-curricular activities at school, and referring students to the Community In School Program. Helping these students to earn their diploma is a vital step in a successful future for them, their family, and our community.

» Annetta Pope (R) Qualifications:I graduated from Rider high school in 1985 and later that year joined the USAF. I am a military veteran with over 23 years of military training and experience. Earned a bachelor’s degree from MSU as a Cum Laude graduate and Master’s degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma with a 4.0 GPA. Elected as a City Councilor in Wichita Falls May 2011 until May 2015; made sound and deliberate decisions for the citizens during the worst drought to date. I interned with the Municipal judge working daily in the justice system. I also observed 3 of the 5 justice of the peace judges over the past year. I am a substitute teacher for WFISD and sit on the University Kiwanis Club Board, which gives back to the children in our community.Duties: The community should know that the Justice of the Peace court is a court that they can use to help them in small claims and present their case before a judge. The justice court handles a wide range of duties, which are aimed to handle some of the most basic level of criminal justice cases. Landlord/tenant disputes are heard in this court, which is the only court that has jurisdiction over evictions. Traffic and other

Class C misdemeanor cases punishable by fines are heard in the justice court. Furthermore, the community should know that all parties involved will receive unbiased judgement in all cases. In addition, making sure the people understand what the justice of the peace court does is very important, since it is the people’s court.MostSignificant: I think all duties are significant; however, the cases before me that day will be the most important. I will make sure all individuals’ constitutional rights are upheld. As justice of the peace, making sure citizens that do not know the law but have a dispute with someone can have their case heard before the justice court which is not complicated or complex as in higher courts, but still significant. I will administer each case without fear or favor and treat everyone with dignity and respect. I will ensure appropriate judgement is rendered in all cases with impartiality and fairness. My final thought of significance; Psalms 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgement, and he that doeth righteousness at all time.

» Joseph Robeson (R) No response received by print deadline


WICHITA COUNTY CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 1

Qualification:What are your qualifications for office (including your occupation, education, training and experience?Duties: What do you think that the community should know about the duties of the Justice of the Peace?

» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESMostSignificant:Of all the various duties of the Justice of the Peace office, which do you consider to be most significant?

» Chris Craig (R)Qualifications:I have over 30 years continuous law enforcement experience, 20 years of that has been with the Constable’s Office, 10 of which I have been chief deputy constable. I not only hold the Master Peace Officer License

but also the Texas Civil Process Proficiency License, a license issued only to experts in civil process. Of the 79,580 active peace officers in Texas, less than 5% hold this license. I also hold a Court Security Officer Certificate which is required for all Texas bailiffs.Duties: The Constable’s Office is the chief process server and bailiff for the Justice of the Peace Court. We serve civil papers such as child support, protective orders, and warrants. We also handle evictions and provide support for other law enforcement officers. The Constable serves,

on average, 3000 civil papers a year. The fees generated from these civil papers cover the operating budget, and on a three-year average has gained Wichita County $100,000.00 per year. I am committed to do our part, if elected, to keep taxes low by working to increase the surplus of fees our office generates and puts into the general fund.MostSignificant: A: Of all the duties the Constable’s Office has, I believe the most important is protection of life and property. The security of the Justice of the Peace Courts is of utmost importance and, if elected, the constable or a deputy will be available any time the courts notify the office. When doing evictions, maintaining the peace is critical as we want to restore the owner’s rights to their property safely and without damage.

» Mike Little (R)Qualifications:**Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Midwestern State University **US Airforce Veteran **20 years of experience in Law Enforcement including Wichita Falls Police Department Officer **2000+ hours

of police training **Experience in patrol, traffic accident investigation and reconstruction, hit and run, crime prevention, and training **DARE Officer and Licensed Police Instructor for the WFPD and Vernon College Police Academies **Master Peace Officer Certification and hold a current Texas Peace Officer license **Justice of the Peace for 25 years overseeing the enforcement of civil orders and writs **Implemented the Truancy Intervention Program responsible for keeping kids in school **Established the Wichita County Teen Court Program.Duties: The Constable serves a vital role in our community as a Law Enforcement Officer by protecting the public and keeping the peace. The Constable is the Chief Process Server of the Justice of the Peace Court, serves a variety of judicial processes and notices, and is responsible

for property seized under such actions. Our Constable’s office is in critical need of leadership and has many ongoing issues that require an experienced leader. I have over 40 years of experience as a Law Enforcement Officer and Judicial Officer as well as thousands of hours of civil and criminal law training. I have the knowledge, experience and leadership abilities necessary to be your next Wichita County Constable.MostSignificant:The most significant duty of the Constable is to serve and protect the people of our community. The Constable, as a Law Enforcement Officer, has a duty and responsibility to provide security and protection to the people we serve. The Constable is a vital link in the Civil Justice System and is responsible for serving and enforcing civil documents to citizens involved in the Texas Civil Justice System. The Constable also has a significant duty to enforce the criminal laws of the State of Texas. The position of Constable requires a time-tested leader, who has the experience, education and proven leadership necessary to make the right decisions for the future of Wichita County.

WICHITA COUNTY CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 2Even though your race is not contested, please share your priorities for the next term and how you will address them» QUESTION TO CANDIDATE

» Jared Burchett (R) Unopposed No response received by print deadline



WICHITA COUNTY SHERIFF








» James Gowen (R) No response received by print deadline

» David Duke (R)I am Blessed and Honored to be the Wichita County Sheriff and serve All the Communities in Our County. My priorities are to Continue to serve our County as a Non-Partisan Sheriff’s Office that will help any resident or person within our jurisdiction. This Sheriff’s Office will continue to serve

with Integrity as a Professional, Transparent Proactive Law Enforcement

» David Blackerby (R)This office will continue to process the papers received from the District Clerk, area Justices of the Peace and the Attorney General Office. This office will continue to serve the small claims debts and subpoenas filed from attorneys and JP’s. It

will also process the delinquent tax statements as quickly as possible. This office will also provide assistance to the local, county and state law enforcement agencies when requested. This office is running smooth and will continue to do so.

Agency. Protecting our citizens from Narcotics, Robberies, Burglaries, Thefts, Crimes against children and Violent Crimes committed by persons who have no regard of life will be a continual Top Priority. With the opening of the new Jail, Operating and properly staffing the Facility will be the Top priority for the Staff and Inmates to reduce the liability of tax dollars.

LWV 100TH ANNIVERSARYThe 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was sent to the States in June, 1919, and Texas ratified the Amendment later that month. The League of Women Voters of Texas was founded on October 19, 1919.

Four months later Carrie Chapman Catt founded the United States League on February 14, 1920.

It was not until August 18, 1920, that the 36th State, Tennessee, ratified the Amendment which was signed into law on August 26, 1920.

Leagues across the country will celebrate a Day of Action on February 14, 2020, in honor of the 100th Anniversary.





























CENSUSWHAT IT IS: The U.S. Census is required under the U.S. Constitution to occur every 10 years. It is the process of counting every resident in the country. This year, the Census will be primarily digitally based.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT: The Census numbers are used to make important decisions about political representation, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. As populations grow and shift, it is important to get an accurate and complete count of every person.

WHO USES THE DATA: Local governments (for safety and emergency preparedness), Businesses (to decide where to locate factories, offices, stores, etc.), Real estate developers (to build new homes and revitalize old neighborhoods), and Residents (to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality-of-life, and consumer advocacy).

©2020 League of Women Voters of Texas | lwvtexas.org VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDITION 13© 2020 League of Women Voters of Texas | lwvtexas.org VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDIT ION 1

» ONLINE VOTERS GUIDEFor additional information on candidates for President, U.S. House of Repre-sentatives, Texas House of Representatives, and Texas Court of Appeals, go to VOTE.org. In communities where there is a League of Women Voters, volun-teers work to provide additional information on local elections.

VOTERS GUIDEPRIMARY ELECTION » MARCH 3, 2020

EARLY VOTING: Feb. 18–Feb. 28, 2020 » ELECTION DAY: Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., March 3, 2020

U.S. President » U.S. Senator » Railroad Commissioner » Texas Supreme Court » Texas Court of Criminal Appeals » State Board of Education » Court of Appeals

» ABOUT THIS VOTERS GUIDETh is Voters Guide is funded and published by the League of Women Voters of Texas. Th e League never supports or opposes candidates for offi ce or political parties. For one hundred years, the League has been helping voters cast an in-formed vote when they go to the polls.

» VOTING IN TEXAS PRIMARIESTh e upcoming Texas primary is an extremely important election in Texas!

Voters in the Texas primaries and conventions choose who will run for offi ce in the General Election. For many communities in Texas, their elected offi cials are chosen in the primary election because many districts heavily favor one party over the other.

Th e Republican and Democratic Parties choose their candidates in a primary election. Th e Libertarian and Green Parties choose their candidates in party conventions.

Texas has open primaries. Th at means that ALL Texas voters can participate in one of these events.

Voters who don’t strongly identify with any political party can and should carefully consider the choices and participate in one of the primaries or conven-tions. But you can only participate in one. Once a voter has voted in one party, that voter cannot participate in another party’s primary election or convention.

Th e League encourages all registered voters to participate in the Texas Pri-mary Election and vote for the best candidates. Don’t forget, voting in a primary does not commit you to vote for a particular candidate in the general election.

BE A TEXAS VOTER!

» EMPOWERING VOTERS. DEFENDING DEMOCRACY.

» SUPPORT THE VOTERS GUIDESupport the Voters Guide with a contribution to the League of Women Voters of Texas, Guadalupe #, Austin, TX , or make a secure donation online at www.lwvtexas.org.

DONATE

» VOTERS GUIDE CONTENTS

U.S. President 3U.S. Senator 3Railroad Commissioner 8Voting for Judges in Texas 9Justices of the Supreme Court of

Texas 10Judges of the Court of Criminal

Appeals of Texas 13Vote by Mail 15State Board of Education 16

Judges of the Court of Appeals of Texas 21

Th e Census and Redistricting 22

Provisional Voting 23Registering to Vote 23Student Voters 23Voter Identifi cation 23Where and When to Vote 23Sponsors 24

» SIGN UP FOR VOTING REMINDERS!

Text LWVTX to to receive voting reminders on your phone.https://my.lwv.org/texas/get-voting-reminders

14 ©2020 League of Women Voters of Texas | lwvtexas.org VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDITION2 VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDIT ION

» VOTER ID: WHAT TO TAKE TO THE POLLS

Bring your ID to Vote Texas!

All citizens wishing to vote must be on the offi cial list of registered voters. Voters may use one of seven () forms of photo ID, listed below. IDs may be expired up to four years. Persons seventy years of age or older may use an expired ID. ID address does not have to match the voter registration address.

• Texas driver license

• Texas Election Identifi cation Certifi cate (EIC)

• Texas Personal Identifi cation Card issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS)

• Texas license to carry a handgun issued by DPS

• US military identifi cation card containing the person’s photograph

• US citizenship certifi cate containing the person’s photograph

• US passport (book or card)

Registered voters without photo ID, who cannot reasonably obtain one, may sign a form and present the original or a copy of one of the following documents with the voters name and address to vote a regular ballot:

• Texas voter registration card

• Certifi ed birth certifi cate

• Current utility bill

• Bank statement

• Government check

• Paycheck

• Any other government document such as an out of state driver license or expired Texas driver license

Th e form is called “Voter’s Declaration of Reasonable Impediment or Diffi culty.” Th e voter must mark on the form one of the following reasons for not providing a photo ID.

• Lack of transportation

• Disability or illness

• Lack of birth certifi cate or other documents needed to obtain an acceptable form of photo ID

• Work schedule

• Family responsibilities

• Lost or stolen identifi cation

• Acceptable form of photo ID applied for but not received

“Substantially similar name”

Th e name on the photo ID should match the voter registration card or be “sub-stantially similar.” If the names don’t match exactly but are substantially similar, the voter will initial a box for similar name when signing in to vote.

Voter harassment

• Election offi cials cannot question a voter about the use of an ID type

• Poll watchers may never question a voter about Voter ID issues

» HELPFUL CONTACTS AND WEBSITES

League of Women Voters of Texaslwvtexas.org

VOTE411.orgTh e League’s online Voters Guide

Secretary of StateVoteTexas.gov

Election Protection Voter Hotline!• -OUR-VOTE English• -Ve-Y-Vota Spanish• -API-VOTE English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bengali,

Urdu, Hindi, and Tagalog

Republican Party Democratic Partytexasgop.org txdemocrats.org

Libertarian Party Green Partylptexas.org txgreens.org

» LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF TEXAS• Th e League of Women Voters never supports or opposes candidates for offi ce

or political parties.• Any use of the League of Women Voters name in campaign advertising or lit-

erature has not been authorized by the League.• Th e LWV Texas Voters Guide is nonpartisan, fair, and balanced.• You may print the Voters Guide to bring into the voting booth!• Mobile electronic devices are prohibited in the voting booth, so be sure to

bring what you need on paper, not on your phone.• An interactive version of this Voters Guide is available online at VOTE.org.

Enter your address and zip code and view the races and candidates that appear on your ballot. You will be able to compare the candidates’ responses to the questions and create a printout of a ballot that you can take to the polls.

» LWV TEXAS VOTERS GUIDE POLICY• Candidate replies are printed without editing or verifi cation.• References to opponents or specifi c persons are not allowed.• In place of the inappropriate response, the guide will state, “Candidate’s re-

sponse did not meet the criteria listed in this Voters Guide.”• Videos that do not comply are removed.• Candidates are listed alphabetically by party.• Th is Voters Guide is organized by offi ce.• Th e names of unopposed candidates are also listed.• Questionnaires are sent to all candidates unless they are unopposed.• Candidates with no photo did not submit a photo by the print deadline• Candidates who do not respond to our questionnaire by the print deadline

are listed with the notation, “No response received.” Th eir information may or may not be in VOTE.org.

