United States Senate election in Texas, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

Elections in Texas, 2020

* Primary date: March 3
* Primary type: Open
* Registration deadline(s): Feb. 3
* Online registration: No
* Same-day registration: No

* Early voting starts: Feb. 18
* Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): March 3 (postmarked); March 4 (received)
* Voter ID: Photo ID
* Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

* * *

Date of Texas presidential primary: March 3

* * *

On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls •

<- 2014

U.S. Senate, Texas

Democratic primary
Democratic primary runoff
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 9, 2019
Primary: March 3, 2020
Primary runoff: July 14, 2020
General: November 3, 2020

* * *

Pre-election incumbent:
John Cornyn (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Lean Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Inside Elections: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
U.S. Senate, Texas
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Texas elections, 2020
U.S. Congress elections, 2020
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Click here for coverage of the July 14 primary runoff.

M.J. Hegar and Royce West were the top two finishers from among the 12 candidates in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Texas on March 3, 2020. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote, Hegar and West advanced to a runoff on July 14, 2020. The winner ran against incumbent John Cornyn (R) in the November general election.

Hegar received 22.3% of the vote to West's 14.5% and Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez's 13.2%. The only other candidates to receive more than 10% of the vote were Annie Garcia with 10.3% and Amanda Edwards with 10.1%.

Seven candidates either received noteworthy endorsements or were identified by local media as candidates to watch: Chris Bell, Edwards, Garcia, Hegar, Sema Hernandez, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West.

Polling data during the leadup to the election suggested no candidate would win the March primary outright. Every poll of the primary field showed at least 34% of the electorate undecided from among the declared candidates. While Hegar led or tied for the lead in every poll conducted since October 2019, she has not received more than 22% support in any poll.

Endorsements were also spread out amongst the candidates. National groups including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, End Citizens United, and Giffords PAC endorsed Hegar. Tzintzún Ramirez's backers included Reps. Joaquin Castro (D) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D), 350 Action, the Center for Popular Democracy, the Latino Victory Fund, and the Working Families Party. West's endorsers included four of his state senate colleagues and 16 members of the state house. The Dallas Morning News issued a joint endorsement of both West and Edwards. Click here for a full list of endorsements.

Also running in the primary were Michael Cooper (D), Jack Daniel Foster Jr. (D), Victor Harris (D), D.R. Hunter (D), and Adrian Ocegueda (D).

As of March 5, 2020, one racetracking agency rated the general election Solid Republican and two rated it Likely Republican. No Democratic candidate has won a statewide election in Texas since 1994. In 2020, Democrats sought control of the U.S. Senate, which had, at the time of the election, a 53-45 Republican majority. Click here to learn more about what's at stake in the general election.

Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:

Bell |
Edwards |
Garcia |
Harris |
Hegar |
Hernandez |
Tzintzún Ramirez |
West

This page focuses on Texas's United States Senate Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the state's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

* United States Senate election in Texas, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)
* United States Senate election in Texas, 2020

This election was a battleground race. Other 2020 battlegrounds included:

* Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 18 Republican primary)
* South Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 9 Republican primary)
* Virginia's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020

|

## Contents

* 1 Election procedure changes in 2020
* 2 Candidates and election results
* 3 Candidate profiles
* 4 Endorsements
* 5 Timeline
* 5.1 2020
* 5.1.1 March
* 5.1.2 February
* 5.1.3 January
* 5.2 2019
* 5.2.1 December
* 5.2.2 September
* 6 Campaign themes
* 6.1 Chris Bell
* 6.2 Michael Cooper
* 6.3 Amanda Edwards
* 6.4 Jack Daniel Foster Jr.
* 6.5 Annie Garcia
* 6.6 Victor Harris
* 6.7 Mary Jennings Hegar
* 6.8 Sema Hernandez
* 6.9 Adrian Ocegueda
* 6.10 Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez
* 6.11 Royce West
* 7 Campaign ads
* 7.1 Mary Jennings Hegar
* 7.2 Satellite group ads
* 8 Polls
* 9 Campaign finance
* 10 Satellite spending
* 11 Debates and forums
* 11.1 February 22 candidate forum
* 11.2 February 18 debate
* 11.3 January 25 debate
* 11.4 December 10, 2019, candidate forum
* 11.5 September 5, 2019, candidate forum
* 12 Primaries in Texas
* 13 Runoff elections in Texas
* 14 What's at stake in the general election?
* 15 General election race ratings
* 16 Pivot Counties
* 16.1 Presidential results by legislative district
* 17 Election history
* 17.1 2018
* 18 2014
* 19 2012
* 19.1 See also
* 19.2 External links
* 19.3 Footnotes

## Election procedure changes in 2020[edit]

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Texas modified its primary election process as follows:

* Election postponements: The primary runoff elections were postponed from May 26 to July 14.
* Political party events: The Republican Party of Texas convention, scheduled for July 16-18 in Houston, was cancelled. The party conducted its convention online.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

## Candidates and election results[edit]

Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Mary Jennings Hegar |

22.3

| 417,160
✔ |

| Royce West |

14.7

| 274,074

| Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez |

13.2

| 246,659

| Annie Garcia |

10.3

| 191,900

| Amanda Edwards |

10.1

| 189,624

| Chris Bell |

8.5

| 159,751

| Sema Hernandez |

7.4

| 137,892

| Michael Cooper |

4.9

| 92,463

| Victor Harris |

3.2

| 59,710

| Adrian Ocegueda |

2.2

| 41,566

| Jack Daniel Foster Jr. |

1.7

| 31,718

| D.R. Hunter |

1.4

| 26,902

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,869,419

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* John Love III (D)

## Candidate profiles[edit]

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[1] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Chris Bell

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: U.S. House (2003-2005), Houston City Council (1997-2001)

Biography: Bell graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982 and started a career as a TV and radio journalist. He obtained his law degree from South Texas College of Law in 1992 and entered private practice as an attorney. After his unsuccessful run for governor in 2006, Bell returned to private practice, where he continued to work as of the 2020 election.

* * *

Key Messages

* * *

Bell said that Texas, and the United States as a whole, was suffering from a crisis of leadership and that he would seek to unite the country if elected.

* * *

Bell said that he was the only Democratic candidate in the race who had previously served as a member of Congress and that his time in Congress had given him firsthand experience fighting political insiders.

* * *

In his campaign announcement video, Bell said "We've got to make a stand for who we are. I stand for America again being a decent, honorable country that takes care of our friends and protects the least amongst us."

* * *

Sources: Chris Bell's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 11, 2020, Youtube, "Chris Bell Announces Run for U.S. Senate," September 17, 2019; Chron.com, "Where Are They Now? Chris Bell," July 22, 2009, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "BELL, Chris," accessed February 11, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2020

Amanda Edwards

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: Houston City Council (2016-2020)

Biography: Edwards graduated from Emory University in 2004 and Harvard Law School in 2007. After obtaining her law degree, Edwards moved to New Orleans, where she clerked for Judge Ivan Lemelle and founded NOW: The New Orleans Writing Project. She later returned to Houston and entered private practice.

* * *

Key Messages

* * *

Edwards said that her views on policy were shaped by her firsthand experiences, saying that her parents' battles with cancer shaped her views on healthcare and her cousin's murder shaped her views on firearms regulations.

* * *

Edwards said that she practiced the philosophy of servant leadership and that she had a history of community organizing dating back to before she first sought elected office, including organizing a volunteer response to Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

* * *

In her campaign kickoff video, Edwards said that her run was "about all of the people who have ever been locked out or told that they can't or to wait their turn because the status quo and establishment was not ready for change."

* * *

Sources: Amanda Edwards' 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 11, 2020, Youtube, "Amanda Edwards for Senate," July 18, 2019, Go San Angelo, "Amanda Edwards lost family member to gun violence. She doesn’t want to 'take your AR-15.'," February 11, 2020, The Dallas Morning News, "Using the power of people, Amanda Edwards seeks to jump from Houston City Council to U.S. Senate," December 31, 2019; Amanda Edwards' 2020 campaign website, "Meet Amanda," accessed February 11, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2020

Annie Garcia

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography: "I grew up in Georgetown, Texas, attended Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law. I practiced finance law, and did extensive immigration law pro bono. I have lived in Ecuador (2 years), Spain (4 years) and Berlin (2 years) and speak Spanish and German. I have a non-profit organization I started after my daughter was born with a life-threatening heart defect. OpHeart works at the crossroads of medicine and technology. I also have a small home-restoration business in the Third Ward of Houston. I am mom to three wonderful little humans- Hugo (6), Ari (5) and Rafa (3). My husband is a naturalized U.S. citizen, he and my kids have dual Spanish-American citizenship, and I applied for my Spanish nationality last year. I have never run for office but have the audacity to run now for 3 reasons. First, I am fed up with the gross injustice that is literally killing people in our country, and the ways in which the privileged exploit everyone else. Second, I am running because we are running out of time. I fear for the country and planet our kids will inherit. Finally, I am tired of losing. Democrats have not won a statewide race in nearly 3 decades. I know that we can sweep. But it is going to take a candidate that has the moral compass, political courage and work ethic to give people reason to believe again in the goodness of government. I am not a politician. I don't talk like one or act like one. And I will do what no politician will to get things done,"

* * *

Key Messages

The messages below are the candidate’s own.

* * *

I am a mother, lawyer, small-business owner, and humanitarian. I am not a politician.

* * *

People are literally dying in our hospitals, jails, schools and at our border because of unfettered greed and absence of a moral minimum.

* * *

As Senator-Elect, on Nov. 4, 2020, I will move to the border and will enter the Senate with a plan to reunite families. On day 1, I will launch a 411 hotline, where you will receive a human- and humane- reponse within 48 hours.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2020

Sema Hernandez

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: Hernandez has worked as a healthcare worker and an insurance agent in the past. After her run for U.S. Senate in 2018, Hernandez became co-chairwoman of the Texas Poor People's Campaign, which she continued to lead as of the 2020 election.

* * *

Key Messages

* * *

Hernandez said that she was inspired to run for Senate by the sacrifices her parents, who immigrated from Mexico, had made.

* * *

Hernandez said she had firsthand knowledge of the problems in the American healthcare system from her time as an insurance agent and that she would not forget the impact policy stances had on voters.

* * *

Hernandez said that her campaign's goal was "creating and empowering a new generation of activists, organizers, and voters to change the political narrative, implement progressive policies and elect moral leaders from the bottom up and the top down."

* * *

Sources: Sema Hernandez's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 11, 2020; Sema Hernandez's 2020 campaign website, "Meet Sema Hernandez," accessed February 11, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2020

Mary Jennings Hegar

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: After graduating from the University of Texas, Hegar joined the U.S. Air Force. Trained as a combat search and rescue and medevac pilot, Hegar served three tours in Afghanistan. She was awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Hegar ran for the U.S. House in 2018.

* * *

Key Messages

* * *

Hegar said that she was a fighter and would embody the Texas values of strength, courage, and independence in the Senate.

* * *

Hegar said she was running to end partisan gridlock in the Senate and to ensure that legislation could be passed again.

* * *

In her campaign kickoff video, Hegar said her campaign was driven by volunteers who "wanted to help build a better government and elect new leaders who listen to people and not donors or special interest groups".

* * *

Sources: Mary Jennings Hegar's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 11, 2020, Politico, "MJ Hegar sees path to victory in Texas — and it looks like Ted Cruz’s," October 23, 2019, Youtube, "(Re)Introduction," April 23, 2019; Mary Jennings Hegar's 2020 campaign website, "Meet MJ," accessed February 11, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2020

Victor Harris

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography: "I have served 34 years in the military and have lived and executed the foreign policies of our presidents going back to Reagan. I have watched as administration after administration has used military might over diplomatic statesmanship. I was at the Pentagon on that first day in September when this endless war began. Less than a month later, I was in the Middle East supporting operations. I have deployed to the Middle East on seven different occasions on various missions. I have worked with tribal leaders and assisted in negotiating with warlords. In addition to my practical experience, I have the formal education to back up and supplement my qualifications. I invite you to my web page for additional details. www.victorfortexas.com FORMAL EDUCATION: B.A., History, Saint Mary's University, San Antonio, TX M.A., Social and Public Policy, Georgetown University, Wash DC M.A., National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, RI M. S & T, Info Ops & Cyber Intel, National Intel University, Wash DC \- Project Management Professional Training Certificate, Syracuse University, NY Projected Masters of Strategic Studies, Army War College, Carlisle, PA-2020 "

* * *

Key Messages

The messages below are the candidate’s own.

* * *

The United States is a nation of immigrants, where almost every family has a story of coming to the U.S. for a better life. We need to remember this history and be a welcoming country for those that seek the same opportunities.

* * *

The Affordable Care Act has some issues; it requires some tweaking, not elimination. We already have a framework for creating universal healthcare. We should further pursue and explore these routes. There are some immediate constraints in financing such a program, but we need to get after it now.

* * *

Education is critically important. Education opens doors and creates opportunities for both the employee and the employer. Affordable and quality education starting from pre-K to high school and on to college. We need to establish communities where everyone who wants to pursue higher learning has the opportunity to do so. That is why I support a highly subsidized college and vocational training initiative.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2020

Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: After graduating from the University of Texas-Austin, Tzintzún Ramirez co-founded the Workers Defense Project. She headed the group for 10 years before leaving in 2016 to found Jolt, an advocacy group aimed at young Latinos.

* * *

Key Messages

* * *

Tzintzún Ramirez said she was running with the goal of making government more representative and better able to respond to challenges. She said she wanted to ensure that her son inherited a better world.

* * *

Tzintzún Ramirez said that Texas was uniquely suited to lead the U.S. in a new direction. She said that Texans dream big and that the majority of the state's population was comprised of people of color, immigrants, and their children, in line with projections for the country as a whole in the future.

* * *

In her campaign kickoff video, Tzintzún Ramirez said, "We have people in power that have wanted to make us feel powerless in a moment where we actually have incredible power. When we come together, we can change the course of history."

* * *

Sources: Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 11, 2020, Youtube, "Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez - The Power of Us," August 12, 2019; Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 11, 2020, The Texas Tribune, "A conversation with Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, candidate for U.S. Senate," November 21, 2019

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2020

Royce West

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: Texas State Senate (Assumed office: 1992)

Biography: West obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington and his law degree from the University of Houston. At the time of the 2020 campaign, West was an attorney in private practice and the managing partner of West &amp; Associates, L.L.P.

* * *

Key Messages

* * *

West said that he had the most legislative experience of any candidate in the race and that he would be the most effective opponent to President Trump.

* * *

West said he had a history of fighting on behalf of Texans, mentioning election governance, abortion, education, and healthcare as areas of particular concern.

* * *

West said that he had worked to elect Democrats to offices at all levels all across Texas and that he had a history of leadership within the party, including as convention chairman and as a member of the state party's executive committee and of the Democratic National Committee.

* * *

Sources: Royce West's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 11, 2020, Youtube, "Royce West: I have a message for Trump," January 17, 2020; Royce West's 2020 campaign website, "About Royce West," accessed February 11, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Texas in 2020

## Endorsements[edit]

This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Democratic primary endorsements

Endorsement  |  Bell |  Cooper |  Edwards |  Foster |  Garcia |  Harris |  Hegar |  Hernandez |  Hunter |  Ocegueda |  Tzintzún Ramirez |  West
Newspapers and editorials
The Austin American-Statesman[2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |  |  |  |  |
The Austin Chronicle[3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |
The Dallas Morning News[4] |  |  |  ✔  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram[5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔
The Houston Chronicle[6] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔
The San Antonio Express-News[7] |  |  |  ✔  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Elected officials
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)[8] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)[9] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Texas)[10] |  ✔  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia (D)[11] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔
Dallas County Treasurer Pauline Medrano (D)[12] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔
Organizations
350 Action[13] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |
Center for Popular Democracy Action[14] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee[15] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |  |  |  |  |
End Citizens United[16] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |  |  |  |  |
Giffords PAC[17] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |  |  |  |  |
Latino Victory Fund[18] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |
VoteVets[19] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |  |  |  |  |
Working Families Party[20] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ✔  |

## Timeline[edit]

### 2020[edit]

* March 2020 (click to collapse)

#### March[edit]

* March 2, 2020: An Emerson College poll sponsored by Nexstar Broadcasting found Hegar about even with West and narrowly leading Bell, Cooper, and Tzintzún Ramirez. Hegar had 16% support to West's 11%, Tzintzún Ramirez's 8%, Bell's 6%, and Cooper's 5%. None of the other candidates had more than 5% support. The poll had a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points.[21]
* March 2, 2020: A University of Texas at Tyler poll sponsored by the Dallas Morning News found Hegar apparently leading Tzintzún Ramirez, West, and Bell with 15% support to the other three candidates' 7% support each. None of the other candidates had more than 5% support. The poll had a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.[22]
* March 1, 2020: A Marist poll sponsored by NBC News found Hegar apparently leading Bell, Edwards, Garcia, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West. Hegar had 13% support to Garcia and Tzintzún Ramirez's 8% support each, West's 7% support, and Bell, Edwards, and Hernandez's 5% support each. None of the other candidates had more than 5% support. The poll had a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.[23]

* February 2020 (click to expand)

#### February[edit]

* February 25, 2020: A University of Houston poll found Hegar leading the declared candidates with 22% support, followed by West with 7% support and Bell with 6% support. None of the other candidates had more than 5% support. The poll's confidence interval was 2.7%.[24]
* February 22, 2020: Bell, Edwards, Ocegueda, and West participated in a candidate forum at the University of North Texas.[25]
* February 21, 2020: The Houston Chronicle endorsed West.[6]
* February 21, 2020: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) endorsed Tzintzún Ramirez.[9]
* February 19, 2020: Lone Star PAC launched an ad campaign in support of Tzintzún Ramirez.[26]
* February 18, 2020: Eleven candidates participated in a debate at the KVUE studio in Austin.[27]
* February 18, 2020: Rep. Joaquin Castro (D) endorsed Tzintzún Ramirez.[8]
* February 17, 2020: A University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll found Hegar leading the declared candidates with 22% support. Tzintzún Ramirez followed with 9% support, while Bell had 7% support, Edwards and West had 6% support each, and Garcia and Hernandez had 5% support each.[28]
* February 16, 2020: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram endorsed West.[5]
* February 14, 2020: The Austin American-Statesman endorsed Hegar.[2]
* February 13, 2020: The Austin Chronicle endorsed Tzintzún Ramirez.[3]
* February 10, 2020: The Dallas Morning News endorsed Edwards and West.[4]
* February 3, 2020: VoteVets luanched a $3.3 million ad campaign in support of Hegar.[29]

* January 2020 (click to expand)

#### January[edit]

* January 25, 2020: Bell, Edwards, Hegar, Hernandez, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West participated in a debate at the AFL-CIO COPE Convention.[30]

### 2019[edit]

* December 2019 (click to expand)

#### December[edit]

* December 16, 2019: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsed Hegar.[15]
* December 10, 2019: Bell, Edwards, Hegar, Hernandez, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West participated in a candidate forum hosted by Indivisible.[31]
* December 9, 2019: The filing period closed for this election. Twelve Democrats filed for the seat: Chris Bell (D), Michael Cooper (D), Amanda Edwards (D), Jack Daniel Foster Jr. (D), Annie Garcia (D), Victor Harris (D), Mary Jennings Hegar (D), Sema Hernandez (D), D.R. Hunter (D), Adrian Ocegueda (D), Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez (D), and Royce West (D).

* September 2019 (click to expand)

#### September[edit]

* September 5, 2019: Bell, Edwards, Hernandez, Ocegueda, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West participated in a candidate forum hosted by WFAA-TV at Collin College in Frisco.[32]

## Campaign themes[edit]

See also: Campaign themes

### Chris Bell[edit]

Bell's campaign website stated the following:

“  |

Health Care
Today, health care in America costs too much, giving too much power to insurance companies to raise premiums unchecked and rake in record profits. Chris believes health care is a right and not a privilege only for those who can afford it. That’s why he supports a Medicare for All plan that will guarantee coverage for every American, lower health care costs, and allow a choice between private and public Medicare plans to force insurance companies to look after patients and consumers, not only their own profits.

Jobs and Opportunity
For generations, Texas has been the land of opportunity where people come to work hard and achieve their dreams. Yet, because the rules are being written by CEOs and political insiders who put profits over people, families' paychecks can't keep up with rapidly rising costs. Enough is enough. We need to rebuild the middle class and make sure that when everyone works hard, they share in the prosperity they've helped create. In Texas, our working families are the engine of our success, and Chris will fight to make sure everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Ethics and Corruption
Our system of democracy is badly broken. Corporations and lobbyists spend billions to control our government and people must fight back. Texas needs a leader who will stand up against corruption and greed and do what's right to protect our democracy. As Congressman, Chris fought tirelessly for ethics reform and proved that he was willing to sacrifice even his job in order to speak up for Texans. In the Senate, Chris will bring that same fight and tenacity to end Citizens United and bring transparency and accountability to our campaign finance system. Government must stop being for sale.

Right now, we are experiencing the most corrupt White House administration that we have ever seen in our lifetimes. Trump is abusing the power of the presidency to enrich himself and his friends, while also using the seal of the oval office to pressure foreign leaders into interfering in our political elections. And just recently, we’ve learned that Senator John Cornyn accepted over $30,000 of illegal and unethical contributions from a well-renowned governmental contractor. This is not just partisan politics as usual, it’s criminal.

Enough is enough.

That’s why Former Congressman Chris Bell is calling for some of the most aggressive and sweeping proposals to end the cycle of corruption, restore our democracy, and return control of our government to the people. Ending the Corruption of Money in Our Politics
Chris will bring the same kind of fight and determination to cleaning up the corrupting influence of money in our politics as he as a Houston City Council Member, where he helped pass some of the most stringent ethical standards that remain in place to this day. Our democracy should belong to the voices and choices of the people, not to the highest bidder.

* Chris Bell Supports Passing the Democracy for All Amendment and Overturning Citizens United v. SEC. Passing the Democracy for All Amendment would restore the promise of democracy to Americans by reducing the insidious influence of corporate and special interest money in our politics, enshrining the principle that the Constitution confers a voice to all citizens, not just the entitled elite. This amendment would allow Congress and the states to regulate and set reasonable limits on raising and spending money by candidates, individuals, and groups who seek to influence elections.
* Former Congressman Bell will work to end dark money groups. Chris will support legislation to bar 501(c)(4)s – “social welfare” organizations that can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on federal and state elections without disclosing their donors - from spending in elections. Chris will also work to reform the Federal Election Campaign Act to ensure that any group or organization that spends more than $10,000 on federal elections publicly discloses its donors.
* Chris will support banning corporate PAC contributions, end federal contractor contributions, and prohibit lobbyist contributions to those they lobby. Lobbyist, corporate PACs, and federal

contractor dollars have no place in our campaign finance system. The undue influence, or even the appearance of undue influence of quid pro quo campaign contributions must end. It’s important to ensure that our Senators are working independently on behalf of their constituents, and not their own pocketbooks.

Making the Presidency Accountable
In a recent court hearing, the Trump Administration recently argued that even if President Trump shot a man on Fifth Avenue while in office, he could not be investigated or prosecuted. This is shameful. Our country was built on the rule of law, and no one, not even the President, is above the law. As US Senator, Chris Bell will ensure that this brazen treatment of the Presidency like a dictatorship ends immediately and that all federal public officials will work for only one group: the people of the United States.

* Chris Bell supports preventing the White House from improperly interfering in federal investigations and prosecutions, and explicitly clarify Congress’s intent to allow the indictment of the President for obstruction of justice and other high crimes. While no court has ruled a President may not be indicted, amending the United States Code to clarify the President of the United States may be indicted will put an immediate end to current DOJ policy and any question on the subject. Congress needs to make it clear the Presidency is not a dictatorship nor a license for impunity, and that Presidents can and must be held accountable for violating the law.

* Former Congressman Bell will introduce a law clamping down on conflicts of interest and self-dealing in Washington. Instead of “draining the swamp” as promised, Donald Trump has created an unprecedented amount of corruption and outside influence within his Administration. Donald Trump alone now has over 2,310 conflicts stemming from his business interests. Chris will pass a law that will apply conflicts of interest laws to the President and Vice-President to finally end the self-dealing.

* Chris will act to ensure that all federal candidates are required to release their tax returns before seeking federal office. The American people deserve to know how their elected officials, including the President, make their money, because the decisions they will make will end up affecting everyone.

Making Public Officials Abide Our Laws
If any ordinary citizens were to ignore a subpoena, we’d be put in jail and slapped with hefty fines for ignoring our legal system. Why is it then that so many politicians and insiders regularly ignore subpoenas and investigations with almost no consequences? It’s time that all of our public officials play by the public’s rules. As your US Senator, Chris will work tirelessly to ensure that we remain a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

* Chris Bell will support legislation to enhance compliance with and enforcement of Congressional subpoenas. Congressional oversight is a core competency of the Legislative Branch and serves as a key mechanism by which they can place a check as a co-equal on the Executive Branch. Recently public officials have ignored subpoenas, sometimes at the direction of the White House in order to evade oversight. Higher civil penalties and enhanced procedures will deter bad actors from acting above the law.

* Former Congressman Bell will work to establish an independent, central authority for enforcing federal anti-corruption and ethics laws. This new body will finally bring a governmental entity together focused solely on federal anti-corruption and ethics that will stand apart from the Administration and be able to pursue its own subpoenas.

* Chris will act to strengthen the Office of Congressional Ethics. Just as he did when he filed the ethics complaint against then-House Majority Leader Tom Delay, Chris believes that strong ethical standards are the backbone of good government. He will fight tooth and nail to ensure that the Legislative Branch is working for the people, not for themselves or special interests.

While Chris knows this is just the beginning and more reforms will be needed, these proposals will serve as the backbone of his anti-corruption plan to stop career politicians and bureaucrats like John Cornyn from breaking the public trust for their own gain.

LGBTQ+ Equality
No should be discriminated against based on who they are or who they love. Period. But the truth is that homophobia and transphobia are still very real in our country. To this day, the LGBTQ community lacks specific civil rights protections that every other American enjoys.

That's why Chris will fight to pass the Equality Act to provide the LGBTQ+ community explicit and comprehensive protection from discrimination in all facets of life, including employment, schools, and public accommodations and vote to override President Trump’s immoral ban on transgender servicemembers in the Armed Forces.

Chris will make sure that here in Texas, y'all means all.

Climate
Man-made climate change is real and poses an existential threat – not just to our environment, but to our health, our communities, our national security, and our economic well-being.

I’ve seen firsthand what climate change means for Texas. Over the years our family home in Houston experienced increasing flooding, but after Hurricane Harvey, my family and I finally had to finally say goodbye to our home because it just wasn’t practical to keep. And we had it easy.

We are an oil state that is smart enough to incorporate renewable energy. Being a leader in renewable energy will move us toward a clean and strong economy that can be the envy of the world. It’s time Texas took the lead in the green economy.

Common Sense Gun Safety
It is no exaggeration to say that we are living through a gun violence crisis in this country, and there is no other issue that has highlighted the inability of John Cornyn to lead for Texas than on guns.

Over 90% of Texans agree that Universal Background Checks should be the law of the land, yet our leaders will not stand up to the special interests and lobbyists who want to keep gun loopholes open.

Texas deserves a Senator who will take immediate measures against gun violence. That’s why Chris will demand Universal Background Checks, a ban and buyback program for weapons of war and high capacity magazines, and strong red-flag laws that will save lives and prevent future violence.

Texans are ready for action.

Women's Health
Having served on the national board of NARAL Pro-Choice America for 7 years, Chris knows the ferocious attacks that women's health care and a woman's right to choose are under at this important crossroads for our country. Chris will fight to protect women's health care and reproductive freedom as a United States Senator, and will work to expand access to women's health care clinics throughout Texas.