• Ballot order at the polls will vary from county to county.

© League of Women Voters of Texas | www.lwvtexas.orgTh e Voters Guide is protected by copyright.

For permission to duplicate the Guide, please call the LWV-Texas offi ce at --.


U.S. SENATORSix-year term. One of two members of the U.S. Senate from Texas. The Senate has the exclusive power to advise and consent on presidential nominations to executive and judicial offi ces, to ratify U.S. treaties, and to try impeachments. With the U.S. House, the Senate adopts budgets, levies taxes, borrows money, regulates interstate commerce, provides services, adopts regulations, and declares war. Current annual salary: $174,000

U.S. PRESIDENT The following candidates qualifi ed for the Texas ballot according to the Secretary of State and will appear on the Republican and Democratic ballots.

» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESBackground: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?Immigration: What are your recommendations to improve the immigration system?Health Care: What legislation would you support to address access to and cost of healthcare?

Gun Violence: What are your recommendations to curb gun violence in our country?Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing in the next session of Congress, and what are your positions on these issues?

» Virgil Bierschwale (R)

Background: I’ve been studying the eff ects of Free Trade Agreements and the tidal wave of non-immigrant guest work-ers since it fi rst happened to me in and I can show you why our homeless population is increasing and all of the holes in the employment/unemployment propaganda which will have

an impact on your business or organization.Immigration: In we had , legal immigrants. During that same year we issued ,, non-immigrant visas to take the jobs that your family needs to provide for themselves. We need legal immigrants who come to America and make America better for everybody, not just themselves. Illegal immigration is il-legal, and that is all that needs to be said about that.Health Care: I believe health care will resolve itself if we take the “Profi t” out of it and make it available to everybody

» REPUBLICAN PARTY

» Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente (R)

» Zoltan G. Istvan (R)

» Matthew John Matern (R)

» Bob Ely (R)

» Donald J. Trump (R)

» Joe Walsh (R)

» Bill Weld (R)

» DEMOCRATIC PARTY

» Michael Bennet (D)

» Joseph R. Biden (D)

» Michael R. Bloomberg (D)

» Cory Booker (D)

» Pete Buttigieg (D)

» Julián Castro (D)

» John K. Delaney (D)

» Tulsi Gabbard (D)

» Amy Klobuchar (D)

» Deval Patrick (D)

» Bernie Sanders (D)

» Tom Steyer (D)

» Elizabeth Warren (D)

» Robby Wells (D)

» Marianne Williamson (D)

» Andrew Yang (D)

Gun Violence: Hold people accountable for what they did Try them by a jury, and if found guilty, carry out the sentence.Other Issues: we need jobs for our citizens so that they can provide for their families. Th e top job groups if we compare against are nurses aides, food service, and truck driving. Can you build a better future for your family if those are the only jobs you can fi nd?

Education: years Military Technical Schools Licensed RealtorCampaign Website: http://bierschwaleforussenate.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Virgil-Bierschwale-for-US-Senate-/?modal=admin_todo_tourTwitter: twitter.com/VBierschwaleVideo: https://youtu.be/fXFdnbZPBDQ

For additional information on presidential candidates, go to VOTE411.org.

16 ©2020 League of Women Voters of Texas | lwvtexas.org VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDITION4 VOTERS GUIDE | 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION EDIT ION © 2020 League of Women Voters of Texas | lwvtexas.org

U.S. SENATOR (continued)

» John Anthony Castro (R)

Background: My current net worth is in the mid-$ million range. I am an OPM Fellow at Harvard Business School, and I earned two law degrees: a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation with Certifi cation in International Tax from Georgetown Uni-versity Law Center in Washington DC, and a Doctor of Juris-

prudence (J.D.) from UNM School of Law. I know what needs to be fi xed.Immigration: Our immigration system is critical to national strategy. Are we bringing in anyone so we have a suffi cient supply of low-cost labor with the risk that wages stay artifi cially low, or our we bringing in only the best to grow our economy with the risk that we share the limited economic pie with non- American-born immigrants? I choose a point-based merit system.Health Care: Tackling health care requires a multi-faceted approach. Th e short answer is an unlimited tax credit for student loan debt for MD degrees, a govern-ment-sponsored entity (GSE) health insurance company to keep private insurers accountable to the people, and mandatory use of generic brands aft er patent expi-ration of name brands. All of this will signifi cantly drive down costs.

» John Cornyn (R) No Response Received

» Mark Yancey (R)

Background: Mark Yancey, a longtime Dallas resident, is a veteran of the fi nancial services industry. He has helped build four successful investment management fi rms, which in turn, created hundreds of well-paying jobs. Th e four fi rms combined managed north of $ billion in assets for in-

stitutions and sovereign wealth funds. Mark is currently the CEO of Attacca International.Immigration: • Build the wall - all miles. • Stop the fl ow of illegal drugs and fi nd the cartels operating in the U.S. • Support our Border Patrol and ICE agents. • Immediately deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.Health Care: I would abolish the aff ordable Health Care Act - ALL OF IT. I support private pay healthcare. Th e insurance companies have been gouging the American public since the inception of ACA on March , . I would bring

» Dwayne Stovall (R)

Background: I’m a yr old native Texan, husband, father, business owner, w/ a deep historical knowledge of the offi ce of U.S. Senator. I’m in construction & the oilfi eld. I’ve traded con-struction equipment internationally since the s & have a solid grasp of monetary policy. I have fi rsthand experience of what

that policy does to US Citizens as well as to other countries’ economiesImmigration: Build the wall in every location possible, allow the border patrol to stop and turn around illegal aliens, make employers of illegal aliens come to the table for their part in this problem, and remove any and all access to tax payer funded programs (healthcare / education / welfare of any kind).Health Care: Th e Constitution of the United States off ers the federal govern-ment no authority whatsoever to manage the healthcare industry, or any other in-dustry for that matter. Th e only correct legislation would be to remove it from the issue altogether and allow the citizens of the individual States to manage this is-sue according to their will.

Gun Violence: Guns are not the problem. More than % of all school shooting can be traced back to anti-depressants. Do the research yourself. Th e solution is plain and simple: if you’re prescribed anti-depressants, you’re not permitted to be in the same home as someone who owns or possesses a fi rearm. Th is would have prevented % of school shootings in the past years.Other Issues: Expanding public education to cover Pre-K to Ph.D. Achiev-ing energy independence with the use of GSE manufacturers and construction companies to mass produce wind turbines, solar panels, and hydroelectric dams. A new Entrepreneur Tax Credit to fuel small business growth. Expansion and more strategic use of the R&D Tax Credit. Introduction of tax-free retirement post-.

Education: OPM, Harvard Business School LL.M., Georgetown University Law Center J.D., UNM School of Law B.A., Texas A&M Int’l UniversityCampaign Website: http://www.JohnCastro.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjohnanthonycastroTwitter: twitter.com/realJohnACastro

ALL health insurance providers before Congress and understand the disparity among high premiums and record insurance company profi ts.Gun Violence: Enforce current laws. Guns do not kill people. Mentally ill peo-ple kill people with guns. I will fi libuster any Bills Democrats introduce that Re-publicans perceived as a threat to Second Amendment rights, including expanded background checks.Other Issues: ). Fiscal responsibility and accountability. Congress’s spending behavior is out of control. ). Term-Limits. Two terms and you’re out.

Education: University of Oklahoma - Finance Harvard UniversityCampaign Website: http://voteformark.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/votemarkyanceyTwitter: twitter.com/votemarkyanceyVideo: http://www.facebook.com/votemarkyancey/videos//

Gun Violence: Th e Constitution of the United States off ers the federal govern-ment no authority whatsoever to be involved in the issue. As with healthcare, leave it to the citizens of the individual States to manage this issue according to their will. Th at is the only constitutional answer.Other Issues: Th e continued disregard for the constitutional limitations placed on the federal government, and the perpetual centralization of power in the hands of a few. We must - MUST - elect people who understand the authority of-fered them in Article III to divest power away from the federal back to the States. I understand that authority.

Education: Attended Kilgore Jr. College and SWTSUCampaign Website: http://www.DwayneStovall.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/texansforstovall.comTwitter: twitter.com/DwayneStovallVideo: https://youtu.be/fnfaFGzu-Dk



» Chris Bell (D)

Background: Th e only candidate in this race with experience in Congress and running statewide - Served years on Hous-ton City Council (–), chairing the Ethics Committee and Customer Service and Initiatives. - Served as US Congress-man (TX-) as a member of the Whip Team. - Earned the

Democratic Nomination for Governor, coming the closest any Dem since Gov. Ann RichardsImmigration: - Pass the DREAM Act and create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and DREAMers. - End family separation and bor-der detention facilities - Decriminalized unauthorized border crossings and mi-gration. - Reform CBP and ICE in order to best protect our borders while treating immigrants with dignity and integrity.Health Care: - Create an automatic enrollment public option, otherwise known as access to Medicare for All. - Lower prescription drug prices by mak-ing generic drugs more accessible and mandating the government to negotiate di-rectly with pharmaceutical manufacturers. - Protect access to women’s health providers. Texas is the number one state in maternal mortality. Th is must end.

Gun Violence: - I support universal background checks and red fl ag laws that % of Americans fully support. - I would close the Charleston and Gun Show Loopholes. - Would take a step further and support a ban on assault weapons and a mandatory buyback program that would allow citizens to give up their weapons of war, otherwise under civil penalties.Other Issues: - Reforming the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We must make a more equitable tax system that requires the ultra-rich to pay their fair share. - Establish a $ minimum wage indexed to infl ation. - Rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and enact measures to fi ght Climate Change. - Invest in Education and make college debt dischargeable.

Education: B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from South Texas College of LawCampaign Website: http://electchrisbell.com/Facebook: https://facebook.com/ChrisBellForSenate/Twitter: twitter.com/BellForSenateVideo: https://youtu.be/QEztdORg

» Michael Cooper (D) No Response Received

» Jack Daniel Foster, Jr. (D)

Background: Article , Section , Clause ; States you must be years of age and a nine year resident of the state you live. Th ere is no real experience that prepares a person to be an elected offi cial at any level, but I have waited all my life for our “experienced politicians” to come up with big ideas for us all

and they have failed us. So, I ask, “What has experience did for us?Immigration: While a person awaits their asylum claim, a property- homeowners should be able to invest in immigrants, within Texas Counties, for skilled voca-tional trades- welding, plumbing, wind turbine technology, water technology, so-lar panel technology, etc. Whether asylum is granted or not, an immigrant will have the ability to take care of themselves. My economic model bears this.Health Care: I support ACA Medicaid expansion, but I have other big ideas about access and cost. Th e most expensive aspect of healthcare is hospitalization; we address this by allowing counties to team up and negotiate in their regions, these are their neighbors, not Washington. I also want to use the IRS codes for exclusionary income, so people can obtain insurance for the uninsured.

» Amanda K. Edwards (D)

Background: For the last four years I have represented . million Texans as a Houston City Council Member, where I spearheaded eff orts on Hurricane Harvey recovery and tech-nology & innovation, and oversaw a multi-billion dollar budget. Prior to public service I practiced as a municipal fi nance lawyer,

and was involved in numerous non-profi t activities. My focus is achieving results.Immigration: Comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue. We can have a secure border, treat people with dignity and respect, keep families together and reduce the years-long backlog of those waiting to lawfully enter. Enforcement should focus on serious criminal activity like drug and human traffi cking, and the US should work to stabilize nations that are sources of immigration.Health Care: Health care is a life or death issue for many. We should strengthen the ACA to cover more people. Th e federal government should off er an aff ordable public option and lower costs of premiums & prescription drugs. Texas should expand Medicaid, which would cover more than million uninsured residents. Th ose who are satisfi ed with their current coverage should keep it

Gun Violence: I do not want to encroach on anyone’s Second Amendment rights, I know it’s not right for criminals to be armed better than law enforce-ment, therefore I would press hard for manufactures to begin putting fi nger-print technology on all weapons. We also need federal legislation for back-ground checks on all purchases, assembled weapons bought on-line as well, “air tight” laws.Other Issues: Th e three pillars of our society are education, healthcare, and re-tirement; nothing will ever be more pressing than these issues in any session of Congress. My economic model addresses these issues through incentives, allow-ing property-homeowners to invest in people, who live in their county, for skilled vocational trades. Creating personal security is paramount for all.

Education: B.S. Clinical Laboratory Science, ASCP Master’s Degree in Finance State Certifi ed Teacher- Secondary Ed. Economics, Biology Certifi ed Retirement CounselorCampaign Website: http://www.votejackdaniel.comTwitter: twitter.com/JackDanielFost

Gun Violence: Universal background checks and nationwide “red fl ag” laws are crucial fi rst steps. Limiting the availability of high capacity weapons and and am-munition also should be considered. While mass shootings receive a great deal of attention, most gun deaths occur in less high profi le ways, and a majority are sui-cides. A comprehensive approach must proceed with that in mind.Other Issues: Growing income and wealth inequality are huge concerns. With Texas being number for rural hospital closures and number for uninsured Americans, we much ensure that sustainable wage jobs with benefi ts are available in urban centers, suburbs and rural communities across America. We must also make available portable job training credits for those in manufacturing.