Texas has a terrible track record when it comes to health care – 50th in the nation for uninsured and 50th in maternal mortality. If Texas was it’s own country, we would be last out of all developed nations in maternal mortality. We should be ashamed of that.

Women’s health care clinics are and always have been an important resource for health care for underserved communities. Chris will fight to stop the attacks on Planned Parenthood, which gives quality health care to millions of women, protect women’s right to make her own health decisions, and must protect access to prenatal care.[33][34]

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### Michael Cooper[edit]

Cooper's campaign Facebook page stated the following:

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Michael is the consummate business man. In fact, he has been in business since he was 16 years of age, Michael was credited with landing the contract for over a 100,000 dollars per year with his newly established lawn & maintenance company. The old saying, “father like son” comes to mind, because Michael followed in his mother and father’s foot step’s as business people. Although his father only had a 6th grade education and his mother had to drop out of high school at an early age to assist her single parent mother with the bills. Both parents gave Michael the necessary tools he needed to be successful. Michael loves knowledge and it shows as he will complete his Masters in psychology in 2018. He has a passion for people and the community as he continues to plant Churches and work with civil rights workers in the community to decrees the violence that is suffocating prosperity through-out our great State of Texas.

Michael is a family man that loves movie night with his wife and 4 children. He loves riding his bicycle, working out and reading the bible. He can catch him on his day off working around the house and playing with his two dog’s.

Michael’s platform is Education, Education, Education. He says the way out of social economic disparities, is education. He say’s we need to teach and not teach toward testing, back to the basic’s. He says we need to secure and grow good quality teachers, by increasing teacher pay and securing a good retirement program for them.

We need to reform and change the legal and justice system in Texas so it can be equal for all not some.

Michael’s father passed away from complication’s due to lung cancer, because of poor health care. Affordable health care is a necessity and should not only be for the privileged. Affordable health care is one of the many things that Michael will fight for you and all families in Texas for.[35][34]

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### Amanda Edwards[edit]

Edwards' campaign website stated the following:

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Healthcare
In light of her parents’ battles with cancer, Amanda knows firsthand that access to healthcare is an issue of life and death for many Americans. One in six Texans — 5 million people — lacks health care coverage, including nearly a million children. That is the largest number of uninsured people within any single state in the United States. Many more have inadequate coverage and are one illness away from financial instability or worse.

Amanda supports building on the successes of the Affordable Care Act, protecting health care for folks with pre-existing conditions, and working to get more Americans affordably covered as quickly as possible, all while preserving health care choices. Amanda wants to ensure that a public option is available for Texans who cannot currently obtain coverage. She also believes the Texas Legislature’s refusal to expand the Medicaid program is a mistake, given that doing so would immediately cover about one million uninsured Texans.

Even for those with health care coverage, rapidly escalating premiums and prescription drug costs are simply unsustainable for working families. Amanda supports controlling premium increases and lowering the cost of prescription drugs by giving the federal government power to negotiate prices, limiting cost increases and allowing more generic drugs on the market.

In recent years, the largest mental health providers in Texas have been its jails. One quarter of inmates in the Harris County Jail – the state’s largest – suffer from mental illness. Amanda supports expanding mental health services as part of health care coverage and increasing federal funding of mental health services at the local level. Such measures will uplift both individuals and communities.

Economy
While Texas enjoys a strong economy overall, nearly one quarter of Texans now live in an economically distressed zip code. Nationally, research shows growing anxiety, particularly in modest income and rural communities, about the future of the economy and potential job loss. 55 percent of respondents in one survey viewed increased automation of jobs as a negative development, compared to just 39 percent who said it was positive. To address the anxiety regarding the future of work and the economy, Amanda has an inclusive vision that incorporates all Texans into today’s and tomorrow’s economy.

As a local official, Amanda has worked to lay the groundwork for an economy that works for all Houstonians. Her efforts include the creation of Houston’s Innovation District, prioritizing high-capacity public transit and increasing small business lending to women, veterans and minorities, all while planning for the effects of automation on the changing future of work. Amanda will bring her same focus to all of Texas to ensure economic development efforts leave no Texas community — urban, rural or suburban — behind.

It has been more than a dozen years since the federal minimum wage was raised, which at $7.25 per hour is only about half of a living wage for a family of four in Texas today. Amanda believes that sustainable wage jobs for working families are critical, and that it is long past time to raise the minimum wage. Amanda also believes that life-long training opportunities for workers should be available and portable, so that Texans can adjust to changes in the economy and keep their job skills up to date.

While Texas has been a national economic engine over the last decade, nearly all our job and business growth has been in the state’s four largest metropolitan areas. For communities outside the big cities, these are challenging times. Jobs are scarce, young people move away, threatening the vitality of many of our rural communities. More than 20 rural hospitals in Texas have closed just in the last six years, further exacerbating the challenges.

Amanda aims to ensure that all Texans are included in today’s and tomorrow’s economy. Today, nearly two million Texans lack access to broadband internet infrastructure, leaving them disconnected from virtual education and job opportunities. Amanda will push for federal measures to build an inclusive broadband network to connect Texans to opportunity no matter where they live. Amanda also aims to provide businesses incentives to locate sustainable wage back office activity and other virtual job activity into rural markets that have experienced substantial job loss.

Education
In today’s economy, higher education is more important than ever, but exploding costs are putting it out of reach for too many families. Student loan debt, now more than $1.5 trillion, has skyrocketed and saddled young people with the equivalent of a home mortgage before they even begin their careers and can buy a home.

The federal government must take a leadership role in making higher education more accessible to the masses, by reducing the rate of increases that may be charged for tuition by both public and private institutions (that receive federal grant dollars). The federal government should use its leverage as a provider of grants to these institutions to rein in tuition increases.

Expanding Pell Grants for students, both in dollar amounts and by increasing the income threshold to qualify for them, and stopping the abusive financial practices of for-profit institutions are other ways in which the federal government can play a meaningful role in making college more affordable.

People
Amanda is committed to servant leadership that empowers residents to demand and obtain the results from government they deserve. Whether it is comprehensive immigration reform, sensible policies to reduce gun violence, criminal justice reform or addressing the growing concerns surrounding the environment, her approach is centered around dignity and respect for all people and effecting positive change in their lives.[36][34]

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### Jack Daniel Foster Jr.[edit]

Foster's campaign website stated the following:

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Immigration
We must have compassion before correction; yes, it is wrong to cross the border illegally, but lawful to claim asylum. The United States must use a modified Marshall Plan to rebuild the Northern Triangle (Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador).

The rebuilding of these economies should set aside funds, subtracted from subsidies given, to incentivize property/homeowners around the country to put immigrants through skilled vocational trade schools while they wait on their asylum hearings. I believe this will accomplish two things, most importantly, will give immigrants a chance to take care of their families and burnish our reputation around the world. Please do not think this is nonsense; again, we have to move beyond the traditional way of governing, involving our citizens in this process.

Abortion
I refer everyone to Luke 6:37-38, Do Not Judge

I will always be for a woman’s right to choose; parents raise their daughters to be independent and make well-informed decisions about their own lives. In Saudi Arabia, there are only two independent decisions women can make for themselves, those decisions are driving and voting (both within the last five years). The United States is well beyond this.

Guns
Yes, I believe in the 2nd Amendment, but the constitution provides for both the national government and state government to regulate the possession and use of firearms by private persons. I am in favor of “deep” background checks, smart guns with finger print technology, and phasing out military style guns. Nobody should be armed better than law enforcement.

Economy
I want everyone to remember this, “what we talk about has nothing to do with private industry; it is not socialism, communism, feudalism, or mercantilism.” This is a political economy which has to do with influencing economic policy and social well-being of our citizenry in our counties of Texas. Our standard of living and quality of life is determined where we live, not Washington, D.C. or Austin, Texas.

We must incentivize property/homeowners to invest in their communities; ensuring everyone advantaged and disadvantaged obtain skilled vocational trades. This sets the stage for vast economic growth which position Texas counties and community colleges to be leaders in green technologies and more. We must create “A Better Way” for Texas. We must involve our property/homeowners in our new future. We must allow property/homeowners to give every county citizen the opportunity to be successful. * Remember this is ultimately about creating an environment which every citizen’s goal is to be a property/homeowner so they can obtain the rewards of being a taxpayer in their community and the feeling of personal security.

Healthcare
The most expensive aspect of healthcare is hospitalization; I am committed to eliminating deductibles and coinsurance for hospital stays and making premiums reasonable, such as fifty to hundred dollars for singles and no more than two hundred seventy dollars for families (monthly for both).

Texas has a unique law I feel we can take advantage of; Health and Safety Code Chapter 121- Local Public Health Reorganization Act in conjunction with Government Code Chapter 791. Counties, cities, and towns can negotiate in good faith together showing hospitals their commitment to healthcare and real affordability for all. We cannot build a new future within my vision “A Better Way” and my plan The Cycle of Return- Incentives for Texas Counties if healthcare premiums are disproportionate to any income. I will also seek a waiver from Medicare to allow Texas counties to negotiate on their behalf.

The Cycle of Return-Incentives for Texas Counties
This is my vision “A Better Way” for Texas Counties, conceptualized in a cycle for everyone to envision the transformation in how community investment and involvement prepares both advantaged and disadvantaged citizens for a mutually beneficial new future. As citizens of Texas, we are meant to share in such a way that reassures, challenges, and give us all hope in the only thing that matters-People. I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out a way to bring everyone together in a simplistic way, so it does not matter about economic status, race, creed, or gender; we have work to do.

Four important independent parts to the cycle:

1. Property/homeowners
2. Resident Citizens (Advantaged and Disadvantaged)
3. Community Colleges
4. County government

Property/homeowners
Property/homeowners should be incentivized in a way that encourages investing in developing a skilled citizenry, no matter the age, and protecting their financial security. The risk-free rate will eliminate angst in doing what is rightfully your honor to do-invest in community; the design feature is meant for investors to cultivate their investment. The only way for the property/homeowner to get the full incentive rate, eight or five percent, the resident citizen must obtain their certification or licensure.

Resident Citizen (Advantaged and Disadvantaged)
It is vitally important that resident citizens absorb all the knowledge and insight possible through skilled vocational trade school and their investor; after certification/ licensure process it will be up to the resident citizens’ maturational development- independence, disposable income, retirement savings, and home purchase to ultimately become an investor in their community themselves.

Community Colleges
I foresee community colleges as the investment domain of property/homeowners, albeit associate degrees, leading to skilled vocational trades with certification or licensure. This should encourage Texas community colleges to be bolder in seeking the latest skilled programs in environmental and technological fields for our new future.

County Government
The role of county government is always key in facilitating growth, personally and economically, for our standard of living and quality of life. This is why all two hundred fifty-four county governments must be given the lead role in negotiating with hospitals to ensure no deductibles, no co-insurance, affordability, and protecting financial security for their counties’ citizens. We must use Health and Safety Code Chapter 121 & Government Code Chapter 791-Texas Constitution, to allow for cooperation among counties, cities, and towns to assure hospitals have longevity and fair profitability. This will go a long way in alleviating the most expensive aspect of healthcare- hospitalization.

Public Controlled Capitalism
My economic model, Cycle of Return-Incentives for Texas Counties, place established citizens, homeowners and property owners, at the apex of the cycle, which strategically use “Public Controlled Capitalism”, incentive rates, to encourage investment in county citizenry for skilled vocational trades. The economic metrics of the nation: GDP, unemployment rate, inflation rate, Wall Street investment returns have neither connection nor applicability to main street. This is why I will quicken direct investment in human capital thru individuals in counties, with incentives, not the use of student loans in associate’s degrees or less; community colleges will be the investment domain of homeowners and property owners.

This economic model is applicable to all 3,142 counties, county equivalents, District of Columbia, and territories of the United States; we will eliminate capture at all levels of government: Federal, State, and County, decrease opportunity cost, eliminate creative destruction, increase utility of every person, and most of all severely constrict free-riders. Economic growth correlates directly with quality of life and standard of living which tie into the affordability of the “big three”- education, healthcare, and retirement.

I am the only U.S. Senatorial Candidate who has an economic plan for all 254 counties in Texas and the nation; it is the pocketbook issues, kitchen table issues that matter most in our lives first, because at our core being we ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity before caring about anything else. So, it will always remain incumbent upon leaders to incentivize instead of dictate a common purpose.

It is manifest in my writings and economic model, I choose to give homeowners and property owners the opportunity to have security in risk-free investment in human capital in county, advantaged or disadvantaged, for skilled vocational trades and to enrich lives with mentoring, and life experience. I strive to insure no person will ever have to be fearful of our new future.[37][34]

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### Annie Garcia[edit]

Garcia's campaign website stated the following:

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The Key to Everything (Read Here First)
Below are my thoughts on a variety of issues that I believe are hurting most Texans and contributing to the decline of our country, as well as my ideas of how we can improve. They are all in varying degrees of development and as this campaign progresses, I will continue to fine-tune and supplement them, adding more details and filling in the holes.

They are bold and, without question, very ambitious. In reading them, I ask that you keep in mind two things.

First, they are all achievable. All of them. The solutions presented here all exist, all are within our financial wherewithal and in fact would, in most cases, would benefit us economically. The only question is whether our public servants are going to have not only the desire, but the fire, the political bravery, to prioritize us- you- over special interests, corporations, the NRA, their country club buddies, Jeff Bezos and all the rest that are getting rich in this incredibly unsustainable and inequitable system.

That’s why we must elect a new Democratic guard, people who represent us because they are us. We can do all of this if we can take back the presidency and Senate, and hold onto the House. We can make enormous strides in the achievement of our “more perfect union”. I am convinced. Or else I wouldn’t be running.

Second, not only is this possible, it is absolutely necessary. Instead of focusing on what 2020 looks like, try to imagine 2100. A lot of us will still be around. What do you imagine? If you are like me, Last Man on Earth may come to mind, or a dystopian hellscape. Never has our country or the human race been more in peril. There will not be any country that we can escape to. This is it. I truly believe this and this fear too is why I run.

Quality Healthcare for All
U.S. healthcare, and particularly in Texas, is the exception to the rule that “you get what you pay for”. Not only is it expensive, it’s not particularly good. We have the financial wherewithal to ensure that every American has full access to treatment. We just need to prioritize it.

I vow to fight for every Texan to have the same access to medical treatment that was afforded my daughter when her life hung in the balance- quality, universal healthcare.

I am not going to blow smoke and act like I have all the answers on how we get there, because not only is that impossible, it’s not particularly smart. This is complicated stuff, and we need leaders who are going to make informed, strategic choices with the goal of providing healthcare for all Americans, with no more funny business of co-insurance, co-pays, deductibles, lifetime limits, out-of-network, pre-existing conditions, and every other way we have been getting fleeced.

I promise you that I know firsthand why access to healthcare is a life-or-death issue, and that I will work like hell and figure out the best way to get it done.

The Problem

* U.S. healthcare is too expensive
* We pay more for U.S. healthcare than any other developed country.
* Over 65% of personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills.
* It's not even very good.
* Up to 400,000 preventable deaths occur every year in U.S. hospitals, making it the third leading cause of death.
* Our outcomes are worse than any other developed country.
* And it doesn't even cover millions of Americans.
* Over 40,000 American die every year due to lack of health insurance.
* 25% of Americans are uninsured or underinsured.
* And Texas has the highest population rate of people without health insurance in the U.S.
* Our healthcare system slows down economic growth.
* Americans overwhelmingly support universal healthcare.
* Republicans are fighting to repeal the closest we've come to universal healthcare, and John Cornyn is leading the charge.

My Pledge
I vow to fight for every Texan to have the same access to medical treatment that was afforded my daughter when her life hung in the balance- free, universal healthcare. I am not going to blow smoke and act like I have all the answers on how we get there, because no one does. But I promise you that that is a top priority and my goal, and I will work like hell to figure out the best way to get it done.

An End to the GOP/NRA Blood Pact
Americans overwhelming support changing our gun laws to reduce gun violence, and yet Republicans stop research on gun violence, stop any measures to reduce access to guns and offer nothing more than their thoughts and prayers. They not only refuse to lead on this public health crisis, but refuse to follow and respond to the will of the people.

Instead, they have made a deal to help the companies that make guns, that rely on people’s unfettered access to guns in order to prop up corporate profits, with the trade-off that people die.

Make no mistake; Republicans have no other plan on how to curb gun violence. They are fine with this trade-off that ensures their reelection. And Democrats who refuse to fight with every fiber of their being are complicit.

This blood pact stops now.

We must go beyond background checks, closing gun sale loopholes, and banning military-grade weapons like the AK-47 and bump stocks and update our solutions to reflect today’s society. I propose that gunowners carry liability insurance similar to what is required for drivers. Credit card companies should be required to track suspicious gun purchases, similar to what they currently do to track fraudulent activity. And we should harness technological advances and create fingerprint recognition software to reduce the risk of accidental shootings.

The majority of these deaths are preventable with existing, easy-to-implement solutions. It’s a matter of Congress prioritizing our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness over NRA profits.

No Other High-Income Country in The World Comes Close to U.S. Deaths
40,000 people die and 100,000 people are injured every year in the United States at the end of a gun barrel. No other high-income country in the world comes close to U.S. gun deaths, despite having similar rates of mental illness and proliferation of video games.

Gun Violence Disproportionately Affects Women, Children and People of Color
It is the second-leading cause of death of children, and people of color and especially women, are disproportionately likely to the be victims of gun violence. In fact, the best predictor of future acts of gun violence is intimate partner violence, most commonly inflicted by men on women.

Republicans Trade Our Lives for Their Greed
Given the gun-manufacturer-friendly laws that ensure the proliferation of guns with over 337,000 guns registered and untold unregistered firearms in Texas, gun violence is widespread, with about 3,500 gun deaths every year, including the most mass shootings of any state in the country. In fact, within hours of a mass shooting in a El Paso Wal-Mart, on the heels of the Sutherland Springs church mass shooting and the Santa Fe High School mass shooting, and preceding by hours the Dallas/Ft. Worth mass shooting, the Texas Legislature made clear their priorities and loosened our already weak gun restrictions.

I appreciate a good deer backstrap more than most and support regulated hunting. But the NRA has weaponized the Second Amendment to prop up the declining gun manufacturing industry and Republicans have traded each American’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to ensure their own reelection.

The Second Amendment Does Not Protect Weapons of War
The Second Amendment ensures the right to “bear arms”. Not only were single-shot, handcrafted muskets and guns the most advanced form of arms at the time the Second Amendment was penned, but even as weapon technology has advanced, we draw the line somewhere. For example, if you tried to set up a surface-to-air missile launcher in your backyard, chances are the FBI would be knocking at your front door, assuming your homeowners’ association didn’t beat them to the punch.

Gun Violence Hurts the U.S. Economy
The externalized costs of this corporate welfare include increased both economic costs such as the costs of treatment born by both victims and medical providers, as well as the stress of being on constant- high alert and the untold costs born by society with the reduction in safe public spaces.

Americans Overwhelmingly Support Changes to Gun Laws
Americans overwhelming support changing our gun laws to reduce gun violence, and yet Republicans stop research on gun violence, stop any measures to reduce access to guns and offer nothing more than their thoughts and prayers. They not only refuse to lead on this public health crisis, but refuse to follow and respond to the will of the people. Instead, they have made a deal to help the companies that make guns, that rely on people’s unfettered access to guns in order to prop up corporate profits, with the trade-off that people die.

Make no mistake; Republicans have no other plan on how to curb gun violence. They are fine with this trade-off that ensures their reelection.

And Democrats who refuse to fight with every fiber of their being are complicit.

This blood pact stops now.

We Can End This
We must go beyond background checks, closing gun sale loopholes, and banning military-grade weapons like the AK-47 and bump stocks and update our solutions to reflect today’s society. I propose that gunowners carry liability insurance similar to what is required for drivers. Credit card companies should be required to track suspicious gun purchases, similar to what they currently do to track fraudulent activity. And we should harness technological advances and create fingerprint recognition software to reduce the risk of accidental shootings.

The majority of these deaths are preventable with existing, easy-to-implement solutions. It’s a matter of Congress doing their job and prioritizing our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness over NRA profits.

Wild Pigs: The Nightmare That Is Not Keeping You Up (Yet)
Feral hogs, or as we say in Texas, wild pigs, have the potential of bringing the U.S. agricultural export market to a halt, a catastrophic event that would ripple throughout the American economy and cost trillions of dollars and jobs.

Wild pigs are an invasive species to the United States, originally introduced by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, as a sort of living larder. These enormous mammals eat almost anything, and converted grass and acorns to edible pork for the marauding explorers. But the population of wild pigs exploded in the 1970s when hunters realized the recreational and commercial value of hunting wild pigs and began bringing more to Texas.

Texas is now home to the largest population of the fastest-reproducing large mammal on earth; 3 million wild pigs currently roam Texas. With the ability of 1 sow to produce 14 piglets a year and 7 of those piglets to also reproduce their own litter of 7 piglets within the same year, the population is exploding.

Just to maintain this population of 3 million in Texas, we would have to double how many pigs we kill every year. To get a sense of how overwhelming this problem really is, watch this video “Insane Feral Hog Eradication”.

Further, in addition to being incredibly fertile, wild pigs are incredibly smart. Pigs teach each other how to avoid traps, and have even used rocks to test for electric fencing. And at up to 400 pounds, wild pigs are a scourge on the crops and incomes of farmers. They have begun invading suburban and even urban areas, and present a serious danger to humans.

Despite the incredible economic costs already born by farmers and ranchers due to these resilient beasts, it could get much worse in the event that these animals contract a disease, such as African swine fever. Such an event would shut down our agricultural export market and cost our country trillions of dollars in losses.

Solutions are hard to come by, and there have been proposals from the likes of Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller and seconded by research economists at the USDA National Wildlife Research Center, advocating for the use of a poison called warfarin, which carries with it its own risks of poisoning other animals and potentially our food supply.

So far, there is no good solution, but as your Senator, researching and strategizing an answer to this exponentially increasing problem will be a high priority.

Also, the less time I have to fundraise, the more time I can problem-solve. Please considering supporting our campaign with a donation.

By clicking to donate below, you are helping me spend more time on problem-solving and less time fundraising.

CJO (Criminal Justice Overhaul)
I remember my first day of Criminal Law class in law school. My professor started the lecture by asking us what the purpose of the criminal justice system is, and the arguments seemed to group around three main objectives.

First is the practical argument. If we don’t have laws and the ability to enforce those laws, than society will devolve into chaos. Further, by punishing people for their bad acts, it is an example to other potential bad actors and deters other crimes/criminals.

Second, there is a moral/ethical purpose. If someone does something that hurts another person or undermines the social contract, then it seems right that there should be consequences.

Finally, there is an argument that centers on rehabilitation, or restorative justice. The criminal justice system is seen less as a tool of retribution, but rather offers the space and tools for people to repent and improve, with the goal of reintegrating into society.

By all measurements, our criminal justice system is broken. Laws do not ensure equal protection and are unevenly applied, sending a message that certain crimes are or, if committed by certain people, acceptable. Yet other, less morally bankrupt crimes, result in disproportionate prison time.

The race and socioeconomic status of the accused are far more determinative of punishment than the actual crime.

Finally, our criminal justice system not only does not offer the opportunity for rehabilitation, it insidiously and systematically erects steep barriers to reentry and reintegration, making prosperity after prison practically impossible.

Fairness, due process, equal protection and rehabilitation must be the overriding goals of our justice system. All people must be afforded the same access to justice regardless of socioeconomic status, race, religion, country of origin or sexual orientation.

Civil Justice Reform
The right to trial by jury in civil matters is enshrined in the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is also guaranteed by the Texas Bill of Rights which states that the “right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate.”

And yet the reality on the ground is much different. As an attorney, I have a distinct advantage to waging a legal battle, yet when I was threatened by my own civic association (even less understood than an HOA) to remove a fence that protects my 3 young children from armed burglaries (2), cars driving up onto the lawn and hitting the house (it happened to our next door neighbor) and most significantly, protecting my daughter who is considered a disabled person under the Americans with Disabilities Act, I knew that our courts were not where I was going to get justice. Even handling my own legal costs, it would have been too expensive, and likely would have taken enormous amounts of time and energy away from my family, my businesses and my non-profit. (Spoiler: I won. No one messes with Mama.)

Like our criminal justice system, our civil justice system has been used as a tool by corporations and the well-heeled to exploit the most vulnerable.

At the state level, tort reform and limitations on class action lawsuits have decimated individuals’ ability to hold big, deliberately bad actors accountable.

Money certainly cannot replace all that is lost when a woman loses her ability to have children due to undisclosed complications known by a drug manufacturer but not communicated to her prescribing doctor or herself. But it can help her pay the costs associated with her additional medical treatment, marriage counseling and adoption costs. Further, there should be some attempt to compensate the profound sense of grief and loss inflicted upon her by the intentional omission of known complications. And if it isn’t just one woman, but a thousand, then certainly there should be an easy way for them to aggregate their experiences, in the name of both justice and efficiency.

I want to explore more the relationship between every individual’s Seventh Amendment right and understand how this constitutional right can be used to force change at the state level.

"City Upon a Hill" Immigration
My husband is a naturalized U.S. citizen. His father, a Cuban refugee, endured two years in a work camp under Fidel Castro so that he could emigrate to Spain, where he immediately applied for a U.S. visa and waited for years before it was approved.

As an attorney, I have won asylum for families fleeing from horrific abuse and probable death, seeking refuge in our country, a beacon of hope with the promise of justice.

America’s diversity is what makes her uniquely great. It is our competitive advantage. The beauty of American immigration has been our practice of casting a wide net, ensuring diversity of ideas, skill sets and perspectives.

The system has been broken for decades. Our elected officials lack the moral spine and political courage to fix it and have been content to rely on illegal immigration by economic necessity, while demonizing illegal immigrants.

We must create a system of legal immigration that honors both our American values and our economic needs, realizing that a diverse population is the key to future American success.

And if I am elected, on November 4, 2020, I will relocate down to the border and figure out how we reunite the tens of thousands of families from whom we have kidnapped and caged their children, entering the Senate with a concrete plan on my first day in office.

America is Great Because of Immigrants
My husband is a naturalized U.S. citizen. His father, a Cuban refugee, endured two years in a work camp under Fidel Castro so that he cwould emigrate to Spain, where he immediately applied for a U.S. visa and waited for years before it was approved. As an attorney, I have won asylum for families fleeing from horrific abuse and probable death who came to our country, a beacon of hope with the promise of justice.

America’s diversity is what makes her uniquely great. It is our competitive advantage. The beauty of American immigration has been we have cast a wide net, ensuring diversity of ideas, skill sets and perspectives. By restricting immigration to just those that can afford to pay the $500,000 investor visa, we are assuring that we fall further behind economically.

Who Are We? Further, there is a real question here about who we, as Americans, are. Are we the America that erected a Lady Liberty, the Roman goddess of justice, holding a light in one hand to shine the way to our shores, the Declaration of Independence in the other, and etched in her base the exoneration “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free…send these, the homeless…I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Or are we a country who sees the huddled masses at our southern border, mostly women and children, and concludes that they are in fact an “invasion” of “animals”, “terrorists”, “drugs and criminals” who are “trying to rush our borders”, with absolutely no proof?

Make no mistake; this latter worldview is one born from a fundamental belief that white people are superior to people of color or, in other words, a tenet of white supremacy. The Trump Administration has demonstrated time and again that people of color are less desirable, productive, clean, law-abiding and trustworthy, civilized, and educated – in a word, less humane- than Whites. Based on this perspective, this Administration is creating policy that affects every aspect of American society, and most obviously, immigration.

Is this who we are? Is this who you are?

The Facts
The fact is that the U.S. economy relies heavily on the labor and contributions of both documented and undocumented immigrants; 17% of American workers are immigrants[9] and over 20% of the Texas workforce alone comprises immigrants.

The fact is that 40% of Fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants.