Education: B.A. Emory University, J.D. Harvard University, Campaign Website: http://www.amandafortexas.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandafortexas/Twitter: twitter.com/amandafortexasVideo: https://youtu.be/PNSyBwpPM



» Annie ‘Mama’ Garcia (D)

Background: I’m not a politician. I have built small busi-nesses and a non-profi t, all profi table. Our family relies on all our paychecks to live. I speak languages & have lived in other countries. I am a ‘fed-up mama’ with small kiddos. I’m running because we are running out of time. I have the

moral clarity, political courage & work ethic to do what no politician will.Immigration: Th is is personal. My husband is a naturalized citizen, we have Cuban family & I practice immigration law. Politicians lack the courage to fi x it & now we separate families & kids die in our care. Th e irony is that our success is a direct product of our diversity. We must rebuild the system so we honor our values & benefi t our economy. More @ www.runannierun.com.Health Care: My daughter nearly died from a heart defect. We didn’t have in-surance. She lived thanks to $,, in treatment. Here, we would be bankrupt, but she was born in Spain, where healthcare is a right. Americans deserve the same. Here it costs xs as much, doesn’t cover ¼ of Americans & up to , pa-tients die annually from medical error. Read more @ www.runannierun.com.

Gun Violence: More Americans die every WEEK from guns than most coun-tries experience in a YEAR. Th is Is Not Normal. It’s a trade-off between the GOP & NRA- GOP power for gunmaker profi ts, paid for yearly in the blood of ,. We must do it all & more. Gunowners must carry gun liability insurance, like we do for cars. Let insurance companies access risk. More @ www.runannierun.com.Other Issues: Th ere are so many existential threats that have been made worse by this administration, I can’t pick one. Poverty. Crappy healthcare. Domestic terrorism. Climate change. Security. Voter suppression. What I know is that we can overcome all of this, if we have the moral clarity, political courage & work ethic. Email me at [email protected].

Education: Rice University (Houston) University of Texas School of Law (Aus-tin) Humboldt Universität (Berlin, Germany) Estudio Sampere (Cuenca, Ecua-dor) Escuela de Español Santa Barbara (Madrid, Spain)Campaign Website: http://www.runannierun.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RunAnnieRunTwitter: twitter.com/RunAnnieRunVideo: https://youtu.be/ZnctebfrLzM

» Sema Hernandez (D)

Background: I’ve been a community advocate & organizer for over years. I’m a fenceline community resident in a sacrifi ce zone, exposed daily to the hazards and risks posed by the fos-sil fuel industries. I am a co-founder of the Texas Poor People’s Campaign & co-founder of an environmental justice coalition

working with local & statewide organizations to enforce regulations.Immigration: I will introduce and/or co-sponsor legislation that will provide permanent resident status to all DACA & TPS registrants, as well as for their family members & extend permanent resident status to persons who were denied DACA status due to registration deadlines. I will introduce legislation to abolish ICE and restore immigration enforcement to the Department of Justice.Health Care: I support Medicare For All, US Senate Bill S.. Th is is the di-rect way to provide full healthcare benefi ts for everyone and raising the standard of healthcare. Th e bill provides everyone with the same coverage, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, race, religion, and other demographic status, while eliminating premiums, copays, deductibles, and the Donut Hole.

» Mary “MJ” Hegar (D)

Background: I’m a combat veteran and working mom who un-derstands the challenges facing Texas families and has never backed down from standing up for what’s right. I served tours in Afghanistan as a medevac pilot, receiving the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, and built a bi-

partisan coalition to open hundreds of thousands of jobs to women in the military.Immigration: We need to permanently end child separation, ensure asylum claims are properly processed, secure the border with eff ective procedures and technologies instead of robbing our military and seizing land from Texans to waste billions on an ineff ective wall, and build a path to citizenship for undocu-mented residents that refl ects our core values as Americans.Health Care: Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation, and that’s un-acceptable. We must protect the progress made by the Aff ordable Care Act while making much-needed improvements, including a public option to make Medi-care available for all who want it. We should also lower the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.

» Victor Hugo Harris (D) No Response Received

Gun Violence: I will use the Commerce Clause to regulate gun sales and man-ufacturing, introduce and/or support legislation which will require manda-tory universal background checks, close gun-show loopholes, outlaw the sale of assault weapons, end the manufacturing of ammunition for assault weap-ons, and protect the rights of gun owners, while off ering voluntary buy-backs of weapons.Other Issues: Voting Rights: I will introduce legislation to create uniform re-quirements for voting, in order to ensure equal protection of voting rights under the laws. Indigenous Rights: Honor all treaties and tribal sovereignty. Criminal Justice Reform: I will vote to repeal the Crime Act and de-fund states which maintain sentencing mandates that were enacted in response to it.

Education: Acute Medical Training and Certifi cate Program Dual Licensed In-surance AgentCampaign Website: http://www.semafortexas.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SemaForTexasTwitter: twitter.com/_SemaHernandez_

Gun Violence: We must pass common-sense gun safety legislation to require background checks on every single gun sale, stop the sale of assault weapons, pass red fl ag laws and close the “boyfriend loophole” to block access to fi rearms for domestic abusers, and strengthen laws preventing gun traffi cking. I am also calling for state and local offi cials to end open carry.Other Issues: I believe climate change is the greatest threat to my children’s fu-ture, and will advocate for aggressive action and investment in new clean energy production, infrastructure and manufacturing to address the climate crisis. I will also make it a priority to protect reproductive rights and pass comprehensive campaign fi nance, voting rights and ethics reforms.

Education: B.A., University of Texas at Austin, ; AFROTC Detachment ; E.M.B.A., University of Texas at Austin, Campaign Website: http://www.mjfortexas.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MJforTexas/Twitter: twitter.com/mjhegarVideo: https://youtu.be/bIYHzfPAgo



» D. R. Hunter (D) No Response Received

» Royce West (D)

Background: I have been a practicing attorney for more than years and I’ve owned my own practice for years. I know what it takes to own and operate a business. I have also served in the Texas Senate since which gives me an unmatched depth of knowledge about the legislative process.

Immigration: First, we have to dramatically increase the number of judges available to hear asylum cases. Second, we need to pass DACA and get the Dreamers back on solid ground. Th ird, we need comprehensive immigration re-form to simplify the process and give everyone here without citizenship a path to it if they want it.Health Care: I would support strengthening the ACA with a public option. I do not believe nationalizing insurance is the best path forward. We need compe-tition on standard products so that people can decide for themselves. I am look-

» Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez (D)

Background: I have spent over a decade leading some of Texas’ most important labor and voting rights organizations. I have helped change laws at the local and state level for work-ers and have traveled across the state registering and mobilizing young voters in our state, empowering them to tackle the prob-

lems that we face. I will continue to advocate for everyday Texans in the Senate.Immigration: I support extending citizenship to DREAMers, but I also believe that we need to legalize the status of the millions of hardworking immigrants that have been part of our communities for years. We need an immigration sys-tem that allows future generations to come here safely and legally, that fi lls our la-bor needs, and that empowers all immigrants to live their full lives.Health Care: I want to ensure that Texas families are healthy. I support Medi-care for All because it is the most effi cient and cost eff ective way to make sure ev-ery American has quality healthcare, and it will allow small businesses and entre-preneurs to accelerate their growth instead of trying to worry about how to cover the cost of healthcare for themselves and their employees.

» Adrian Ocegueda (D)

Background: My professional background is both in lo-cal government and in private equity. Th e issues that we face today are exceedingly complex and an honest assessment of these issues suggests that collaboration beyond one person will be required. My candidacy places a premium on the ap-

proach to policy development rather than simply advocating for one position over another.Immigration: A limited view of improving our immigration system would simply be to improve our system for processing requests for asylum. However long-term concerns should also be addressed, this requires an evaluation of our foreign policy, from support for emerging economies, to supporting inter-national agencies eradicating corruption or addressing regional climate change impacts.Health Care: I believe there is an opportunity to build bi-partisan support for initiatives to reduce costs, as many in both the public and private sector have come to the realization that we are at a tipping point on healthcare costs. Ex-

ing at a number of ways of removing politics from this to stop future Administra-tions from gutting the ACA.Gun Violence: I am for restoring the ban on assault rifl es and instituting a ban on magazines that hold more than rounds. I support a national background check system that closes all loopholes, even individual sales.Other Issues: I believe criminal justice reform, a woman’s right to choose, equal pay for women, student debt relief, and employment non-discrimination will be key issues in the next session. I favor a multitude of criminal justice re-forms, favor a woman’s right to choose, support equal pay for women, support a comprehensive student debt relief program, and will vote to pass ENDA.

Education: University of Texas at Arlington, BA, MA University of Houston, JDCampaign Website: http://roycewest.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyceWestTX/Twitter: twitter.com/roycewesttx

Gun Violence: Every hours, we lose a Texan to gun violence. I have en-dorsed the March for Our Lives Peace Plan and I will advocate for gun legisla-tion that the majority of Americans support, including universal background checks, banning and buying back assault weapons like AR-s and AK-s, and holding the gun lobby accountable for the harm they have done to our communities.Other Issues: Climate Change: I support the Green New Deal because it will create millions of new jobs, and will support oil and gas workers as we transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources. Education: I support funding our ed-ucation system from kindergarten through college, and investing in our greatest asset: our people. Th is means universal Pre-K and free public college.

Education: BA in Liberal Arts & Latin American Studies, Th e University of Texas at AustinCampaign Website: http://cristinafortexas.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TzintzunCris/Twitter: twitter.com/cristinafortx

panding coverage, through some form of public sponsored insurance may help promote cost changes more swift ly, but the impacts will vary.Gun Violence: Most of the discussion related to this issue has been to impose some restriction or added regulation to reduce access to & the number of weap-ons. I believe we can also adopt a public-health approach that seeks ways to de-couple the availability of arms from circumstances where the use of fi rearms leads to lethal violence, such as safety modifi cations & data-driven alerts.Other Issues: Two additional issues that will face our nation in future legisla-tive cycles is the inequality of our economy and climate change. Both of these is-sues are highly complex, interrelated, and face trend & structural headwinds that that will require a collaborative and constructive political environment, that de-presses mis-information and places a premium on facts.

Education: Princeton University, BA- Political Economy Southern Methodist University, Masters in Business AdministrationCampaign Website: http://www.texasreason.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexasReason/Twitter: twitter.com/TXReason


» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESBackground: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?Pipelines: What are your recommendations relating to regulation of pipelines?

Natural Resources: How do you plan to balance oil, gas, and mining interests with protection of natural resources?Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing for the Railroad Commission?

» Ryan Sitton (R) No Response Received

» James ‘Jim’ Wright (R)

Background: I own fi ve businesses and am associated with other businesses that deal with environmental and transport issues in a wide range of industries, including the oil and gas business. I have been involved in these businesses since . I am also a rancher.

Pipelines: — Increased automated leak detection systems. — More pipelines de-veloped as part of our state’s infrastructure to deliver our natural resources in a safer and more economically feasible method.. .Natural Resources: Implementation of better rules and the way that waste byproducts are handled currently are crucial to balancing the public interests and the economic needs of our citizens. Th e Railroad Commission needs to be

more involved in using the volume of resources that are available under today’s technology.Other Issues: — Implement and use proven technology for better communi-cation with citizens and members of the oil and gas industry. — Stronger self- policing actions and reporting by Natural Resource producers. — Life cycle analysis and development to ensure that future generations are reliant on best en-vironmental management practices by the Industry.

Education: Calallen High School in Corpus ChristiCampaign Website: http://www.wrightfortexas.comFacebook: https://imwrightfortexasTwitter: twitter.com/JimWrightTexas

RAILROAD COMMISSIONER

Six-year term. The railroad commissioner is one of the three-member Texas Railroad Commission. The commission has no regulatory authority concerning railroads. Instead, it regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefi ed petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining. Current salary: $137,500» What does the railroad commissioner do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5uZASQUUOs&feature=youtu.be

» Roberto R. “Beto” Alonzo (D)

Background: As a former State Representative, I know the law, legislative and the budget process which funds the RRC and other state agencies. As an experienced litiga-tor, I can rule on appeals regarding oil and gas, pipeline, util-ity and environmental issues before the RRC an. Originally

from Crystal City, I know the oil and gas issues impacting both rural and urban communities.Pipelines: Th e Legislature should enact laws to ensure that regulation of pipe-lines is meaningful. An application for a permit should require comprehensive information regarding routes , economic, environmental and historical impact, and not based on a simple form. Th e exercise of Eminent Domain should be fair to all . Monitor compliance with rules and regulations by industry.

» Chrysta Castaneda (D)

Background: I am an engineer, oil and gas attorney, com-munity organizer and mom, with over years of experience working in and around the oil and gas industry. I know both the law and the business of oil and gas and will work tirelessly to get the Railroad Commission back on track in enforcing our

environmental protections and safety regulations.Pipelines: Th e Commission oversees pipeline safety for intrastate pipelines and we need to update those regulations to meet today’s standards. Laying new pipe-lines creates challenges beyond the Commission’s powers, and addressing those challenges will require the Legislature to act. I’ll use my expertise to press for a framework that includes transparency and public input.Natural Resources: We must enforce existing laws prohibiting fl aring, the harmful practice of burning natural gas. It wastes our natural resources, takes

Natural Resources: Review and update provisions to allow development, re-duction of waste while protecting the environment. Ensure that the public has notice of development and impactful changes in their area and opportunity to submit input on the proposals. Study cost eff ective methods to reduce fl aring in order to reduce waste and increase access to pipelines.Other Issues: Monitor the relationship between drilling and seismicity and support innovation in drilling processes including the use of water in fracking. Encourage the use of alternative fuels. Review agency processes for award of con-tracts, compliance with HUB and diversity in hiring at all levels. Monitor prac-tices in the fi eld to increase worker safety.