The fact is that undocumented immigrants pay $11,600,000,000 ($11.6 Billion) in taxes, while documented immigrants pay an additional $328,200,000,000 ($328.2 Billion) in taxes.

The fact is that immigrants are less likely than native-born Americans to commit crimes in Texas and across the United States.

The fact is that the outrageous cost of American healthcare has practically nothing to do with immigrants taking advantage of the system (and is the result of a for-profit, third-party payor model that incentivizes inefficiencies and rewards greed).

Not only do we have room for immigrants, we absolutely need immigrants for future economic prosperity in the face of a shrinking U.S. workforce.

My Position
Our immigration system has been broken for decades. I experienced it firsthand when helping legal immigrants apply for their citizenship. This is a problem of our own creation, or rather, a product of Congress’s lack of political courage to do its job.

If I win on November 3, 2020, the very next day I will relocate at our border and figure out how we reunite the tens of thousands of families from whom we have kidnapped and caged their children, entering the Senate with a concrete plan on my first day in office.

To fix the broken system that even allowed for such inhumanity to be perpetuated on behalf of the United States of America, I would fight for the following:

3-Point Immigration Plan

1. Completely overhaul our immigration system to create efficient, effective ways for people to legally enter our country based on our economic needs, rooted in data and projections on the changing American economy, and American values. To be clear, this would include:
1. A visa program based on needs of businesses to grow our economy; and
2. A visa program honoring our American values, such as asylum, refugee, and family reunification applications.
2. Renew President Reagan’s Immigration Reform Act to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the United States, including Dreamers.
3. Invest in and deploy smart, cost-effective technology to ensure the highest security of our real-world and cyber borders from terrorists and foreign actor attacks.

Abortion
I agree that human life is precious and deserves extra consideration. But the beginnings of human life are not of equal value to the mother’s life or that of a fully-formed human being.

Women’s ability to access safe abortions is a human right. Attempts to legislate and regulate women’s bodies are a violation of our most sacred privacy, and a tool by which majority-male government bodies attempt to diminish women’s worth and power.

I will fight with all of my being for a woman’s autonomy and her right to control her own body. I will empower her in whatever her decision is, whether it be abortion or motherhood, and will fight to ensure that her children are provided with the most fundamental of necessities, including healthcare, a quality education, shelter, food, and clothing.

When the Preservation of Life is Secondary to Other Values
When valuing human life, we, as a society have prioritized other objectives over the preservation of life, for its sake alone. We agree that the taking of the lives of our enemies in times of war is acceptable. We permit a criminal justice system that is empowered to take the life of someone who has been found guilty of crimes so antithetical to the social contract that this ultimate punishment is considered justified. And we have even grown accustomed to the death of our kids, our families, and our loved ones in the interests of a broadly interpreted Second Amendment.

A Woman’s Right to Control Her Own Body Outweighs the Preservation of the Promise of Life
The statement that a woman’s right to control her own body is one grounded in both fundamental beliefs and real-world consequences.

First, women are in no way lesser than men. They are, at a minimum, just as intelligent, considerate, thoughtful, nurturing, kind, generous, and empathetic as men. In fact, taken outside of this discussion of abortion, I think most would agree that women epitomize many of these characteristics more so than their male counterparts.) The thing that makes us excellent mothers also is what makes us excellent decisionmakers about our own bodies. Legislatures, predominantly comprising men, do not possess special knowledge, information-processing abilities or emotional range that exceed that of women.

Second, in addition to having at least the capacity to reason equal to men, women understand their bodies, their bank accounts, their partners’ ability to parent, and their own capabilities to raise a child better than anyone.

Third, our country was founded on the belief to each person’s right to privacy. A government’s ingression and interference in decisions about our own bodies is the ultimate violation. There is nothing more intimate and sacred than a person’s own body and their ability to control it. We see these values in action all the time.

Further, in a representative democracy in which women comprise 51% of the population and the right to privacy is considered fundamental to citizenship, the idea that male-dominated bodies have the authority decide what happens to women’s bodies is particularly problematic.

Fourth, by forbidding women the ability to control their own bodies in the name of life, that seedling of life is prioritized over the very real, very complex human life of the mother. This is made all the more stark in situations in which the life of the mother is at risk, and yet lawmakers mandate that termination of the pregnancy should still not be available.

Finally, the real-world, measurable repercussions of forcing women to have unwanted children has significant repercussions for both individual women, families and American society as a whole.

* Families who have unwanted children are more likely to suffer financially. Their children are more likely to be poor, less educated, and ultimately more likely to commit crime and enter our criminal justice system.
* The prohibition of abortion affects poor families disproportionately, as families with means will still be able to access abortions.
* The prohibition of abortion results in bad abortions being performed, putting women’s lives at risk.
* The inability of a woman to access an abortion further perpetuates a cycle of poverty.

It’s Not About the Sanctity of the Prospect of Life, It’s About Controlling Women
It is possible to look at all of the counterbalances above and, based on your own moral code, make the calculation that the preservation of the promise of human life still outweighs the principles that state-ordered pregnancies undermine and the real-world consequences that state-mandated pregnancies cause.

And I have three thoughts on that.

First, we live in a diverse society. There is no other person on this entire planet who is going to think or believe exactly like me. If I am going to be a member of society and benefit from all the ways in which we are different, then I must accept this fact to a certain degree. As a liberal in Texas, I know firsthand especially well what it is like to hold my tongue for the benefit of the social contract. Just because someone doesn’t believe that all of these above-identified reasons to allow abortion outweigh the prospect of human life does not mean that the state has the right to outlaw abortion.

In fact, the legislators that decry abortion are usually the same people that maintain the state’s right to take a person’s life, even as mounting evidence illustrates inherent racism in our criminal justice system and DNA evidence has proven innocent people have been convicted for crimes they did not commit.

Just because I don’t agree with abortion does not mean that the state has the right to violate women’s privacy and bodily autonomy and prevent them from accessing safe abortions.

This brings me to my second point. If the concern was really about preserving the prospect of human life, it would seem that more energy and resources would be spent in ensuring that unwanted pregnancies didn’t occur. If anti-abortion activists really wanted to limit abortions, then they could support provable methods that decrease pregnancy. They could support sex education and promote affordability and accessibility to birth control and other forms of contraception, as well as the Day After pill. But they don’t. In fact, they often lobby against such efforts. If it is really about preserving human life, it would seem that reducing the number of unintended pregnancies would be equally as important.

Finally, if the concern was really the preservation of human life, then one would think that there would be more interest in ensuring the quality and experience of that life. But there is not. The same people who argue that a woman does not have the right to terminate an unwanted or unviable pregnancy are the same people who:

* Defund Medicaid, food stamps, WIC and other public programs that benefit the babies of Americans most affected by unwanted pregnancies, the poor
* Oppose expanding healthcare, forcing the uninsured to incur tens of thousands of dollars in hospital bills for deliveries of babies they would not have otherwise chosen to have
* Have yet to do anything to reduce the infant mortality rate, which is one of the highest of any high-income country in the world
* Take no issue with the fact that the United States is the only country but for four others (Lesotho, Liberia, Papua New Guinea and Swaziland) in the entire world that does not provide paid family leave upon the birth/adoption of a child
* Do not prioritize affordable childcare options thereby allowing parents to return back to work
* Undermine the accessibility of a quality public education by supporting the privatization of public schools.

And the list goes on.

The truth is that for the majority of people advocating for the criminalization of abortion, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the sanctity of life, and everything to do with controlling women’s lives.

Pledge
Women’s ability to access safe abortions is a human right. Attempts to legislate and regulate women’s bodies are a violation of our most sacred privacy, and a tool by which majority-male government bodies attempt to diminish women’s worth and power.

I will fight with all of my being for a woman’s autonomy and her right to control her own body. I will empower her in whatever her decision is, whether it be abortion or motherhood, and will fight to ensure that her children are provided with the most fundamental of necessities, including healthcare, a quality education, shelter, food, and clothing.

Quality Public Education
Quality education accessible to every child is the cornerstone of American success, past and future. However, the global nature of our economy and the acceleration of automation and Artificial Intelligence against the backdrop of an unstable environment make our kids’ ability to live happy, productive, self-sufficient lives as adults even more challenging.

We must increase and equitably fund our public schools, expand PK programs, stimulate and reward innovation in education, update curriculum to reflect the changing economy, eliminate childhood poverty and make college and trade schools financially accessible to all.

Quality education accessible to every child is the cornerstone of American success, past and future. However, we are trending in the wrong direction. Once considered as having the best higher education institutions in the world, the United States now ranks 27th for education, compared to other countries, and Texas’ schools consistently rank in the bottom third, compared to all U.S. states.

The global nature of our economy and the acceleration of automation and Artificial Intelligence against the backdrop of an unstable environment make our kids’ ability to live happy, productive, self-sufficient lives even more challenging.

We must make significant changes in our public educational system to ensure our children are empowered to thrive in a very different economic reality than the one we entered.

As a Senator, I would fight for the following:

Funding

* Go beyond bare-minimum funding, and increase spending on education.
* Ensure the equitable distribution of funding, so that each child has access to the same quality and quantity of resources.
* Mandatory and free PK3 and PK programs similar to the model pioneered by Oklahoma.
* Create grants designed to spur innovation in public education, with measurable outcomes.

Accessibility

* Promote the policy that all schools receiving public funding must be part of the state school system and held to same standards and accountability.

Teaching for the 22nd Century Economy.

* We should focus on teaching our kids skills that are going to better prepare them for the changing economy, including STEM learning, creative problem-solving and

multilingualism at every grade.

* Commission a study on the efficacy of Every Student Succeeds Act to ascertain its benefits.

Decrease Childhood Poverty.

* The most significant prognosticator of academic success is poverty.[3] More than 1 in 5 children in the United States live in poverty. Families with school-age children would receive additional access to resources and programs with the singular intent of lifting their families out of poverty.

College & Trade School Accessibility.

* Higher education must be available to everyone that wants to pursue a higher degree or specialized training. The costs of college and trade schools must come down for families, and the availability of no-interest student loans should be expanded.
* Further, I would promote a program whereby students could eliminate a certain amount of their student debt by participating in volunteer programs.

Election Stealing
The Supreme Court requires that Republicans at least pretend that it’s not about race. But if Republicans’ hands aren’t on the Bible, they will tell their racist truth.

My plan to adequately address election stealing is multi-prong and includes the following:

* Win back the presidency and control both chambers of Congress.
* Pass laws that override recent Supreme Court decisions and make voting:
* Easy by making election day a paid national holiday, require early voting for all federal elections, permit mail-in or secure online voting, and create federal voter ID card that satisfies all state ID requirements
* Fair by banning partisan gerrymandering
* Secure by updating security measures for voting to ensure election fraud and foreign interference is kept to a minimum
* Reform campaign finance so that more Americans are encouraged to run, candidates and elected officials don’t waste time fundraising and all candidates have an even playing field
* Investigate and solicit recommendations on improving the accuracy of the census
* Regulate social media platforms like Facebook and make them liable for any paid content that provably false and/or harmful, and require that they more actively regulate unpaid content that is provably false and/or harmful
* Investigate how to eliminate or override the effects of the electoral college
* Launch impeachment inquiries regarding Justices Cavanaugh and Thomas for lying under oath during their confirmation proceedings and Justice Gorsuch for improper appointment.

Save Our Troops
The very existence of our country- the maintenance of its borders and the principles on which it was founded- hinges upon the existence of a military. Without our servicemen and women, the freedoms that we possess as Americans would be under constant attack and would result in a very different day-to-day existence. Our troops are prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives in order to protect the ideals of our democracy and the lives of their fellow citizens.

A lot of lip service is paid to military service but the “Support Our Troops” kneejerk refrain has begun to ring hollow.

Enlisted soldiers are underpaid. They earn as little as $19,660, despite oftentimes being the sole breadwinners for their family.

After serving years in Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers are returning home with serious health issues as a result of burn pits. And yet no real effort has been made to help current vets suffering or curb the practice so servicemen and women currently serving in the Middle East are safe.

Veterans are up to 68% more likely to be unemployed, compared to the national unemployment rate.

And most strikingly, we lose more soldiers off the battlefield than on. Our vets are dying by suicide at a rate of 17 a day. This is an epidemic that every patriot should be alarmed by.

We need to stop the hollow declarations of patriotism and start treating our troops right. They have served us. Now we must serve them.

Equitable Wealth Distribution
I believe that the single most impactful issue suffocating Texans today is the inequitable distribution of wealth in our country. The three richest men in the United States own as much wealth as the bottom 50% of Americans. This is outrageous and has very real consequences.

Unlike so many of our other issues, the solutions are relatively simple and straight-forward. We need people in office who believe that it is morally bankrupt to allow children to go hungry and people to live in tents under overpasses, and rather than multiply the misery by passing the largest wealth redistribution in the history of the United States by giving the richest 1% an additional tax cut, we need to tax the uber-wealthy and corporations.

Further, we need to be honest about what it takes to live within dignity in the United States, and pass a minimum wage that ensures that one paycheck affords people a lifestyle that is hand-to-mouth, but allows them to set aside savings, take time off and vacations and actually enjoy their families, their homes and the lives that they have worked so hard to build for themselves.

Finally, we need to invest in social programs that help people become self-sufficient again, rather than punishing them for having failed in the first place, oftentimes the result of things beyond their control.

I want you to know that I believe the single most impactful issue suffocating Texans today is the inequitable distribution of wealth in our country. The three richest men in the United States own as much wealth as the bottom 50% of Americans. This is outrageous and has very real consequences.

Green Gold (Marijuana Legalization)
The arguments for the legalization of marijuana are as varied and nuanced as the number of strains sold at the Bloom Room in San Francisco. The reasons to legalize range from medical applications to economic arguments to social justice reform.

Furthermore, more than half of all Americans support the legalization of marijuana. There is no compelling reason to criminalize marijuana and literally billions of reasons to legalize it, the most persuasive being that that is how democracy is supposed to work- without a compelling reason otherwise, lawmakers are meant to represent the will of the majority. I will fight to legalize marijuana. That said, we do need to be smart about how we regulate marijuana in order to protect consumers.[38][34]

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### Victor Harris[edit]

Harris' campaign website stated the following:

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Immigration and Border Security
The United States is a nation of immigrants, where almost every family has a story of coming to the U.S. for a better life. We need to remember this history and be a welcoming country for those that seek the same opportunities. It doesn't mean that we ignore security at our borders but that we balance compassion with American ingenuity to create a fair, favorable, and feasible solution for those that are here and those that want to be here.

Immigration and border security reform is the most critical issue this election cycle because it affects every Texan's wellbeing. Candidates will shy away from the topic because it has so many tentacles and is a multilayered, complex network of hot button issues.

Immigration and border security affect our economy, our education system, our legal/court system, our law enforcement, our welfare, and social programs; it touches and affects every single Texan directly or indirectly.

We must consider these factors along with the concerns of Texans when deliberating on reform. The undocumented status of these immigrants should be a consideration in reform development. There are also some fundamental human rights that should be considered along with a fair, favorable, and feasible solution for all Texans, documented, and undocumented.

However, no matter how complex an issue it may be, it will not get solved until we take that first step to addressing it. We start with a vision of the end state and reverse engineer the policies and laws needed to accomplish the end state.

Climate Change
Climate change is real, and we must address its effects. Many Texans see these effects first hand as flood after flood disrupts their lives. There will always be uncertainty in understanding a system as complex as the world's climate. However, there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring. What is currently in dispute, politically, is what is causing the warming. Is it a natural cyclical event, is it caused by human activity, or is it a natural cyclical event exacerbated by human activity?

It doesn't matter if you think climate change is a hoax or not; the need to reduce our use of fossil fuels is vital if we want to continue to evolve. There is not a 12-year clock (2030) on the world, as some have stated, but there is a need to shed fossil fuels. Texans have felt the effects of this climate change and it needs to be addressed. Local government are overwhelmed we need a state and federal level solution. I will work with our state leaders to ensure the federal government addresses our concerns effected by climate change. Your voice will be heard!

Fossil fuels will eventually run out, and automatous technology, automation, and deep-space exploration cannot be sustained with fossil fuels. The development of renewable energies will power the future. We should take that path sooner than later. No matter what side of the issue you are on with climate change, fossil fuels have a shelf life. Why postpone the inevitable? Let's get it done!

Education
Education is critically important. Education opens doors and creates opportunities for both the employee and the employer. Affordable and quality education starting from pre-K to high school and on to college. We need to establish communities where everyone who wants to pursue higher learning has the opportunity to do so. That is why I support a highly subsidized college and vocational training initiative.

Many communities are beginning to provide a tuition-free community college education to its residents. We need to continue to support these efforts and encourage more communities to do so. I recommend a highly subsidized college and vocational training initiative. Begin with no cost tuition for every high school graduate with a family income below the regional average and raise the income qualification level until we have free education to all who fall within 75% above the regional average. Only the top 25% earners will have a tuition bill.

Understanding that schools do not currently have the infrastructure to accept students under a universal free tuition program so the amortization of tuition will be required so as not to overburden schools. This will build the framework and path to eventually providing a college-level education to all Americans. Together we can get there!

Health Care
The Affordable Care Act has some issues; it requires some tweaking, not elimination. We already have a framework for creating universal healthcare. We should further pursue and explore these routes. There are some immediate constraints in financing such a program, but we need to get after it now.

When was the last time the government took over a same-in-kind private program and made it better? Never. The government is too slow and too inefficient to successfully run any same-in-kind program and compete with the private sector. If anyone wants to see how well the U.S. government runs a one payer medical program, you just have to visit your local V.A. facility. As a veteran, I know how responsive the V.A. or military medicine has been. Sure, it's free, but you get what you pay for.

The only way to get to a universal medical system is to privatize medicine and force old models out. Use existing automation to provide faster and cheaper services. One way is to replace triage centers with artificial intelligence medical analysts to provide initial diagnoses. We have robots conducting surgery, why not triage of common ailments. We cannot pay for this on the backs of our working-class. We can get there!

Equity
Equity for all is the promise of the Constitution. All citizens must be treated equally under the law. It is the very essence of being an American. Equity is a must for all Americans, no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, income, sexual orientation, immigration status, or neighborhood. Many of these groups has had to face discriminatory practices. We need to move forward and respect each other.

"All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Words penned by Thomas Jefferson in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. While we have not reached such lofty ends, we shall strive to live up to it. We shall continue to move ever closer towards equality for all. We can get there!

Gun Ownership
Taking guns away? You might have a better chance of taking cowboy hats, boots, and Friday night football from Texas. Instituting universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and passing "Red Flag" laws is a start but not the solution. The solution to curbing our gun problems will take more than a few feel-good laws that do little to fix the problem. We need to do more.

More effective than background checks with private sale loopholes is the right to buy/obtain certificates where an individual gets a "right to buy/obtain a certificate" from the local police department at the cost of $5, $10, or a maximum of $20. A mandated low price is to ensure low-income citizens are not precluded from exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. The certificate will have reciprocity across all states. A federalized conceal weapons training course will be mandated to ensure all gun owners are certified and will be renewed periodically.

On the issue of open carry. More than concealed carry, these citizens have greater responsibilities. Reserve or Axillary Police Officer program should be incorporated to serve as mentors for open carry personnel to ensure training is sustained. Our citizens should not be worried about the level of training a private citizen has received and fear for their safety.

These ideas only affect the law-abiding citizen. People with bad intentions will always be willing to break the law and will not be stopped with new legislation. To effect real fundamental change, we need regular mental health management in school. Each student should meet with a mental health counselor to create a state of normalcy in interacting with these professionals.

Criminal Justice
Police officers are in our communities to serve and protect the citizenry. More and more, we hear of the abuses by these trusted agents. These officers are the products of our communities. They are the sons and daughters of our neighbors, our old school mates, and athletes from our local high schools. They have taken up a noble mantel to serve their community. They require more direct simulation training to prepare them for the real-life events they may face in the field. We need to invest in our policing.

Every community needs a law enforcement unit for policing crime. Without them, we have chaos and uncertainty. However, lately, it appears that with them, we have chaos and uncertainty when we see that our very own police officers act more like lawbreakers than law enforcers. But make no mistake about it. A career in law enforcement is a noble calling of service to the community. Each and every one of these men and women should be supported with adequate training to help them be successful as they serve their community. Our officers need more training in situation simulations. Having knowledge of the laws is an excellent base, but how to translate that knowledge into action on the streets has been lacking. When an officer arrives on the scene, there should be no hesitation that they have seen the scenario in a training simulation. Policing has changed, and the training capabilities have too. We have a symbiotic relationship. We need them to protect us, and they need us to support them. Live scenario training and a keener selection process will make the difference.

Foreign Policies
For too long, the USA has been placing its military as the lead agency in foreign policy. Nobody wants to be bullied into cooperation. The military should be in a supporting role to the state department. Big stick diplomacy has gotten us enthralled in an endless war in the middle east with the threat of even greater expansion. We should continue to support democracies around the world, but we need to focus on core national interests when invoking military necessity.[39][34]

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### Mary Jennings Hegar[edit]

Hegar's campaign website stated the following:

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Health Care
The rising cost of health care is the number one issue I hear about from Texans on the campaign trail. Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation, and that’s unacceptable. Our current system is one of sky-high costs and inefficiencies. We must create a public option to make Medicare available for all those who want it. The best health care I’ve ever had was when I was on military-provided Tricare, similar to Medicare, and I believe that kind of high-quality care should be made available to all Americans. Every child should be covered, period.

We can and must protect the progress made by the Affordable Care Act while making much-needed improvements. We cannot go back to the past when insurance companies were able to discriminate against those with preexisting conditions or sell junk plans that leave folks vulnerable when serious health issues or injuries occur.

As your senator, I will stand up for Texans against special interests who put profits over people. Far too many folks here in Texas struggle to afford their prescriptions. I will advocate for measures to lower the cost of prescription drugs like allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, I believe we must hold Big Pharma interests accountable for their part in the opioid epidemic that has ravaged so many communities here in Texas and beyond.

I will oppose any effort to privatize, dismantle or undercut Medicare, including raising the eligibility age. Medicare and Social Security are not entitlements – they are promises made to every American. I will also oppose any “age tax” insurance companies seek to impose against older Americans.

Women's Health
I support federal law codifying Roe v. Wade so that reproductive rights are not subject to the whims of an increasingly partisan court system. It’s unacceptable that in 2019 a woman’s right to make medical decisions about her own body is under assault. I have had two difficult pregnancies, and I am grateful that during that time the government wasn’t standing between me and my doctor during very personal discussions. Politicians should not legislate a woman’s most intimate decisions.

Texans suffer from one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the developed world. We must support organizations that are providing our communities with sorely needed women’s health care services. I am opposed to efforts to shutter clinics that provide critical care to women all over Texas, especially in rural areas where loss of access to these clinics often means loss of health care.

We must provide support for women and families by increasing access to sex education, affordable over-the-counter contraception, and cost-effective childcare.

Immigration
For decades, career politicians have refused to fix our broken immigration system, and the consequences of their finger-pointing and inaction directly affect our day-to-day lives in Texas. We need to roll up our sleeves, collaborate with our border communities on solutions, and bring some common sense to the issue.

That means starting with permanently ending child separation, ensuring asylum seekers are not treated as criminals and their claims are properly processed, securing the border with effective procedures and technologies instead of wasting billions on an ineffective wall that would require robbing our military construction budget while seizing land from Texans, and building a path to citizenship for undocumented residents that prioritizes our security and reflects our core values as Americans — such as human dignity and our respect for the right of mankind to the pursuit of happiness.

The increasing spread of anti-immigrant, white nationalist ideology is a serious threat to our safety, as proven by the shooting in El Paso that targeted Hispanic members of our community. I took an oath to support and defend our constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, so I want to be crystal clear: we must mobilize against this epidemic of domestic terrorism here at home. I will always stand against this type of hateful rhetoric that has real consequences, and will call on elected leaders who amplify white nationalist rhetoric and racist dog-whistles to take ownership of the impact of their words and reverse course.

Environment & Climate Change
As the mother of two little boys, climate change is one of the top reasons I decided to run for Senate. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the health and safety of our communities, the world we are leaving for the next generation, and our national security. We cannot wait any longer to take action.

In Texas, we are witnessing firsthand the effects of climate change. We’ve seen devastating hurricanes like Harvey, and multiple catastrophic, “500-year” floods in a matter of a few years. The status quo is not sustainable.

We must set aggressive goals for the expansion of clean, renewable energy, and invest in clean energy manufacturing and sustainable transportation. Texas has the opportunity to be America’s leader in wind and solar energy, and we should use our natural, renewable resources to create jobs here in our state.

We also must modernize our energy grid so it is equipped to handle increased load during peak usage.

Education
Every child, regardless of where they come from or how much money their family makes, should have access to an affordable and quality education. I will advocate for Texas public schools and teachers, because I believe an investment in strong public schools is an investment in our nation’s future. Teachers, educators, and school staff deserve to be treated with respect and to be paid salaries worthy of the critical service they provide to society.

Far too many Texans struggle from crippling student loan debt. We must put an end to the government profiting off loans by lowering interest rates on student debt, while also ensuring all higher education — from apprenticeship programs to vocational training to degree programs — is more affordable for current and future students. Texans I’ve spoken to have told me that the requirement for an immediate start to repayment of student loans upon graduation or disenrollment has led to underemployment. Every student loan should have a grace period of at least several months during which the loan does not accrue interest, and that period should be paused if the individual enrolls in another course of training like pursuing a certificate or vocation.

While a college degree is one avenue for achieving financial security, we also need to encourage support for and investment in vocational programs. Vocational programs expand trades sectors, which often provide secure, high-paying union jobs. Those working in these jobs have always been and will continue to be the backbone of our nation and the driving force toward improving our country’s infrastructure.

Jobs & the Economy
I believe the country and our economy are stronger when our workers and their families are strong. Growing up, my mom worked three jobs just to pay the bills, and too many Texans face the same struggles today. That’s not the American dream. We need to raise wages and work to lower the cost of housing to ensure workers can provide for their families, and use tax credits and incentives to support small businesses instead of giving tax breaks to companies that ship their jobs overseas.

My stepfather, who raised me as his own, was killed in a workplace accident. Because of the safety standards won by the labor movement, fewer families have to go through that devastation. I am grateful for the hard-fought victories of the labor movement that have created safer and fairer workplaces, and will protect that progress as a senator — I’ll always support the rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain for safe and healthy working conditions, fair wages, and to secure benefits and pensions. In addition, I will fight efforts to cut pensions, Social Security, and Medicare.

I believe in the promise of our country and the American dream, and that’s why it’s important to acknowledge that the scales have shifted to favor the rich and powerful over the working families that are left to contend with obscene medical costs, high rent and bills, student loan debt, and more. I opposed the 2017 tax cuts for big corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and would vote against any legislation that benefits corporations and the extremely wealthy while hurting working families trying to make ends meet.

Military & Veterans
As a United States Air Force veteran who served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, I understand what our military and their families go through in a way that most politicians in DC can’t. We have a responsibility to the next generation that will wear our uniform: to give them the most stable global environment we possibly can.

I will support responsible national security policies that recognize the value of seeking diplomatic solutions and employing strategic use of humanitarian assistance and trade negotiations, while insisting we reserve the deployment of American troops as a last resort. I believe a healthy State Department is our military’s first line of defense, and our relationships with our allies are fragile and critical to maintain.

In addition, I know firsthand how difficult the transition back into civilian life can be. As your senator, I will always seek to make good on our promise to our service members by ensuring they receive quality health care, housing assistance, and help starting careers or businesses as they return from serving our country. I will stand against efforts to privatize the VA while supporting initiatives to streamline services for veterans to get better care when they need it. With record-high suicide rates and deployments than can strain family relationships, it’s critical we provide adequate mental health care to address the unique struggles of those who serve.

My military service informs my view on government. When I think about my fellow soldiers who were with me the day my helicopter was shot down by the Taliban and how we worked together to complete our mission and get to safety, I think about how our government could take some cues from what we learn in the military. Unity, teamwork, and a shared mission is the only way to succeed.