Education: University of Texas at Austin Th urgood Marshall School of LawCampaign Website: http://alonzotxrrcommissioner.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/alonzo_for

revenues away from our state and causes environmental and health concerns. I will use my expertise to deploy alternative technologies that will reduce the amount of fl aring, convert it to usable electricity and clean up our air.Other Issues: We need to reduce harmful methane emissions. Methane escapes through leakage, aging equipment, and intentional venting, which is against the law. I will improve the detection and enforcement programs. We can use drones equipped with infrared cameras to detect leaks. Education can improve preven-tion and we will need to better enforce existing laws.

Education: SMU Dedman School of Law, J.D. cum laude, Kansas State Univer-sity, B.S. Industrial Engineering, Harvard College, Applied Math major, –Campaign Website: http://chrystafortexas.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrystaForTexas/Twitter: twitter.com/ChrystaForTexasVideo: https://youtu.be/ikCIa_vGew


RAILROAD COMMISSIONER (continued)

» Kelly Stone (D)

Background: As an educator, I’ve implemented harm re-duction strategies to improve health, taught capstone college courses regarding policies, laws, & regs aff ecting individuals & families at local, state, & fed levels. As an environmental activ-ist, I’ve worked to clean up litter & pollution, encourage waste

consciousness, change consumer behavior, & advocated for environmental policy.Pipelines: Kinder Morgan & Whitewater Midstream & all pipeline companies must conduct environmental impact studies fi rst. Construction & Operation of these pipelines could impact health at Jacob’s Well, Cypress Creek, Blanco River, Barton Springs, San Marcos River and Pecos, Dimmit, Kenedy, Maverick, La Salle, Duval, Jim Wells, Nueces, Gillespie, Blanco, Hays & Caldwell counties.Natural Resources: Balancing interests vs. protections? Th e RRC’s protection of oil & gas interests have far outweighed that of our natural resources. In order to fi nd balance, I’d increase protections of natural resources by denying permits

» Mark Watson (D)

Background: I have directly participated in drilling oil and gas wells in Texas. I have worked for Exxon, J. Ray McDermott, and the EPA. In the last twenty years I have watched the grow-ing infl uence of the energy industry on the RRC. Texas has a proud history of protecting her natural resources. I will pro-

mote smart energy production to help hardworking men and women of Texas.Pipelines: Safety fi rst. Pipelines account for % of oil transport in the US. I will ensure that companies regularly inspect and maintain pipelines to prevent environmental hazards. Care must be taken to protect property owners from abusive use of eminent domain. Pipelines are absolutely essential to the Texas Oil Economy. Adopt newest pipeline technology and materials.

» VOTING FOR JUDGES IN TEXASAlthough in some states judges are appointed, most judges in Texas are elected.

Judges make decisions about fundamental issues that aff ect all of us—family life, education, health care, housing, employment, fi nances, discrimination, civil rights, public safety, and government actions. It is critical that our judges make fair decisions based upon open-minded and un biased consideration of the facts and the law in each case. Judges must know the law and not be infl uenced by any external political and economic factors.

What should voters look for when electing judges?

According to the American Bar Association, principles to consider in selection of judges include:

• Judges should uphold the rule of law.• Judges should be independent and impartial.• Judges should possess the appropriate temperament and character.• Judges should possess the appropriate capabilities and credentials.• Judges and the judiciary should have the confi dence of the public.• Th e judicial system should be diverse and refl ective of the society it serves.

for fl aring & committing to the initiatives of the GND, transitioning to healthy outcomes & full employment as we eliminate crude oil export by .Other Issues: We must change the name of the Railroad Commission. Com-prised of -statewide elected offi cials, the RRC has nothing to do with railroads & everything to do with oil, gas, & pipelines. Until it becomes more transparent to voters, the intentionally confusing name continues to allow the tyranny of Big Oil, regulating itself w/o regard for the climate crisis or our environment

Education: HS Diploma—Aldine Senior High School (th in class); BS in Fam-ily and Consumer Sciences—Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University) GPA=.; MA in Health Education/Health Promotion—Th e University of Texas at Austin GPA=.Campaign Website: http://votekstone.comFacebook: https://Facebook.com/votekstoneTwitter: twitter.com/teamkstoneVideo: https://youtu.be/IVoxmbA

Natural Resources: Protecting Texas energy resources and the environment is a primary objective of the RRC. Th e intelligent and safe production of energy re-sources overlaps with best practices in the oil patch. I will err on protecting the environment and the health of Texas energy resources. Th e RRC will ensure that smart energy practices take priority in the Texas Oil and Gas Industry.Other Issues: We need smart energy practices. Flaring is the practice of burn-ing unused gas from oil wells causing air pollution in beautiful West Texas skies and elsewhere. Coal mining reclamation decisions by RRC allow mining compa-nies to leave behind toxic material, destroying value and causing dangerous con-tamination. Today’s RRC favors big business over hardworking Texans.

Education: JD, Tulane University BA, Tulane UniversityCampaign Website: http://Watsonforrailroadcommission.com

• Judges should be constrained to perform their duties in a manner that justifi es public faith and confi dence in the court.

Unlike candidates for most political offi ces, judicial candidates cannot make promises about decisions they would make when certain issues or types of cases come up in their court. Questions posed to judges, therefore, focus on improve-ments they would make to their court, the need for impartiality and how they would increase access to justice.

How is the Texas court system organized?

Th e Texas court system is made up of a statewide network of trial courts and ap-pellate courts. In trial courts, judges and/or juries evaluate the facts and the law and make a decision in a civil or criminal legal dispute. When decisions in most trial courts are appealed, they are sent to an appellate court where judges con-sider what happened at the trial court, evaluate legal arguments, and then decide if a mistake was made. See https://www.txcourts.gov/media//court-structure-chart-october-.pdf for a chart of the Texas court structure.

Learn more https://www.txcourts.gov/about-texas-courts/.


» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESBackground: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?Judicial Selection: Texas is one of a few states that elects judges. What changes in the judicial selection process would you recommend, if any?Standards: What changes, if any, are needed to provide better protection to the public regarding rules and standards for the legal profession?

Responsibility: Which responsibility of a Texas Supreme Court justice is your highest priority and how do you intend to accomplish it?Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing for the Supreme Court?

» Nathan Hecht (R) Unopposed

CHIEF JUSTICE, TEXAS SUPREME

COURT

Six-year term. A member of the court that hears only civil cases. The Supreme Court issues fi nal decisions on civil and juvenile appeals, issues writs of mandamus/habeas corpus, and has jurisdiction over orders or judgments of trial courts if the Supreme Court determines them important to the jurisprudence of the state. Cur-rent salary: $171,000» What does the Texas Supreme Court do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuRlMQt57Xo&feature=youtu.be

» Amy Clark Meachum (D)

Background: For almost a decade, I have presided over thousands of proceedings and trials in the types of cases for which the Texas Supreme Court has jurisdiction: civil, fam-ily and administrative appeals. I am a guest lecturer with the Texas Center for Legal Ethics, a member of the Administrative

Law Council, and before taking the bench, practiced at two of the best fi rms in Texas.Judicial Selection: Th e State should help voters by sending an informa-tion packet to each voter and providing that information at polling locations. Th e packet should contain background information, qualifi cations, and a state-ment of judicial philosophy for each candidate. Th at information would as-sist voters to make an informed selection and would reduce campaign costs for candidates.Standards: Texas should increase public membership and participation on the Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda, which reviews and recom-mends proposed changes in Texas lawyer-ethics rules. Currently, under the Texas

Government Code, just of are public members. Also, persons who fi le griev-ances against lawyers should be allowed to participate throughout the process.Responsibility: Th e Code of Judicial Conduct requires a judge to perform du-ties “impartially and diligently” and to be “faithful to the law.” We need to restore a balanced judiciary on the Texas Supreme Court. I am committed to deciding all cases fairly and impartially, rather than on a result-oriented, partisan basis that favors special interests. Texans—and the law—deserve no less.Other Issues: Th e ethics rules governing Texas lawyers are years out of date. Th at’s because the rule-making process overseen by the Texas Supreme Court has failed repeatedly. Texas last adopted major rule changes in . By contrast, the American Bar Association has amended the Model Rules of Professional Conduct almost times since then. Th e Court must do a better job.

Education: University of Texas School of Law, J.D. with honors (), Texas Law Review. Southern Methodist University, magna cum laude () B.A. Jour-nalism, B.A. Political Science. Lorena High School ().Campaign Website: http://amymeachum.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/JudgeAmyforChiefJustice/

» Jerry Zimmerer (D)

Background: I have a broad legal and business background. BA-Houston Baptist University, JD-South Texas College of Law Houston, LLM. International Law-UofH, LLM. Health Law-UofH. Ethics Internship-MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ad-visory Board - UofH Health Law & Policy Institute, Law fi rm

with broad litigation experience. What others are saying http://tinyurl.com/wJerryZimmererYouTubeJudicial Selection: Texans want balance on the courts. Our founding fathers did not trust lawyers, judges or politicians. Th e only way to keep judges respon-sive is to make them accountable to the voters. Today, as Democrats start win-ning elections, Republicans are seeking to change the selection process to keep themselves in offi ce. I believe Texans see this for what it is.Standards: Th e Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct are con-stantly undergoing changes, including some amendments earlier this year. Th e intent is to increase protections for the public. As Chief Justice, I will support

eff orts to protect the public from unscrupulous acts by members of the legal profession.Responsibility: Th e highest responsibility of the Supreme Court is to en-sure fairness and balance in the interpretation and application of law. For far too many years, only Republicans, most appointed by Governor Abbot or Perry, sit on the Texas Supreme Court as this guardian. I will help bring balance to the Texas Supreme Court.Other Issues: I believe gerrymandering and public education may come before the Texas Supreme Court.

Education: BA – Houston Baptist University JD – South Texas College of Law Houston LL.M. International Law – UofH LL.M. Health Law – UofH Ethics In-ternship: MD Anderson Advisory Board: UofH Health Law & Policy Institute Led law fi rm with real litigation exp.Campaign Website: http://www.JerryForJustice.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JerryForJusticeTwitter: twitter.com/JerryForJustice


» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESBackground: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?Judicial Selection: Texas is one of a few states that elects judges. What changes in the judicial selection process would you recommend, if any?Standards: What changes, if any, are needed to provide better protection to the public regarding rules and standards for the legal profession?

Responsibility: Which responsibility of a Texas Supreme Court justice is your highest priority and how do you intend to accomplish it?Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing for the Supreme Court?

» JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT, PLACE 6

» Jane Bland (R) Unopposed

» Kathy Cheng (D)

Background: For over nineteen years, I represented clients in complex commercial litigation matters, contested divorce and probate cases, tax matters and real estate cases, which are some of the potential types of cases that the Texas Supreme Court hears. I also served as adjudication offi cer for the City of Hous-

ton for the past six years.Judicial Selection: Th e beauty of democracy is that citizens can vote for indi-viduals who they believe refl ect their values, which in the State of Texas includes the election of judges. If that choice turns out to be a bad choice, being able to vote elected offi cials out of offi ce is a mechanism to hold said offi cials account-able. As such, I see no need for change at the present time.Standards: As time evolves, the means of disseminating the rules and stan-dards for the legal profession shall also evolve. With the ease of digital accessibil-ity, there should be more educational information available to the general public by digital means of the rules and standards governing said profession so that the general population are better informed as to their rights.

Responsibility: Being an effi cient, fair justice who upholds the law and edu-cate our citizens of the signifi cance of the judicial system are my top priorities. By understanding and practicing the true meaning of the phrase, “justice for all” so justice is truly aff orded to all regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, faith, age, sex-ual orientation, etc., I am achieving chose priorities.Other Issues: With the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to refrain from hearing challenges of partisan gerrymandering, partisan gerrymandering cases will now go before the Texas Supreme Court, which is an example of how this Court impacts its citizens even though the citizens themselves may never go be-fore this Court.

Education: Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law Houston (); Bachelor of Science-Biology from Louisiana State University-Shreveport ()Campaign Website: http://www.chengforjustice.comFacebook: https://chengforjusticeTwitter: twitter.com/chengforjustice

JUSTICE, TEXAS SUPREME COURT

Six-year term. A member of the court that hears only civil cases. The Supreme Court issues fi nal decisions on civil and juvenile appeals, issues writs of manda-mus/habeas corpus, and has jurisdiction over orders or judgments of trial courts if the Supreme Court determines them important to the jurisprudence of the state. Current salary: $171,000» What does the Texas Supreme Court do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuRlMQt57Xo&feature=youtu.be

» Larry Praeger (D)

Background: I have been practicing law for more than years. I have extensive trial experience and have ar-gued before every civil court in the state. I am A-V rated by Martindale- Hubbell and Board Certifi ed in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. I represented individu-

als and small business. I have served fi ve years on the grievance committee of the State Bar.Judicial Selection: In the small counties, the current system works well with the voluntary restrictions on campaigns. In the larger counties, where much more money is needed, the current system does not work well. I would recom-mend that the state publish a listing of all the statewide judicial candidates, their background, and experience, and send it to each registered voter.Standards: My experience tells me that there should be additional investigative and legal staff to serve the committee. Th is would shorten the time between when a citizen fi les a complaint against an attorney and the time that it is adjudicated. I

would recommend that the state commission on judicial conduct remove the cat-egory of “private reprimand.”Responsibility: All of the duties of the Supreme Court Justice are important. Th e overriding duty of the Supreme Court Justice, however, is to see that an indi-vidual trial has been conducted fairly in accordance with the rules and constitu-tional protections. A Supreme Court Justice is the ultimate guardian of the trial process, and the protector of an individual’s liberties.Other Issues: Th e Supreme Court also has the duty to establish and amend rules governing trial procedure in the trial in appellate courts and the rules of ev-idence. I would use my experience and familiarity with the trial courts to empha-size pre-trial practice and request that trial judges rule on admissibility of exhib-its prior to a jury being empaneled.