Gun Violence
Multiple mass shootings have devastated Texas in recent years, and I believe it is well past time to take action to finally end the epidemic of gun violence.

We must pass common-sense gun safety legislation to require background checks on every single gun sale, including closing the gun show loophole — a proposal that a recent Washington Post-ABC News survey found was supported by 88% of gun owners.

We must also stop the sale of assault weapons to the public, pass red flag laws limiting access to firearms for domestic abusers — including closing the “boyfriend loophole” — and those who would commit acts of domestic terrorism, and fully fund the CDC to reverse the damage of the decades-long ban on gun violence research.

I am also calling for state and local officials to end open carry. The reasons gun owners like me have for wanting to protect our Second Amendment rights — chief among them protecting our families — are not served by open carry. Open carry itself is an assault on every bystander within range, as we feel the need to flee and cover our children without the freedom to call law enforcement for help. We must empower people to “see something, say something.”

The gun violence epidemic in this country reaches beyond the tragic mass shootings into our homes through domestic violence, accidental shootings, and suicides. As your senator, I will use my perspective as a mother, responsible gun owner, and combat veteran in my work to pass urgently-needed legislation to protect our communities.

Clean Government
Whenever someone tells me they don’t understand why a bill passed or decision was made in Washington, I always tell them to follow the money. That’s because far too many of our elected leaders make decisions about what legislation to support or oppose based on who is writing the biggest campaign checks — from the gun lobby to private prisons to Big Pharma — instead of what is best for their constituents.

Americans are sick and tired of watching DC politicians put special interest donors and political games over the needs of the people. It is time to clean up our broken system and return the power back to people. That’s why I am refusing to accept any corporate PAC money and am proud to be endorsed by End Citizens United.

Once elected, I will make it a priority to overturn partisan gerrymandering schemes that further polarize our politics, fight the increasingly-common voter suppression tactics designed to keep people from exercising their right to participate in our democracy, and pass comprehensive campaign finance and ethics reforms that ensure Washington is accountable to the voters — and no one else.[40][34]

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### Sema Hernandez[edit]

Hernandez's campaign website stated the following:

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Labor Rights
I believe no one who works 40-hours a week should live in poverty and. That is why I support raising the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour and tied to inflation. I also support protecting union rights, protection of pensions, and retirement. We must repeal “Right-To-Work laws across the country to build strong unions.

We must invest in a federal jobs guarantee that includes the unemployed and underemployed in all sectors of our economy. Our education system was designed for an industrialized labor workforce that no longer exists due to outsourcing of jobs to low wage countries.

Investing in our labor force means creating jobs that transition our society and economy into a Green New Deal. These programs must include tuition-free college and training, in addition to eliminating all student debt.

We must negotiate fair trade deals that build our economy and create better-paying jobs here in our country, while requiring trade partners to honor human rights in their countries by requiring living wages, healthcare, raise their labor standards, right to unionize and environmental justice.

We must require certain quality standards of imported goods, such as complying with product liability standards. I would impose measures to protect job security to ensure the majority sold domestically are made domestically.

We must build an economy that is union strong.

Green New Deal
Fossil fuel dependency is burning up our Earth and our future. While most other developed nations have been transitioning to renewable energy, our government protects the market power of oil producers, many of which are not US companies. These companies already have cut employment and benefits, and there is no reason to believe they will protect jobs.

I support a Green New Deal program that will provide training and education to all current and future energy workers, to help transition to green energy technologies. The program will provide funding for community and regionally-owned energy production and grids, independent of privately-run monopolies, to ensure that communities control their energy and the prices they pay. The program will include the development of local broadband systems that will unite and connect everyone from urban to rural communities, to increase access to information, education, and economic opportunities. A Green New Deal means an end to environmental racism and a healthier environment for everyone. It also will lower healthcare costs attributable to environmental health hazards.

Medicare For All
I support Medicare For All, as it is defined in US Senate Bill S.1129. This is the direct way to provide full healthcare benefits for everyone and raise the standard of healthcare in this country. I will re-introduce the bill, in its current form, if Sen. Sanders has not done so in 2020. The bill provides everyone with the same coverage, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, race, religion, and other demographic status, eliminating premiums, copays, deductibles, and the Donut Hole.

Immigration Reform
As a cornerstone of my platform, I will introduce and/or co-sponsor legislation that will provide permanent resident status to all DACA and TPS registrants, as well as for their family members. The bill will extend permanent resident status to persons who were denied DACA status due to registration deadlines. Fees for both classifications and for citizenship would be waived.

The Remain in Mexico Policy (MPP), which currently is employed by Donald Trump and ICE to deny or delay asylum to refugees, is unlawful under both US and international law. Both laws require the US to process and resettle refugees expeditiously. I will call for a criminal investigation regarding the actions of the Executive Branch in its use of the MPP and seek to prosecute the action before the US Supreme Court. I will introduce legislation to remove the 50,000 annual cap on refugees which currently exists under the Refugee Act of 1980.

I will introduce legislation to abolish ICE and restore immigration enforcement to the Department of Justice. ICE was created to treat all immigrants as potential enemy combatants, and the President uses this mechanism to justify incarcerating and separating families. The Justice Department has independence from the President, which prevented such abuses prior to the creation of ICE. All contracts with private prison organizations and with other for-profit enforcement agencies would be barred under the legislation.

I further commit to repealing the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA) of 1996, which is responsible for the incarceration and separation of many immigrant families, including long-time green card holders, asylum seekers and DACA recipients, many without due process.

Equal Rights
There is still much work to be done in regard to protecting Women’s Rights and LGBTQ Rights. When elected, I will relentlessly press for legislation that prevents discrimination against individuals due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. We also must increase efforts at the federal level and state level to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. I support the right of women to have autonomy over their own bodies and make choices in regards to their pregnancy that are suitable to their situation and needs. I support the pay equity, expanding the Violence Against Women Act, Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, expand and protect reproductive rights, and support Supreme Court Justice nominees who will uphold Roe v. Wade.

Indigenous Rights
There is still much work to be done in regard to protecting Women’s Rights and LGBTQ Rights. When elected, I will relentlessly press for legislation that prevents discrimination against individuals due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. We also must increase efforts at the federal level and state level to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. I support the right of women to have autonomy over their own bodies and make choices in regards to their pregnancy that are suitable to their situation and needs. I support the pay equity, expanding the Violence Against Women Act, Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, expand and protect reproductive rights, and support Supreme Court Justice nominees who will uphold Roe v. Wade.

Voting Rights
I will introduce legislation to create uniform requirements for voting, in order to ensure equal protection of voting rights under the laws. We will provide for voter identification, location and number of polling sites, voting methods, maintenance, maintenance of voter rolls, automatic voter registration, notification of voter status changes, election verification, funding to implement the foregoing. I support the constitutional right of all convicted persons to vote, under the equal protection of the laws.

Criminal Justice Reform
The 1994 Crime Act was instrumental in stripping the rights achieved through the Civil Rights Movement. I will vote to repeal the Crime Act and to and defund states which maintain sentencing mandates that were enacted in response to it. We must end militarization of law enforcement and the programs which equip and promote it. I will introduce criminal justice reform legislation to fund and require de-escalation training as well as cultural and community sensitivity training. The bill will require an end to cash bail as a denial of due process, outlaw privatized prisons, and end the privatization of law enforcement services. It also will provide for funding and maintaining meaningful education, rehabilitation, and job training in prisons.

Gun Reform
We must have the courage to end the gun violence epidemic in this country. We must prioritize the safety of the public, not the money from NRA lobbyists.

I will utilize the Commerce Clause to regulate gun sales and manufacturing. I will introduce and/or support legislation which will require mandatory universal background checks, close gun show loopholes, outlaw the sale of assault weapons, end the manufacturing of ammunition for assault weapons, and protect the rights of gun owners, while offering voluntary buy-backs of weapons.

US and state laws require registration of everyone and of most things. Every person, every vehicle, every watercraft, and every plot of land are required to be registered. There is no legal or rational reason not to require registration of guns, for the purpose of determining ownership in the event a crime is committed with the weapon.

My opponent, John Cornyn, receives millions from the NRA and the weapons lobby. The NRA once supported reasonable background checks and gun registration. Today it does not, because the NRA became a gun sales advocate, rather than an advocate of Second Amendment rights, now that weapons manufacturers fund the NRA.

Public Education
Traditional public schools are the best and fairest means of providing all children with equal and equitable education. I oppose government funding of charter schools. Legislators have de-funded public schools throughout the country, to create an excuse for privatizing education through government-funded charter schools. Many communities now rely on charter schools as a result. I will introduce or support federal legislation to increase funding for all public schools, but especially for poverty-stricken communities which lack textbooks and basic infrastructure. I also will create a fund exclusively for traditional public schools to rebuild what state legislatures have eroded, for the purpose of phasing out charter schools.

Everyone in every community throughout the United States is entitled to an equal and equitable education. The federal government must mandate standards for buildings, infrastructure, supplies and textbooks, student lunches, teacher salaries, and teacher qualifications. Civil rights laws must be enforced against anyone who discriminates against students. Violations should be investigated as “hate crimes”. I support Medicare For All: no child can truly benefit from an education without full healthcare coverage, including dental, vision, hearing, and mental health.

Zero tolerance approaches to discipline in schools have created a true school to prison pipeline that perpetuates anti-Black racism–for too many students, particularly young Black men and women and special education students. Because of organized efforts to fight to replace suspensions and expulsions with positive, student-centered methods, schools across the country are shifting away from punitive discipline. However there is still much work to be done, and every day students of color and those with disabilities are harmed by the discriminatory discipline systems in place on their campuses.

Tuition Free College & Training
Higher education is an essential component of any civilized and productive society. The right to pursue higher education should be available to all without burdensome student debt.. We must pass legislation that makes trade schools, public colleges, and universities tuition-free. Ensuring training and education to everyone is the best way to strengthen our economy and combat systemic poverty. Education and training should be a priority in our national budget, to ensure a secure future for everyone.

Legalize Marijuana
At this point, science has continually proven that the consumption of marijuana produces no adverse effects on individual health. In fact, marijuana is an excellent pain reliever and can be used for a variety of medical purposes. I support the decriminalization and subsequent legalization of marijuana throughout the United States. No one should be thrown in jail for smoking a joint, and no cancer patient should be subject to prosecution for using marijuana to relieve pain. Legalization would bring in tax revenue and help to restrict the power of massive pharmaceutical companies, who only care about profit margins.

Fair Trade, Not Free Trade
Our trade agreements must be rewritten to be mutually beneficial for all countries involved. NAFTA resulted in a loss of American jobs and stagnated or reduced wages. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – the reformed NAFTA – offers some improvements, such as raising wages in Mexico, but keeps US wages stagnant. Moving from a free trade deal to fair trade deal will include raising the minimum wage to a living wage, increasing environmental protections, improving the standard of working and living conditions, and protecting workers’ right to unionize both here and in trade partner nations.

End the War Economy
The United States is home to one of the most powerful military in the world. We have hundreds of military bases across the globe, which we use to constantly intervene in the foreign affairs of other countries without their request for aid. We are long over due for an exit plan to end the wars, bring our troops home, fund transition programs for our veterans form combat to civilian life. Arms sales to nations with corrupt governments should be prohibited. We must work on diplomacy, stop creating conflict and arming terrorist.[41][34]

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### Adrian Ocegueda[edit]

Ocegueda's campaign website stated the following:

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Candidacy Announcement
It seems almost inevitable that throughout the course of American history we must periodically reorient ourselves to the cause of liberty and equality. And in every chapter of such reorientation, we make stronger those bonds for which our founders brought forth our great nation. It has always been through our collective role as citizen, that we have built and preserved this nation. Yet, without question, liberty brings with it the volatility of humanity whether through fear, ambition, prejudice or ignorance. As such, the endurance of a nation like ours has always been an open question and an open battle.

Thus, the great task of preserving a nation built on such noble principles, transfers, as it must, from one generation to the next. Yet, it is inconceivable that this generation, which has sustained itself off the sweetest of its fruit, shall allow to fade from its collective memory, the blood and sacrifice which sowed the seeds for our posterity. To ensure that the great sacrifice of all prior generations was not pursued in vain, the burden of planting the seeds of tomorrow falls on those of us who remain.

In a moment in time where the complexities of the world seem to provoke the anxiety of our humanity, we as citizens of this great nation must gaze upon the horizon with the perspective of our history. There is no man or woman who alone can weave the fabric of our nation, nor who alone can fuel the flame of liberty. In a government of the people, by the people and for the people, the role of citizen must be possessed by all. It is in this role of citizen that I humbly submit myself as a candidate for the United States Senate.

As this campaign moves forward, my hope is that I can connect, or reconnect with many of you in that spirit of nation building, that came to define so many great generations before us. Like our forbearers, we too live in times where there is no shortage of opinion or issues in which to apply that opinion. Yet, unlike those eras of yesteryear, the issues we currently face are more complex, and many are the consequence of our own realized accomplishment on the world stage. Thus, while opinions are many, our greatest challenge is moving beyond the distraction of perpetual cynicism; as the times require constructive action in the face of an increasingly opaque and complex world.

In the coming weeks I will make more direct pleas to support this campaign in those contemporary methods that have come to define our modern politics. But for now, what I ask is that you take a moment to reflect upon your role as citizen and what it requires of you in the support of our nation.

We the Citizens
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

-President Theodore Roosevelt, “Man in the Arena” Speech, 1910

How many times have we seen politicians, athletes, or public figures make reference to these famous words? Indeed, these words do motivate, and they reflect that rugged individualism that has, in many ways, come to define us as a nation. Yet, what I will ask is that you put this quote to the side for just a minute and consider the following.