Education: Simon’s Rock College, BA South Texas College of Law Houston, J.D., May Campaign Website: http://www.larrysc.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larrysc/


JUSTICE, TEXAS SUPREME COURT (continued)


» Jeff Boyd (R) Unopposed

» Gisela D. Triana (D)

Background: For over years, I have served as a judge in Texas. I worked my way up from Municipal Court to Justice of the Peace, to County Court, to District Court, and most re-cently, to the Appellate Court. If elected, I will be the only per-son on the TX Supreme Court who has served at every level of

the judiciary. Most of my -year legal career has been devoted to public serviceJudicial Selection: A legitimate discussion, if there was a nonpartisan way to select judges that Texans could trust. Th e problem is the timing: aft er the party that has been in power for decades (and the benefi ciary of partisan elections of judges) begins to lose that power, it makes the concern seem self-interested. Tex-ans have clearly shown a preference for electing judges, I support that.Standards: I believe the legal profession should emulate the medical profes-sion and prohibit lawyers from becoming romantically involved with their clients while their case is active. Th ere is great risk for confl ict of interests and the par-ties are not in equal positions.


» Brett Busby (R) Unopposed

» Staci Williams (D)

Background: I am in my second term as a trial court Judge in the st District Court. I have served as an arbitrator for DART, USPS, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, NASD/FINRA, and the Washington Metropolitan Airport Board. My experience includes in-house corporate counsel po-

sitions in multiple industries, as well as a trial attorney and administrative judge for the EEOC.Judicial Selection: Ideally, I would like to see the money come out of judicial races and have the State send out materials to registered voters detailing the expe-rience and qualifi cations of candidates for judicial positions.Standards: Before proposing any changes it is important that we fi rst identify

» Brandy Voss (D)

Background: I have practiced appellate law for seventeen years. I have been board certifi ed in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for ten years. I spent fi ve years working as a staff attorney at the Texas Supreme Court and at the Th irteenth Court of Appeals. I estimate that I have

participated in nearly , appellate proceedings during my career.Judicial Selection: I believe there is no perfect system for selecting judges. I support a thorough exploration of various methods and the benefi ts and draw-backs of each before any change to the judicial selection process is made. I do trust our voting public to make the correct choice if that remains as the Texas method for selecting judges.Standards: Juries are the voice of our communities in the courtroom, and the Constitutional right to a jury trial is the public’s last defense against governmen-tal oppression. While I believe the ethical rules prohibit me from speaking pub-licly about specifi c proposed rule changes, I believe any rule changes must be geared toward protecting the right to a jury trial.

Responsibility: Being just and fair. Opinions should be based on the Rule of Law, not on personal or political bias. Texans deserve a level playing fi eld, to be treated equally and to have their constitutional rights protected regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability or economic status. I have striven to do this for year and will continue.Other Issues: Restoring balance to the Court. Currently, all members are Re-publican. of the , were initially political appointments by a Republican Gover-nor. Our founders were wise to create a jury system that brought people from dif-ferent walks of life, with diff erent experiences to judge a case. We need diversity of thought on the Court, as well. It makes for better jurisprudence.

Education: University of Texas School of Law, J.D., ; University of Texas at San Antonio, B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, Campaign Website: http://JudgeTriana.comFacebook: https://JudgeTriana.comTwitter: twitter.com/JusticeTriana

» Peter Kelly (D) No Response Received

what the perceived problems are, whether existing rules and standards will ad-dress the issue and, if they don’t, formulate rules that are narrowly tailored to ad-dress the issues.Responsibility: To impartially apply the law to cases that come before the Court, in a way that delivers real justice.Other Issues: Th ere are a number of them, but I do not wish to violate the Canon of Judicial Ethics by taking a position on any particular issue.

Education: Th e Hockaday School; Smith College, BA; Georgetown University Law Center, JDCampaign Website: http://judgestaci.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudgeStaci/

Responsibility: In today’s toxic political environment, public confi dence in all our civic institutions is falling. I will prioritize strengthening judicial indepen-dence-courts should be free from political attacks and intimidation. Also, our state’s highest court needs more debate, more diversity, and more dissent before overturning the decisions of juries performing their civic duty.Other Issues: Th e need to fund legal services to ensure our courts are accessi-ble to all, especially the most vulnerable, has been advocated by both parties’ ju-rists and political leaders. Th is call to action requires a greater sense of urgency, or our courts risk being even further removed from the most vulnerable and un-dermining trust in the principle of justice of justice for all.

Education: Baylor University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, ; Texas A&M University, B.A., Anthropology Campaign Website: http://www.brandyvoss.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrandyVossforTexas/Twitter: twitter.com/brandy_voss


» JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS, PLACE 3

» Gina Parker (R)

Background: Over years handling felony, misdemeanor, & juvenile cases. Private practice since . Also, served as City Attorney, Assistant CA, Assistant DA. As TDLR Commissioner & Chair, a quasi-judicial capacity, ruled on over a admin-istrative appeals.

Mental Health: Th e Judicial Committee on Mental Health assesses the re-sources available; recommends ways to improve communication between the courts, attorneys, clients, and mental health providers; provides training to judges; and continues to make recommendations for improvement of the current system. Unquestionably, these eff orts should continue.Access to Justice: Th e rule of law is undermined when defendants cannot af-ford counsel. Th e Fair Defense Act was established to administer appropriations and policies to help counties with indigent defense programs. Also, transparency

» Bert Richardson (R)

Background: ) I have practiced criminal law full-time for over years. ) Former State and Federal prosecutor with substantial trial and appellate experience. ) Board Certifi ed in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. ) Judge for over years and appointed by Gov. Bush. ) Ad-

junct Law Professor + years. ) Distinguished Law Graduate StMU.Mental Health: Early intervention is critical in cases dealing with mental health issues, as such, trial courts are in a better position to assist the immedi-ate needs of citizens in those cases. Th e Court of Criminal Appeals and Texas Su-preme Court are part of a joint commission that provide training to professionals assisting those with mental illnesses.Access to Justice: Th e TCCA oversees funding to train those organizations that represent indigent defendants. Th at is a starting point. However, in order to improve the system, both counties and the State must commit to providing the fi -nancial resources necessary to staff offi ces in counties with lawyers that have sub-stantial experience in the criminal justice system. Putting defense lawyers on the same pay scale as prosecutors would encourage more to apply for those positions. Other opportunities from the legislature, such as passing procedural and discov-ery rules, as they accomplished in recent sessions would contribute to improving the system.Responsibility: Th e TCCA is the busiest appellate court in our country review-ing all death penalty cases, post conviction writs (including claims of actual in-nocence) and appeals from intermediate appellate courts across the State. Th e

and accountability at the local level will ensure fairness, eliminate confl icts of in-terest and cronyism. Pro bono work is a way to provide counsel.Responsibility: Above all other duties, judges should uphold the rule of law. Additionally, they should be independent and impartial, and they should dem-onstrate appropriate temperament by respecting all parties to a case and should have good character.Other Issues: Keep pace with the ever-changing challenges of technology in or-der to appropriately address DNA issues. Also, make sure the Michael Morton law is properly enforced, so the right persons are charged for criminal off enses.

Education: Baylor School of Law, BBA, Baylor University, Campaign Website: http://www.GinaforJudge.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/GinaParkerCampaign/Twitter: twitter.com/GinaParkerTXVideo: https://youtu.be/VACHjYsPWzA

total number of cases in any given year is in the thousands. Timely disposing of these cases for all parties is my highest priority.Other Issues: Post conviction writs (including actual innocence claims) consti-tute the largest number of cases the TCCA reviews. Given the changes in modern day science and technology that can be used in the courtroom, it is imperative that our court keep up with these changes and recognize those that can have both negative and positive impacts on cases before the TCCA.

Education: BYU, B.S., August St. Mary’s University School of Law, J.D. Campaign Website: http://www.electjudgerichardson.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudgeBertRichardson/Twitter: twitter.com/NoneVideo: https://youtu.be/sXRzRpPDgs

JUDGE, TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS

Six-year term. A member of the court with fi nal judgment in all crimi-nal cases. The court must review all cases in which the death penalty is assessed. It also exercises discretionary review in other criminal cases and issues writs of habeas corpus. Current salary: $171,000» What does the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdspUkvqoZ4&feature=youtu.be

» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESBackground: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?Mental Health: How should the Court of Criminal Appeals address mental health issues of those who come before the court?Access to Justice: What opportunities are there, if any, to improve the state’s indigent defense system in criminal cases?

Responsibility: Which responsibility of a Court of Criminal Appeals judge is your highest priority and how do you intend to accomplish it?Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing for the Court of Criminal Appeals?


» Elizabeth Davis Frizell (D)

Background: • Criminal District Court , Presiding Judge, Dallas County, Texas, Felony Court; • County Criminal Court , Presiding Judge, Dallas County, Texas, Family Violence Court; • City of Dallas, Associate Municipal Court Judge; • City of Princeton, Municipal Court Judge; • City of Lucas, Municipal

Court Judge; • City of Balch Springs, Municipal Court Judge; • Th e Frizell FirmMental Health: Th e Court of Criminal Appeals should ensure that trial courts examine mentally ill defendants for their capacity to know the diff erence between right and wrong as well as whether a mental illness aff ected their judgement and was properly asserted and applied for sentencing purposes.Access to Justice: We should require internships similar to internships in the medical fi eld where newly licensed attorneys work for government agencies, fi rms and solo practitioners doing trial work and appellate work for at least one year prior to becoming licensed. Th is will give non-profi t and pro bono agencies more

» Tina Clinton (D)

Background: I am currently the presiding felony state dis-trict judge of the oldest Criminal District Court in the State of Texas, the Criminal District Court, located in Dal-las County. I have been a misdemeanor county court judge, a municipal court judge, a criminal defense attorney and a

prosecutor specializing in criminal cases in Texas. I have experience with over trials.Mental Health: Th e Court of Criminal Appeals is an appellate court so issues of mental health raised on appeal are the issues that may be addressed. Th e Court


» Kevin Patrick Yeary (R) Unopposed

» Dan Wood (D) No Response Received

» William Pieratt Demond (D)

Background: One of three Texas Super Lawyers in con-stitutional law; established constitutional rights in Turner v. Driver, F.d (th Cir. ) (recording police) and Za-deh v. Robinson, F.d (th Cir. ) (pre-compliance review of subpoenas to doctors); fi led - at the Supreme

Court; pierced grand jury secrecy; & CLE instructor regarding constitutional law.Mental Health: Th e Court should dispense with its unconstitutional “adaptive functioning analysis” in death penalty cases involving mental health issues, fol-low the medical community’s adaptive-functioning inquiry on adaptive defi cits, and voluntarily honor U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence concerning the death penalty (rather than being repeatedly reversed because it refuses to do so).Access to Justice: Monitoring appointments to ensure caseloads do not ren-der appointed counsel ineff ective, establishing public defenders’ offi ces in coun-ties that do not have them (thereby facilitating additional training to the indigent

attorneys to handle an increased case load, while giving indigent defendants and civil respondents much needed legal representation.Responsibility: Death Penalty Cases. My priority is to ensure defendants sen-tenced to capital punishment, have cases reviewed regardless of the date the death penalty is scheduled to be implemented. Rather than implementing Stays of execution, the sentence should be commuted to life imprisonment until the ap-pellate process is complete.Other Issues: Wrongful convictions. We should examine the case law premise that there are many trials which occur at the state court level that have errors, but frequently the errors are not considered to be reversible error. Th is prevents many defendants from receiving a fair trial.

Education: Prairie View A&M University- B.A. Th urgood Marshall School of Law- J.D.Campaign Website: http://www.FrizellJudge.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/frizelltxjudge

of Criminal Appeals also funds education programs and grants for judges, law-yers and prosecutors. I believe that expanding that funding for increased mental health education in law would make a vast diff erence.Access to Justice: I believe there are two avenues of improvement. First, to re-view cases of ineff ective assistance closely and with a critical eye. One consider-ation might be outright ineff ective assistance for not doing one’s job. Th e other can possible be because attorneys are carrying too high of a caseload based on assignments. Both instances should be reviewed carefully. Second, the Court of Criminal Appeals funds education, programs and grants for judges, lawyers who work in indigent defense and prosecutors as well as court personnel. I think the administering of these grants, programs and eduction liberally and requesting

defense community), and providing reliable resources for investigators, scientifi c testing, and mental health evaluations.Responsibility: Protecting the People’s constitutional rights (especially in death penalty cases and for unrepresented inmates in habeas corpus proceed-ings); by retraining (or replacing) my staff , by prohibiting the closure of the courthouse to those seeking emergency relief, and by adjusting technological pol-icies to facilitate communication when emergency relief is sought.Other Issues: Actual innocence standards, the Court’s elimination of fac-tual suffi ciency review (despite its existence under Texas law since ), death penalty jurisprudence, and ineff ective assistance of counsel.

Education: B.A., Asian Studies, Furman University; J.D. (international law concentration) and M.A., Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University.Campaign Website: http://williamdemond.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/williamforjustice


(continued)



(continued)

» Tina Clinton (D) (continued)

more funding from the legislature so we can robustly tackle education through-out the system would improve the state’s criminal justice system on indigent defense.Responsibility: () Speak to the Legislature about their attempts at bail reform laws. () I believe the Court receives habeas writs plus per year. Th is work is tasked to staff attorneys. Th ese cases raise issues of actual innocence, ineff ective assistance, and other reviews. We should review the need to increase staff so each case may be given full consideration.

Other Issues: One of the tasks of the Court is to help provide () grants for technical assistance projects to judges and court personnel, and () grants for in-nocence training programs. I believe these areas needs to be aggressively admin-istered and expanded to help access to justice throughout the State. Many areas do not have funds for technical assistance or education otherwise.

Education: Juris Doctorate from SMU School of Law; Bachelors of Art in Phi-losophy from University of Texas at AustinFacebook: https://facebook.com/JudgeTinaClintonTwitter: twitter.com/JudgeTClinton

» Steven Miears (D)

Background: I am Board Certifi ed in Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law. For years I have been named a “Su-per Lawyer” in criminal law by Texas Monthly. I have handled over cases as lead counsel on appeal. I have represented per-sons at trial and on appeal in many death penalty cases. My

website has a link to watch an oral argument I did, and opinions of my cases on appeal.Mental Health: Th e Court must address how to defi ne intellectual disability for purposes of the death penalty. It has failed to do this even though directed to by the Supreme Court. Th e Court fails to make sure that indigent inmates with men-tal illness are appointed lawyers at every stage of the writ of habeas corpus pro-cess. Many of these inmates have no access to attorneys.Access to Justice: Th e Texas Indigent Defense Commission has no authority to sanction counties which have failed to implement or follow a proper indigent defense plan. While each county must have a plan, there is no enforcement au-thority to police these plans. Th e good ol’ boy system still encourages trial judges to not follow a wheel system for appointments of competent lawyers, especially in death penalty cases. Th e creation of state-wide standards for the appointment of attorneys in felony cases would assure competent representation and develop-


» David Newell (R) Unopposed

ment of competent criminal defense lawyers. A plan’s use of fl at fees paid to ap-pointed attorneys and investigators encourages and rewards ineff ective assistance of counsel. Th e development everywhere of online portals for appointed lawyers to access the court’s fi le and DA discovery is needed. And ability to talk to in-mates on webcams would assist communication.Responsibility: Th e highest priority of a CCA judge is to review cases where the death penalty has been given. Th is occurs on direct appeal from the trial and on writs of habeas corpus. I will not leave this duty to clerks. I will personally read every record. I will not “go along to get along” with other judges on the CCA who refuse to examine the death penalty under current laws.Other Issues: Th e most pressing issue for the CCA will be processing writs of habeas corpus fi led by inmates. Last year the CCA handled over , writs. Each of these writs deserves personal attention from the Judge it is assigned to. Th ese writs continue to bring to the attention of the CCA pervasive incompetence by appointed lawyers, prosecutorial misconduct, and bad forensic experts

Education: I graduated Madison High School in Houston, Texas. I received a B.A. with honors from Austin College. I have a doctorate of jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law.Campaign Website: http://SteveMiearsForJudge.comFacebook: https://SteveMiearsForJudge

» Brandon Birmingham (D) Unopposed

» VOTE BY MAILWho can vote by mail in Texas?• Over • Sick or disabled• Out of the county on election day or early voting,• In jail but otherwise eligible to vote

Apply to Vote By Mail!• Applications to Vote By Mail are available from your county election offi cial.

For the Texas General Election your application to Vote By Mail must be re-

ceived at your county election offi cial’s offi ce by Friday, February , . Note: postmarks don’t count.

• A ballot will be mailed to you. Th en Vote!• Return your completed ballot to your county elections department by p.m.

on Election Day, March , . If mailed, the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the next business day.

• *If you are mailing your ballot from outside the United States, the county elec-tion offi cial must receive your ballot by the fi ft h day aft er Election Day. (It must be postmarked no later than p.m. on Election Day.)


STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Four-year term. The fi fteen-member board decides curriculum, standards, student testing, special education programs, and textbooks for Texas public schools. It also oversees the Permanent School Fund. Members of the board do not receive pay, but are eligible for reimbursement for expenses incurred in the course of offi cial business.» What does the State Board of Education do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XZK4qoFFlU&feature=youtu.be

» QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATESBackground: What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?Civic Education: What would you recommend to better prepare students for their civic responsibilities?Instruction: What is your position on issues related to student testing?

Education Funding: What is your opinion about the Texas Supreme Court decision that Texas education funding is Constitutional but inadequate and ineffi cient?Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing for the State Board of Education?

» STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 1

» Jennifer Ivey (R) Unopposed


» Larry McKinzie (D) Unopposed

» Georgina Perez (D) Unopposed

G. Perez-1

Cortez-2

M. Perez-3

Allen-4

Mercer-5Bahorich-6

Bradley-7

Cargill-8

Ellis-9

Maynard-10

Hardy-11

Miller-12

Beltran-13

Melton-Malone-14

Rowley-15

DALLAS

HOWARD

FOARD

FLOYD

BREWSTER

FRANKLIN

HUNT

NEWTON

STARR

KINNEY

COLLINGSWORTH

TOM GREEN

COLEMAN

BRAZORIA

LEON

DUVAL

LAMB

MORRIS

SMITH

JACKSON

MEDINA

WHEELER

DALLAM

CALLAHAN

LAMAR

CORYELL

GAINES

KENDALL

NACOGDOCHES

MILAM

HAYS

WILLACY

JOHNSON

REAGAN

WEBB

SHACKELFORD

BOWIE

SCURRY

KENEDY

SOMERVELL

OLDHAM

TAYLOR

KING

BORDEN

WALKER

STEPHENS

DEAF SMITH

ROBERTS

TYLER

VAL VERDE

BROWN

PARKER

HARRIS

ZAPATA

RED RIVER

KARNES

PALOPINTO

GLASSCOCKSHELBY

WOOD

CROSBY

REFUGIO

BURNET

STERLING

MONTGOMERY

SANAUGUSTINE

RAINS

NUECES

JACK

SWISHER

CAMP

BRAZOS

ORANGE

COLORADO

PECOS

COCHRAN

PARMER

FREESTONEWINKLER

WICHITA

GRAY

SCHLEICHER

HARDEMAN

TRAVISGILLESPIE

YOAKUM

FAYETTE

UVALDE

GRIMES

VAN ZANDT

THROCKMORTON

FALLS

GRAYSON

ELLIS

HALL

DICKENS

TRINITYREEVES

MARION

TERRELL

LYNN

LA SALLE

JASPER

JONES

CASTRO

VICTORIA

KLEBERG

BRISCOE

CLAY

MATAGORDA

BROOKS

RUNNELS

CARSON

LIBERTYLEE

HALE

BEXAR

GARZA

MONTAGUE

UPTON

HAMILTON

FISHERDAWSON

DIMMIT

LIMESTONE

HUTCHINSON

LLANO

PRESIDIO

EASTLAND

SABINE

WHARTON

RUSK

TARRANT

LAVACA

CHILDRESS

HIDALGO

KAUFMAN

MOORE

MENARD

EDWARDS

SAN PATRICIO

TERRY

CROCKETT

HOUSTON

WALLER

COKE

WARD

TITUS

LAMPASAS

HASKELL

MARTIN

ATASCOSA

HEMPHILLHARTLEY

YOUNG

BURLESONHARDIN

GONZALES

MCMULLEN

ERATH

GALVESTON

HOPKINS

MCLENNAN

MADISON

MCCULLOCH

DONLEY

KENT

REAL

SUTTON

MIDLAND

HUDSPETH

ZAVALA

HARRISON

COMANCHE

MITCHELL

NAVARRO

CRANE

LUBBOCK

WISE

WASHINGTON

JEFF DAVIS

EL PASO

GREGG

WILLIAMSON

LIPSCOMB

MASON

HENDERSON

HANSFORD

CHAMBERS

HILL

POTTER

JIMWELLS

DELTA

STONEWALL

ECTOR

CAMERON

MAVERICK

COLLIN

BAYLOR

PANOLA

GUADALUPE

BASTROP

AUSTIN

ANDREWS

ANDERSON

BLANCO

DEWITT

BANDERA

BELL

ARANSAS

ARCHER

ARMSTRONG

BEE

ANGELINA

BAILEY

JEFFERSON

FRIO

FANNIN

GOLIAD

LOVING

CASS

FORT BEND

BOSQUE

HOCKLEY

SAN SABA

KERR

MILLS

COOKE

WILBARGER

IRION

CALDWELL

JIM HOGG

CULBERSON

UPSHUR

CHEROKEE

DENTON

CONCHO

RANDALL

KIMBLE

KNOX

POLK

HOOD

SAN JACINTO

ROBERTSON

WILSON

NOLAN

COTTLE

CALHOUN

ROCKWALL

LIVE OAK

MOTLEY

SHERMAN OCHILTREE

COMAL

Texas Legislative Council2010 Census

PLANE120

16R3490 01/03/17

State Board of Education Districts2017-2018H

DALLAS

JOHNSON

GRAYSON

ELLIS

GUE

TARRANT

K

WISE

COLLIN

FANNINCOOKE

DENTON

ROCKWALL

Wilmer

UniversityPark

Sunnyvale

Seagoville

Mesquite

Lancaster

Irving

Hutchins

Highland Park

FarmersBranch

Duncanville

DeSotoCombine

CockrellHill Balch

Springs

AddisonRowlett

Ovilla

Lewisville

Grapevine

GrandPrairie

GlennHeights

Ferris

Coppell

CedarHill

Wylie

SachseRichardson

Garland

Dallas

Carrollton

CaM

RoyseCity

Josephine

Mansfield

JoshuaG dl

Crowley

CrossTimber

Burleson

Briaroaks

nctuary

edo

W h hi

RedOak

PecanHill

Gunter VanAlstyne

Oak Leaf

Midlothian

WestworthVillage

WestoverHills

Watauga

SansomPark

Saginaw

RiverOaks

RichlandHills

PelicanBay

Pantego

NorthRichland

HillsLake

WorthLakeside(Tarrant)

Kennedale

Keller

HurstHaltomCity

ForestHill

Everman

Euless

EdgecliffVillage

DalworthingtonGardens

Colleyville

Blue Mound

Benbrook

Bedford

Arlington

Newark

Reno(Parker)

Azle

Westlake

TrophyClub

Southlake

Roanoke

Haslet

FortWorth

WhiteSettlement

Talty

Rosser

Post Oak BeCity

Oak Ri(Kaufm

OakGrove

Kaufman

GraysPrairie

Forney

Crandall

Cottonwood

Heath

Rhome

NewFairview

atur

Boyd

AuroraHebron

Weston

St. Paul

Princeton

PlanoParker

New Hope

Nevada

Murphy

Melissa

McKinney

Lucas

LowryCrossing

Lavon

Farmersville

Fairview

CelinaBlue

Ridge

Anna

Allen

Leonard

ValleyView

TheColony

ShadyShores

Sanger

PilotPoint

OakPoint

Northlake

LittleElm

LakewoodVillageLake

Dallas

Krum

Krugerville

JustinHighlandVillage

HickoryCreek

Denton

CrossRoads

CorralCity

Corinth

CopperCanyon

Rockwall

MobileCity

Aubrey

Argyle

McLendon-Chisholm

Fate

FlowerMound

DISH

Scurry

FriscoHackberry

Prosper

Cresson

UnioValle

DoubleOak

Bartonville

LincolnPark

Ponder

Trenton

Terrell

Ellis -9

Hardy-11

Miller-12

Beltran-13

Melton-Malone -14

Rowley-15

BRAZORIA

HARRIS

MONTGOMERY

LIBERTY

WALLER

GALVESTON

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Houston

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Schertz

SanAntonio

FairOaks

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SantaClara

Marion

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La Vernia

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COMAL

G. PerezCortezM. PerezAllenMercerBahorichBradleyCargillEllisMaynardHardyMillerBeltranMelton-MaloneRowley

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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION (continued)

» Lani Popp (R) No Response Received

» Rebecca Bell-Metereau (D)

Background: I taught as a Peace Corps volunteer in Chad, in-terpreter US Air Force grain fl ights, Assistant to Director of First Year Studies at Indiana University, training new instruc-tors. At TX State, I’ve led teacher training, developed & di-rect Media Studies Minor, chaired Environment & Sustain-

ability, Faculty Senator. San Marcos Planning & Zoning, Bond, and Recycling CommissionsCivic Education: Historical context helps students value citizen responsibili-ties and privileges, with curriculum including practical lessons in how govern-ment works, and how to research and vote in city, county, state, and national elections. Let’s teach how local, state, and national governments function, with nonpartisan information on voting practices ranging from local to worldwide.Instruction: Studies indicate high-stakes testing is not only ineff ective, but actually detrimental to student learning. Responsible teachers use various mea-sures of student knowledge and skills and avoid teaching to the test. Nationally- normed tests, sparingly administered every other year can off er reliable compara-tive and longitudinal data, used for formative, not punitive purposes.

Education Funding: Hailed by some as a small step in the right direction for acknowledging the inadequacy of our state funding, this ruling says it’s consti-tutional, putting the responsibility with the legislature, which has been reducing its support steadily over the years. Th e legislature needs to increase funding by at least %. One representative rightly criticized the state for “neglecting its re-sponsibilities, failing to pick up its fair share of the school fi nance tab, and push-ing the costs down to overburdened local taxpayers.” Abbott’s decision to support quality pre-K education is a wise investment, but the legislature must also allo-cate adequate funds to educate the other grades and plan for a future that di-versifi es funding for public education from a mix of resources. We must see ed-ucation as an investment rather than a cost, since it produces an educated work force, contributes to a stable economy, and improves the health and well-being of all citizens. For those who wish to abandon public education in favor of for-profi t systems for education, health, and prisons, this may seem like a just ruling, but those who see an educated citizenry as the bedrock of democracy view it as side-stepping a responsibility that will have unfortunate consequences in the future. Inadequate funding of special needs students may lose Texas up to $ million in federal funding. SBOE oversees $. billion, but only about $. billion was released in –. SBOE can tell our leaders to do better.

» Robert Morrow (R)

Background: Th e Republican party has come the cult of an authoritarian lunatic. I do not think GOP or Democrats should be supporting political criminals who had close associations with a mega child molester [Candidate’s response did not meet the criteria listed in this Voters Guide]. I oppose any politician

who is a Russian or Zionist stooge & traitor to the USA. I am against criminals in both parties.Civic Education: Every Texas high school student should read Roger Stone’s book “Th e Man Who Killed Kennedy: Th e Case Against LBJ” as well as Dan-iel Hopsicker’s “Barry and the Boys” which is about the murder of CIA drug smuggler Barry Seal by GHW Bush and Oliver North. Also, I would make Nick Bryant’s book Th e Franklin Scandal mandatory reading for all high school seniors.


» Inga Cotton (R)

Background: When our family began looking at schools for our children, one of whom has a disability, we were apprehen-sive. I was able to fi nd a public school nearby that worked for our children. During my research I heard from parents across the state who were not as lucky. I made the choice at that time

to be a voice for parents and students, advocating for stronger Texas schools.Civic Education: Eff ective civics education requires both rigorous instruc-tion in history and hands-on experiences about government in action. Students who gain a deep knowledge of United States history-both the failures and the tri-umphs-should develop a strong sense of patriotism and a love of liberty, freedom, and the rule of law.Instruction: We need to reform standardized testing practices and support pol-icies that promote greater competition and accountability in our schools. Schools should not teach to the test, and students should not fear the tests.

Instruction: Mandatory statewide testing should be eliminated. Let local school districts decide how they want to test student.Education Funding: It is a complete joke. Th e taxpayer is being screwed over yet again by judges acting like legislators. I am for ending Robin Hood and re-placing it with nothing. Poor school districts can put up GoFundMe accounts.Other Issues: I think that high school students should be off ered elective classes on the safe use of AR-s. I think all high school senior girls should be of-fered spring semester elective classes on pole dancing and twerking. I say only girls for those classes because it would too homo for the boys. Th ey need to be playing sports and learning team work.

Education: Tuscaloosa Academy Princeton - A.B. History Univ. of Texas - MBA - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Robert.Morrow.Twitter: twitter.com/DCPolitics

Education Funding: In its decision, the Texas Supreme Court correctly gave deference to the legislature as the policy making branch of government. During the session, the legislators listened to voters and passed HB, mak-ing changes to outdated funding formulas and appropriating $. billion to pub-lic education.Other Issues: Adoption of curriculum standards is one of the most important duties of the State Board of Education. Providing students with knowledge-rich classrooms is a powerful way to close achievement gaps. As the parent of a child with special needs, I understand the importance of providing resources for stu-dents with disabilities so they can reach their full potential.

Education: B.A. in History from Trinity University () and J.D. from Th e University of Texas School of Law ()Campaign Website: http://ingacotton.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/ingaforschoolsTwitter: twitter.com/ingaforschools



» Rebecca Bell-Metereau (D) (continued)

Other Issues: SBOE needs to provide guidance to districts that participate or merge with charters under SB , passed in the th session. It’s unclear who is responsible for schools at the local level aft er a charter contract is executed, af-fecting districts and campuses. Let’s update literacy in statistics, civil dis-course, coding, fi nance, sustainability, health life skills.

» Letti Bresnahan (D)

Background: I have lived in San Antonio for years and ob-tained my MBA from UTSA. Our children graduated from public schools where I spent years volunteering. I served as PTA and Booster Club President. I was elected to the NEISD Board of Trustees - –, serving as VP and President.

I am a Board Member for Texas’ Region ESC. I work in medical education at UT Health SA.Civic Education: Civic responsibilities must be taught to our students from the beginning and reinforced and built upon throughout their schooling. Learning formats should be engaging, hands on, and enhanced with modern technology. Real world classroom civic engagement such as meeting with public offi cials, and participating in legislative activities helps our students understand civics.Instruction: Student testing is critical as a diagnostic tool and to provide feed-back to our parents/teachers about what our students know. Testing can serve as a tool for teachers/administrators to review and reassess their instruction. How-ever, testing should not be excessive or used for punitive purposes. Testing should not serve as the sole measure of student performance.

Education: BA, MA, PhD, degrees in English, Indiana University, specializa-tions in fi lm, rhetoric and composition, pedagogy. Dissertation published by Co-lumbia University Press as Hollywood AndrogynyCampaign Website: http://voterebecca.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voterebecca/Twitter: twitter.com/voterebeccaVideo: https://youtu.be/olUQkiAak

Education Funding: Th e role of the legislature is to pass laws that benefi t its citizens, thus the responsibility to adequately fund public schools belongs to the legislature. However, I disagree with theTexas Supreme Court’s ruling that the states portion of funding for education is constitutional. Th e legislature’s $. bil-lion cut in public school funding should have been ruled as unconstitutional be-cause it was unreasonable.Other Issues: We must prepare all students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in our communities. Curriculum must be factual, objective, and sup-ported with high quality instructional materials. Educators must be skilled and trained to meet the needs of all students. Oversight of the permanent school fund and charter school applications is critical.

Education: Bachelor of Arts - Spanish Bachelor of Science - Business St. Louis University - Masters of Business Administration University of Texas at San Antonio - Campaign Website: http://lettisboe.comFacebook: https://lettisboeTwitter: twitter.com/LettiSBOE


» Will Hickman (R) Unopposed

» Debra Kerner (D)

Background: Debra is a lifelong educator and former VP of the Harris County Dept of Education, elected countywide. She’s a speech language pathologist who has worked w/ children of all ages. She’s active in the Anti-Defamation League and other organizations.

Civic Education: Students should start learning about civics in early grades, learning about and experiencing voting and governing in the classroom, carrying it through to registering to vote in high school. Th ey should learn critical think-ing skills to evaluate what they hear and read to be able to make their own con-clusions about what is happening in the government.Instruction: We need to teach to the student, not to the test. Teachers should teach students critical thinking skills and not focus on test taking strategies for a single high stakes test. Th ere are multiple ways to measure student success throughout the year. Students and educators should not be judged based on high stakes testing.

Education Funding: Th e TX Supreme Court made it clear that the legisla-ture needs to improve the way we fund our public schools. We also need to in-crease the amount of money our public schools receive. We need to con-sider the cost of educating all our students, including factors like high poverty rates, English Language Learners and the cost of educating students in special education.Other Issues: Th e Permanent School Fund is a very pressing issue. Th e Hous-ton Chronicle pointed out just how broken the system is and that it is fraught with mismanagement by high paid fund managers who made risky investments. Prop. increased the money which can come from the fund. We need an inde-pendent, outside audit to maximize this $ Billion fund.

Education: M.S. Columbia University B.S. Syracuse UniversityCampaign Website: http://KernerForSBOE.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebbyKernerTwitter: twitter.com/DebbyKerner

» Kimberly McLeod (D)

Background: I am a career educator with experience at ev-ery level of education. I have worked in early childhood, public schools and higher education & I’m president of an Ed. Assoc. I have written academic books and support school systems

nationally and internationally. I actively work with many groups in advocacy for Texas public school children and the educators that lead them.Civic Education: Civic Education can leave a life imprint on a learner. Th e students that organized aft er the mass shooting at Marjory High School in Florida were able to learn, apply & advocate for themselves. Civics is a lesson that not only addresses how the democratic process works, but how students



» Michelle Palmer (D)

Background: I have been a teacher for over a decade and have taught middle school math as well as high school social studies. I understand the curriculum that is used in Texas classrooms and have studied the various Texas curricula in depth. I have been a public education advocate for several years and know

how the system works and can work within that system.Civic Education: We now require a “peaceful police offi cer interaction” as a graduation requirement. We should also require an interaction with an elected offi cial. I bring elected offi cials to speak to my government classes every semester and it is eye-opening for the students. In addition, civics should either be a sepa-rate course or a much larger part of the government curriculum.Instruction: Standardized tests do not improve student achievement. Th e US has gone from th to st in math since NCLB was instituted. Teaching to the test has become the norm and our students are suff ering. Higher-order thinking skills are in decline and the economy of the future depends on the students of to-day knowing how to think outside the box not take a multiple-choice test.

Education Funding: With the new funding from SB, Texas is $K below the national average per student. We need to reach at least the national aver-age. In addition, charter schools are draining millions of dollars from Texas pub-lic schools every year without transparency or accountability. We also need to look at the Permanent School Fund management. It is costing millions extra per year.Other Issues: Bringing fi delity to the facts back to the curriculum standards should be the number one goal of the SBOE. Moses should not be in the US His-tory curriculum and climate change science should be in the science curriculum. Rape should not be taught by blaming victims in the health curriculum. LGBT history should not be completely ignored in the history curriculum.

Education: BA Political Science from the University of Houston, Graduate classes in Education at the University of St. Th omasCampaign Website: http://palmerfortexased.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palmerfortexased/Twitter: twitter.com/palmertexasedVideo: https://youtu.be/fpAGDSNAsQI


» Audrey Young (R) Unopposed

» Marsha Burnett-Webster (D)

Background: I am a native Texan and a career educator. I have worked as a teacher and an administrator in middle schools, high schools, and colleges across the United States. I have seen what happens when we give our students the best we have to of-fer. And I have seen what happens when we neglect their educa-

tional needs. Our student deserve the best. Help me make that possible.Civic Education: Civic responsibility begins in the home; schools have a re-sponsibility as well. Primary grade school students are coached on sharing, which


» Tom Maynard (R) Unopposed


» Brenda Davis (D) Unopposed

» Keven M. Ellis (R) Unopposed

is a civic responsibility. Secondary school students must take civics classes for graduation. Additionally, I believe students should complete mandatory commu-nity service projects.Instruction: Standardized testing should be used only as a diagnostic tool to guide the student learning process - a process that should take into account that not all students learn the same way. Th at is not how these biased tests are used to-day, however. Instead, they are largely being used to drive student graduation re-quirements, assess teacher abilities, and school performance.Education Funding: I wholeheartedly agree that public education funding is ‘inadequate and ineffi cient.’ Th e Texas Supreme Court did not and does not write

» Kimberly McLeod (D) (continued)

engage in it. We should teach civics alongside real time national & community issues.Instruction: Testing & accountability is a high stakes, high-pressure distracter from instruction. A benefi t of testing is that it illuminates blind spots. Why not use this diagnostically for individual students and campuses. We should reexam-ine the purpose of testing and the high stakes attached to it. We should support schools that have needs rather than punish them.Education Funding: Adequate school funding, especially those that are work-ing to educate some of the most marginalized populations should be a mantle for Texas in promoting equity, engagement and opportunity. I do believe that in or-der for Texas to graduate students that are prepared to compete on a national and international level, Texas will have to invest in its public schools. I support any legislative action that requires Texas in increasing its state contribution levels to ensure that no shortfall exists in per-student funding and educator pay. Texas re-

cently increased its funding to public schools to %, but until the State pays at least % of the costs required to educate students and reviews the .% revenue cap applied locally, we will continue to be constitutional but inadequate and in-effi cient. Th e only way to make Texas future ready is to invest in Texas children, and the professionals that lead them - now.Other Issues: . Review the avenues to graduation that create options that speak to the unique needs students may have based on the career pathway they wish to explore; . Th e PSF is geared to fund schools both today and tomorrow. We need to ensure future generations can rely on equitable funding from either the state or PSF; . Testing, accountability and teacher certifi cation.

Education: B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies; M.Ed. Counseling; M.Ed. Education Administration; Ed.D. Counselor EducationCampaign Website: http://www.DrKimTx.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrKimTX/Twitter: twitter.com/DrKimTx



» Stephen Wyman (D)

Background: Raised by Secondary School Teachers; Bachelors degree; Substi-tute Teacher; School Bus Driver...Civic Education: Perhaps Civics could replace/supplement Social Studies.Instruction: Texas Schools do way too much testing; over utilize test scores for over simplifi ed ratings of schools and their success/lack thereof.Education Funding: It is a reasonably correct assessment of Texas education funding... Is it Constitutional?.


» Maria Berry (R) No Response Received

» Sue Melton-Malone (R) No Response Received

» Greg Alvord (D) Unopposed

» Marsha Burnett-Webster (D) (continued)

or amend the Texas Constitution. Only the Texas Legislature can initiate that. If we want to fi x our broken education funding problem and provide the best pos-sible education for students, then we must elect candidates (irrespective of party) who will fi x this problem - and not candidates who will make it worse.Other Issues: Th e SBOE must be involved in designing instructional materi-als (vocational programs), teacher retention and salary improvements (as well as healthcare for retired teachers), special needs programs, safe and healthy schools,

Other Issues: Text books and curriculum based on academic/profes-sional academic’s assessment... Review/audit of Texas Permanent School Fund management.

Education: BA, Indiana University, Campaign Website: http://blueboomerhd.blogspot.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephen.wyman.


» Jay Johnson (R) Unopposed

» John Betancourt (D) Unopposed

review and adoption of textbooks, and establishment of regional education ser-vice centers. Each is predicated on adequate and effi cient funding.

Education: Doctor of Education, California Coast University; Master of Educa-tion, Prairie View A&M University; Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts, Prai-rie View A&M UniversityCampaign Website: http://www.webstertxsboe.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Marsha-Burnett-Webster-for-Texas-State-Board-of-Education-District--/


» PARTY PROPOSITIONS

Voters in the Texas Primary may provide feedback to their party via ballot prop-

ositions. Th ese propositions do not impact or create law. Th ey will be at the end of

the ballot. Th e Texas Republican Propositions and the Texas Democratic Proposi-

tions can be found on VOTE.org or on your party’s website.

JUDGE, COURT OF APPEALS

Six-year term. Hears appeals on civil and criminal cases from lower courts in its district. Current Salary: $154,500.

See VOTE411.org for Court of Appeals candidates in your district.Compare candidates at www.VOTE411.org

PECOS

WEBB

BREWSTER

HUDSPETH

PRESIDIO

REEVES

CULBERSON

VAL VERDE

DUVAL

TERRELL

CROCKETT

KENEDY

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HARRIS

HILL

BELL

BEE

CLAY

EDWARDS

POLK

JEFF DAVIS

KERR

GAINES

UVALDE

LEON

HALE

DALLAM

IRION

DIMMIT

LAMB

KING

STARR

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KINNEY

HALL

WISEJACK

UPTON

SUTTON

HIDALGO

ZAVALA

CASS

OLDHAM

ELLIS

LYNN

MEDINA

KIMBLE

KENT

GRAY

RUSK

LEE

ERATH

LA SALLE

COKE

MILAM

HARTLEY

HUNT

BRAZORIA

SMITH

KNOX

FLOYD

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ANDREWS

TYLER

ZAPATA

TRAVIS

LIBERTY

JONES

NUECES

REAGAN

BOWIE

WARD

LAMAR

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NOLAN

TERRYGARZA

MILLS

COLEMANECTOR

FALLS

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MATAGORDA

LAVACA

TOM GREEN

MASON

YOUNG

CAMERON

MAVERICK

BROWN

COOKE

JASPER

DEAF SMITH

BURNET

HOUSTON

FISHER

FANNIN

COLLIN

EL PASO

MOORE

MOTLEY

MARTIN TAYLOR

LIVE OAK

DALLAS

BAILEY

BOSQUE

HARDIN

ATASCOSA

KLEBERG

JIM HOGG

COTTLE

POTTER

DENTON

DONLEY

GOLIAD

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CORYELL

BAYLOR

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PARKER

CRANE

CONCHO

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FAYETTE

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CARSON

CASTRO

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NEWTON

BORDEN

CALHOUN

SHELBY

PARMER

MENARD

GILLESPIE

PANOLA

WILSON

MCMULLEN

DICKENS

SCHLEICHER

GRIMES

FOARD

HASKELL

DAWSON

BRISCOE

RANDALL

MIDLAND

HOWARD

GRAYSON

GONZALES

RED RIVER

SWISHER

TARRANT

ROBERTS

WALKER

HOCKLEY

ANDERSON

CHEROKEE

VICTORIA

MCLENNAN

LUBBOCK

BASTROP

JEFFERSON

WHEELER

SHERMAN

MITCHELL

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STERLING

WINKLER

TRINITY

HEMPHILL

KARNES

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WILLIAMSON

REFUGIO

WILLACY

LOVING

AUSTIN

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HOPKINS

BLANCO

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ANGELINA

CALLAHAN

COLORADO

MCCULLOCH

PALO PINTO

HANSFORD

KAUFMAN

BANDERA

JIMWELLS

MONTAGUE

HAMILTON

OCHILTREE

WILBARGER

COMANCHE

LIMESTONE

COMAL

SABINE

FORT BEND

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COCHRAN

WICHITA

STONEWALL

JOHNSON

HENDERSON

TITUS

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MONTGOMERY

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UPSHUR

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GUADALUPE

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CALDWELL

MADISON

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WASHINGTON

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Texas Legislative Council

12R114 02/02/2012

Source: Section 22.201, Government Code, as amended by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 542

Courts of Appeals DistrictsEffective September 1, 2005

Overlap of Districts 5 and 6

Overlap of Districts 6 and 12

» TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS SERVES THE FOLLOWING TEXAS COUNTIES:

The 1st Court of Appeals: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Waller, and Washington

The 2nd Court of Appeals: Archer, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Hood, Jack, Montague, Parker, Tarrant, Wichita, Wise, and Young

The 3rd Court of Appeals: Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Coke, Comal, Concho, Fayette, Hays, Irion, Lampasas, Lee, Llano, McCulloch, Milam, Mills, Runnels, San Saba, Schleicher, Sterling, Tom Green, Travis, and Williamson

The 4th Court of Appeals: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Brooks, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Mason, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Real, Starr, Sutton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala

The 5th Court of Appeals: Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall

The 6th Court of Appeals: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Titus, Upshur, and Wood

The 7th Court of Appeals: Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Terry, Wheeler, Wilbarger, and Yoakum

The 8th Court of Appeals: Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, and Winkler

The 9th Court of Appeals: Hardin, Jasper, Jeff erson, Liberty, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, and Tyler

The 10th Court of Appeals: Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Johnson, Leon, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Navarro, Robertson, Somervell, and Walker

The 11th Court of Appeals: Baylor, Borden, Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Dawson, Eastland, Ector, Erath, Fisher, Gaines, Glasscock, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Knox, Martin, Midland, Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, and Th rockmorton

The 12th Court of Appeals: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Houston, Nacogdoches, Rains, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood

The 13th Court of Appeals: Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, Cameron, De Witt, Goliad, Gonzales, Hidalgo, Jackson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Lavaca, Live Oak, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Wharton, and Willacy

The 14th Court of Appeals: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Waller, and Washington


What is the Census, and how does it impact you?

• Th e Census is a count of all persons living in the U.S. It is conducted every years by the federal government, and it is mandated by the Constitution.

• Resources for the Community: We track changes in our population in order to know where to send resources and federal services. Census data is used to distribute over $ billion in federal funds annually. States use this money to pay for services and programs that are absolutely vital to the community, such as healthcare, highway funding, and education. Each person counted in your community means additional federal dollars in your community.

• Basis for Representation: Th ese population changes also have an aff ect on our democracy. Th e Census count is used to determine how many seats each state gets in Congress and how district lines are drawn at every level of government.

• Community Development: Census data impacts planning and development in your community. It guides decisions on where to build businesses, subdi-visions, schools, and roads. It is used by healthcare offi cials to plan resources and appropriate care for the surrounding population.

When will the Census be conducted?

Starts: March Ends: July

How can people complete the Census questionnaire?

• Online• Over the phone• Th e paper form• Or, by responding to a Census worker at your home

Once we know how many people live in Texas, the state legislature will start the redistricting process and redraw the boundaries of the state legislative and con-gressional districts so that they are equal in population. Th ese election maps will be used for the next decade.

Because of partisan gerrymandering, the way the district boundaries are drawn determine the power of your vote. Th e boundaries determine how you are represented, which other communities are included in your district, and ulti-mately, who will be elected to represent you. Th ose elected offi cials then go on to make important decisions that impact you and your family on a daily basis, such as the quality of the air you breathe, the quality of your child’s school, and how much you pay in taxes.

What Can You Do to Infl uence the New District Maps?

Th e Legislature has already begun the process for the redrawing of state and federal legislative districts. In the fall of , the Texas House Redistricting Committee started holding Public Input Hearings for the redistricting. Th e Texas Senate Redistricting Committee will begin holding hearings in March of . (Schedules can be found below.)

Public comments at the committee hearings will be used to assist the Legisla-ture when it draws district boundaries.

Public Input Hearings Schedule

You are invited to attend a local public hearing to let your state legislators know your concerns, where your community is located and encourage them to conduct

What the Census will send you in the mail

On or between You’ll receive

March – An invitation to respond online to the Census.(Some households will also receive paper questionnaires.)

March – A reminder letter.If you haven’t responded yet:

March –April A reminder postcard.April – A reminder letter and paper questionnaire.April – A fi nal reminder postcard before the Census follows up

in person.

Are Census Responses Confi dential? Yes.

• All Census data are protected by federal law to be kept confi dential for years.• Th e Census Bureau cannot share data with any other federal agency.• All Census Bureau employees swear to a lifetime oath to protect respondent

information and will be fi ned $, and/or face up to years imprison-ment for wrongful disclosure.

“It is your right to be counted! Filling out the form is fast, easy, and secure.”—Grace Chimene, President, League of Women Voters of Texas

For more information about the Census: https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations//comm/-everyone.html

a transparent process. You can fi nd guidance for how to testify on the League webpage, see below.

If you are unable to attend a hearing and would still like to provide testimony, you may email or call legislators on the Redistricting Committee. A list of com-mittee member information can be found here: http://bit.ly/KrYkN

Th e League of Women Voters of Texas, working with Fair Maps Texas, is pro-viding training in advance of many of the hearings.

More Information:

Th e League of Women Voters of Texas: https://my.lwv.org/texas/advocacy-issues/redistrictingcensusFair Maps Texas: https://www.fairmapstexas.org/Th e Texas Legislative Council: https://redistricting.capitol.texas.govTexas Legislature’s website: https://capitol.texas.gov

» THE 2020 CENSUS IMPACTS REDISTRICTING IN TEXAS!

» REDISTRICTING—NEW DISTRICT MAPS TO BE DRAWN AFTER 2020 CENSUS


» REGISTERING TO VOTE• You must register to vote at least days before the election date. Th e last day

you can register to vote for the General Election is MONDAY, Febru-ary , .

• All eligible citizens wishing to vote must be on the offi cial list of registered voters. If you moved or changed your name you must re-register!

Who Can Register to Vote?

• a citizen of the United States,• a resident of the county, and• years months old (to vote you must be at years old on Election Day).• You must not have been declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law.• If you have been convicted of a felony, you may register to vote only aft er you

have completed the punishment phase of your conviction, including any terms of incarceration, parole, supervision, or period of probation ordered by the court.

Suspended Voter

You can still vote if your voter registration is in suspense! “Suspense” means that your county voter registrar needs to confi rm your voting address.

Update your voter registration if you have . . .

• Moved• Changed name• Not voted in the last four years

Voter Registration Facts:

• You do not need to register before every election.• Your county voter registrar can help you with voter registration concerns. You

may ask your county registrar to keep your address off the public record if you are a peace offi cer or a victim of domestic abuse.

• If you are registered to vote, you will receive a new voter registration card in the mail every two years.

• You must register to vote at least days before the election date.

» STUDENT VOTERS: AWAY AT COLLEGE? BE A TEXAS VOTER!

You must be registered to vote.

• Find out at votetexas.gov• Register to vote! (Note! We don’t have online voter registration in Texas)

I am registered at my parents’ address!

• Drive home! Early vote or vote on Election Day• or Vote By Mail

I am registered at my college address!

• Skip the lines! Vote Early!• or vote on Election Day!You must show an ID to vote! You can’t use your student ID. Your ID address does not have to match the voter registration address.

» WHAT IS PROVISIONAL VOTING?Th e Federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of provides for provisional vot-ing if a voter’s name does not appear on the list of registered voters due to an ad-ministrative error. If your name is not on the rolls of registered voters in your

precinct, but you believe you are registered, the election judge will attempt to de-termine if you are registered somewhere in your county.

If your registration cannot be found, you may cast a provisional vote by fi lling out an affi davit and casting a provisional ballot. Th is ballot is kept separate from the regular ballots, and the case will be reviewed by the provisional voting ballot board. Th e ballot will be counted only if the voter is determined to be a registered voter in that precinct. Provisional voters will receive a notice in the mail by the tenth day aft er the local canvass advising them if their provisional ballots were counted and, if they were not counted, the reason why.

» WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE

Vote early!

• Early Voting begins Monday, February –February , .• All registered voters may vote early in person at any early voting location in

their county.• Check with your local newspaper or your county clerk or election administrator

for early voting times and locations.

Where do I vote?

• Contact your County Election Offi cial. Th ey can tell you where you can vote.or• Use VOTE.org. Enter your address and fi nd where to vote.

» PHOTO ID DETAILS AND EXCEPTIONSSee WHAT TO TAKE TO THE POLLS on the front page for a list of accepted photo IDs. Additional information about voter IDs:

• IDs may be expired up to (four) years. Persons years of age or older may use an expired ID.

• Th e name on the photo ID should match the voter registration card or be “sub-stantially similar.” If the names don’t match exactly, but are substantially simi-lar, the voter will initial a box for similar name when signing in to vote.

• Th e address on the ID does not have to match the voter registration address.• Voters with a documented disability from Social Security or Veterans Aff airs

can apply for a voter registration certifi cate exempting them from the photo ID requirement.

• Voters without another acceptable ID can obtain an Election Identifi cation Certifi cate (EIC) from Texas DPS at no cost by providing proof of citizenship and identity and registering to vote at DPS or showing a voter registration card. Requirements for the EIC can be found at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/electionID.htm. Th ere is no charge for the EIC but the neces-sary documentation may have a cost.

Photo ID is generally not required to vote by mail. Voters may apply for a mail bal-lot if or older, ill or disabled, or absent from their county during early vot-ing and on Election Day. In some cases, fi rst time voters will be asked to supply a copy of an ID to vote by mail.

• Voters who do not show an acceptable ID and do not sign the reasonable im-pediment declaration can vote a provisional ballot and have six days to show the required photo ID.

• Voters who lack a photo ID because of a religious objection to being photo-graphed or because of a natural disaster declared by the president will be al-lowed to vote a provisional ballot and complete an affi davit within six days of the election.

Check the League’s website for other helpful information about elections, voting and issues: www.lwvtexas.org.

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