“To-day I shall speak to you on the subject of individual citizenship, the one subject of vital importance to you, my hearers, and to me and my countrymen, because you and we are citizens of great democratic republics. A democratic republic such as each of ours—an effort to realize in its full sense government by, of, and for the people—represents the most gigantic of all possible social experiments, the one fraught with greatest possibilities alike for good and for evil. The success of republics like yours and like ours means the glory, and our failure the despair, of mankind; and for you and for us the question of the quality of the individual citizen is supreme. Under other forms of government, under the rule of one man or of a very few men, the quality of the rulers is all-important. If, under such governments, the quality of the rulers is high enough, then the nation may for generations lead a brilliant career, and add substantially to the sum of world achievement, no matter how low the quality of the average citizen; because the average citizen is an almost negligible quantity in working out the final results of that type of national greatness.

But with you and with us the case is different. With you here, and with us in my own home, in the long run, success or failure will be conditioned upon the way in which the average man, the average woman, does his or her duty, first in the ordinary, every-day affairs of life, and next in those great occasional crises which call for the heroic virtues. The average citizen must be a good citizen if our republics are to succeed. The stream will not permanently rise higher than the main source; and the main source of national power and national greatness is found in the average citizenship of the nation. Therefore it behooves us to do our best to see that the standard of the average citizen is kept high..”

-President Theodore Roosevelt’s, “Citizenship in a Republic”, 1910

The truth is the “Man in the Arena” speech is the “Citizenship in a Republic” speech, and it was given in the Sorbonne in Paris on April 23, 1910. So the great irony is that the speech that gave us one of the greatest quotes of motivation for individuals, is actually a speech about communal responsibility in a republic. The hubris of so many public figures, is that they believe this quote is about them; that they are the man/woman in the arena to fight off the cynics. The vast majority of this speech is actually about the arena (citizens), and the need to accept individual responsibility while working in conjunction with others to meet that higher end of self-governance. The words in the first quote are not meant to motivate the individual, but to give a warning to the arena, to have us introspectively evaluate whether we are acting as timid souls or whether we will have the courage to take responsibility for our nation.

So this is where I think we have to start. We need to earnestly take ownership of this republic, and when we do so, we must also reflect on our own inherent inadequacies. As Roosevelt pointed out, with successive generations we become “far more conscious of (our) rights than of (our) duties, and blind to (our) own shortcomings.” What this means on the surface is that we can no longer let ourselves be led by “drain the swamp” or “throw the bums out” jargon. Even legitimate avenues like congressional approval ratings, should create a pause in our thought. We are the swamp, we are the bums, we disapprove of ourselves. Earnestly taking ownership means understanding that we cannot simply content ourselves to “boo” and “cheer” the actions of our leaders, but that we must set limitations and expectations for both behavior and action. We cannot be the fools who look around and ask, “who’s responsibility is it to fix this?” In a republic, it is the responsibility of the citizen to fix the problem. The reason our republic is respected around the world is that in it, more than in any other nation in the world, the duty of the average citizen is at its greatest, because the freedom offered by this republic, is also at its greatest.

Now, we often talk about the politics of our nation, but we don’t often discuss the psychology of our nation. More often than not, today we hear voices of cynicism or apathy. This happens among citizens of all types, regardless of education or social economic background. How many times in our discussions do we hear people say, ‘I am not into politics’, ‘I don’t discuss politics’, or ‘it doesn’t matter who is elected, nothing changes’? And we hear this apathy in even the most benign circumstances. A recent example was the March for our Lives movement, where we heard many baby boomers so excited that the next generation will be the one to change things, as if the work of prior generations is done. This view is counter to the core fabric of our country and to our evolution into the purist form of a liberal democracy. Politicians also take advantage of this psychological reality by regularly using terms like “deep state”, “establishment class”, “billionaire class”, “big money”, “gerrymandering”, “big government”. They use these terms either directly or indirectly to make the contention that there are large systems to be overcome. Yet, a consequence using these terms is that they serve to isolate and overwhelm us in our ownership role as citizens. The more we feel like our role is limited, the more we feel our power is limited.

Further complicating matters is that the issues we face today are complex, and by that very nature they are difficult to understand and difficult to solve. Roosevelt talked about the increasing complexity of industrialization. When one considers the expansion of global trade in the aftermath of the Cold War and the advancement of information technology into every sector, it is clear our complexity has only increased. This complexity while shepherding an era of great global advancement, can also present a fundamental threat to our republic, which again relies upon the average citizen. Without a widespread basis of knowledge about these complex issues, it can be difficult for citizens to make informed decisions. This also makes it difficult to determine who is impacted with certain policies that may be “targeted”. You may target one group and not fully understand that intended outcomes have implications to groups far beyond the policy’s intended target.

Psychologically, we all tend to get frustrated when faced with complex problems. How many of us have picked up a rubik’s cube and tossed it aside after a few minutes knowing the solution was going to be too complex. Mind you, we behave this way and there actually are directions to solve a rubik’s cube. How much higher should we expect our frustration level to be when it comes to complex issues like healthcare, international trade, or climate change? So, when faced with complex problems, do we not seek the path of least resistance? Do we seek the easy solution embedded in simple slogans like “build a wall” or “Medicare for all”? Even though we should know these are simply slogans and that the ultimate solutions are more complex than this, we still get pulled into the rhetoric. Let me further complicate this by saying that our modern societal problems are dynamic. Every decision we make may lead to an unknown consequence that can change the nature or circumstance of the problem. Our policies cause reactive behavior, and it isn’t easily known what that reaction will be, or the consequences of that reaction.

Taking ownership can be a long and arduous journey. Many of us have grown up or lived in a period of extended time where our established institutions have been relatively stable. Faded from our consciousness are the struggles of our founders, our reconstructionists, and our civil rights activists. Thus, it is very difficult for many of us to take ownership of institutions we had no role in forming. Moreover, because the issues we face are exceedingly complex, we are discouraged to take ownership of issues we do not understand. For many of us we can read the signs of the times and we feel that things are changing, but most of us lack the language or knowledge to know exactly what is happening or how to impact trends in positive ways. We fall in love with candidates that can give a voice to our growing concerns and look past their shortcomings on any definitive plans. I have seen many great politicians who provide temporary cathartic moments when speaking directly to average citizens, listening to their concerns, their worries, their hopes and aspirations. Yet these same politicians find it difficult to move our systems in ways that have a meaningful impact to the lives of these citizens.

One other barrier to taking ownership is our increasing tendency to view our fellow citizens as incapable of being reasoned with. Briefly, if we believe that our fellow citizens are obstacles, then that too is our responsibility to fix. This requires a change in our collective mindset and ultimately means that we can no longer tolerate citizens proclaiming that any subset of our population is helpless, no matter what side of the isle you are on. First, this demonstrates a dangerous hubris, as if your position is unflawed and cannot be open to scrutiny or added information. Further, even if your position has the weight of data, your disposition should be that of a patient teacher or parent, and not that of arrogant negligence. But for those who pedal the false premise that people do not or cannot change, I say you are un-American. As our democracy depends on the standard of the average citizen, it is incumbent upon us to share our knowledge and experiences with our fellow Americans. A higher level of difference in our political discourse should demand a higher level of investment in time and patience toward achieving common understanding. Understand America has always had citizens among us who are quick to claim “others”. They tap into our collective anxiety and claim that they have a moral code that makes it impossible to cooperate, impossible to compromise. And at every turn those citizens have been proven wrong, not because their issue specific principles were completely wrong but because they could not improve upon the foundational democratic principles of our nation, which seeks more perspectives, not less. Our history has shown again and again, even in the face of actual dis-union, that when we come together even with robust disagreement, we are the envy of the world.

So how can we begin to reawaken that spirit of citizenship that embraces ownership? To begin, we must stop believing that the ability to impact our government and economic systems is beyond our reach, even with the complexities of our world. We can all acknowledge that our issues today are inherently complex, but that should lead us to more, not less, engagement. We should also view our current issues with the broader perspective of time and context. Given the complexity of our issues, we must understand that the policy impacts will take time to develop. Solutions will not be simple, they will take lengthy deliberation and they will not be easy or without pain. In many cases we are not looking seriously enough at issues that are chronic rather than acute. The advent of the 24-hour news cycle, and now social media, have contributed to our addiction to spectating daily scandal rather than deliberating on broader trends. By doing so we get easily distracted and lose valuable time in addressing greater structural issues that will have far greater impacts.

Next, when it comes to fulfilling our main civic duty of electing representatives, we must change what we seek in our elected officials. Our current political process places a premium on politicians, who take firm unsubstantiated positions in an environment that resembles quicksand. Our global, technological, environmental, and economic realities are changing so quickly, that advocating for firm positions is a failure to understand the nature of the reality we now face. Thus, a possible change might be to reward those committed to a deliberative process of action, rather than those committed to any specific policy proposal or political philosophy. Our elections should place a premium on candidates who are committed to focusing on broader complex systematic issues. This commitment should consist of taking action (even if that action is a series of small steps), following through and monitoring these specific issues, and taking additional action as our systems adjust.

A good example here may be the Affordable Care Act. When signed into law we had one side claiming it was a national disaster and the other a national salvation. The truth is, it was neither; results were, as to be expected, mixed. The tragedy was not the policy; the tragedy was that we lack politicians committed to continuing to work the problem. Collectively, we have to set the expectation with our leaders that we understand the complexity of the issue and that we expect a deliberative process that makes continual modifications to major policy over the course of years, not election cycles. Yet in the current political environment we reward politicians who take inflexible unsubstantiated positions, and convince us of their importance, rather than those who present a more honest assessment. The idea here is that we want candidates committed to solving the problem more than we want them committed to any given philosophical position. Given that we know the problems are complex, and that the results have unintended consequences and may even negatively impact the population it was intended to help, we shouldn’t ascribe to a dogmatic approach to modern politics. Moreover, since we know that the population adjusts to a given policy, we likewise should know that not only are issues changing, but circumstances are always changing. To put it bluntly, conditions and circumstances will change often, so we aren’t looking for some true solution for all time. The truth is most policy today would be better served with flexibility over rigid philosophical postures. More importantly, history has taught us that differing policy approaches produce different changes to our collective behavior; thus, we should want all tools in the toolbox, progressive and conservative approaches. For a vast majority of issues we face, we can be compromising in our policy without being compromising in our moral philosophy.

Finally, I have heard many voters over the course of the last two election cycles proclaim they were not motivated to vote because they were not inspired by candidates. While I would like to believe this mindset is the exception and not the rule, I cannot help but think our expectations of candidates has moved more in this direction. This, unfortunately, is a misconception of the politician’s role; they are not meant to inspire or entertain us but to take productive action on our behalf. Again Roosevelt, “Indeed, it is a sign of marked political weakness in any commonwealth if the people tend to be carried away by mere oratory, if they tend to value words in and for themselves, as divorced from the deeds for which they are supposed to stand.” Thus, should we not expect our candidates to have traits more substantive than a pep rally leader or a mob instigator? Characteristics such as patience, tenacity, adaptability, intellectual curiosity, flexibility, judgement and perspective may serve us more, given the nature of the issues we currently face. Yet, we cannot expect our politicians to reflect these traits until we begin to establish the environment that rewards these traits above those of mere entertainment.

As we move forward in this campaign, the underlying premise will be to reestablish the role of citizenship in our society as the means to improving our democracy. We must never forget that our legacy as a liberal democracy has, since the beginning, inspired the world. As a nation, we have matured from a ragged band of diverse patriots to the world’s leading power. And through this time, we have been the catalyst for the world’s greatest period of advancement. When our country was formed we understood this new creation was ours, and as such we held each other accountable to act responsibly for its posterity. This did not mean we were always pleasant with one another, but it did mean we understood that our collective union was our responsibility. In today’s political environment we have been told not to own this system. Yet to continue to move our nation forward to meet our current and future challenges, we must continually rebaptize ourselves in those natal waters of liberty and citizenship. This candidacy begins here, this is our Senate, our legislature, our presidency, our judicial system and we must own it, all of us.

Kiss of Death
I started this campaign asking that we all reflect on our role as citizens. This seemed the most foundational place to start, as making any movement in politics starts with moving the public. Thus, if we start with a reflection on our roles as citizens; hopefully, we are reminded of the work we have to do to maintain the Republic. I’ll keep coming back to that theme periodically and I hope as this campaign moves forward, it will be clear why I keep coming back to that point. But for now, I want to introduce another principle of this candidacy. I wrote a more extensive piece with multiple principles and intricate considerations, but after reading it to my wife and seeing her eyes glaze over, I knew I had to start more simply.

So then it occurred to me that the concept of “starting simple”, is actually in and of itself a key principle of this candidacy. I know it doesn’t seem like much but there is a very significant difference between “start simple” and “keep it simple (stupid)” (KISS). The political campaign theory of “keep it simple stupid” is almost universally accepted on both sides of the political spectrum, and I regard it as a political stupidism. I will go further and say that campaigns that are operating under the KISS mentality are doing a disservice to our Republic. We should understand that thecritical word “keep” means never advancing the argument beyond a very simple argument. The very real consequence of this practice in political messaging has been to keep the public simple and stupid on many major issues. Unfortunately, a very high percentage of campaigns across both parties operate this way, even those with the best intentions. In the face of the Mueller Report conclusions about Russian interference with our elections, we should reflect on whether our politics has evolved to a point where widespread propaganda has displaced thought. Meaning we simply cannot make the argument that Russians interfered with our elections, criticize players like Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group or disparage all of the means by which outside propaganda was used to KISS our people, and not at the same time evaluate how our own parties utilize these same tactics (even if in a less sophisticated manner) on a daily basis to cultivate votes.

Let me give a hypothetical non-political example here to clarify the difference between starting versus keeping messaging simple. Let’s say we are working on a group project that unbeknownst to us requires Differential Equations to solve. For those like myself who haven’t taken Differential Equations, let’s just call it hard math. Now let’s also say that our group is very large, maybe as big as the state of Texas. Let’s also say that for each step in the process of solving the problem, we need 50% of the group to agree. Now let’s say 60% of the group is at 6thgrade math, 30% have taken some Algebra and Geometry, 7% have taken Calculus, and that final 3% have actually taken Differential Equations. You may sit back and think, “easy”, let the 3% that knows Differential Equations lead and everyone else will follow. But remember we don’t know the problem requires Differential Equations to solve. So, the 3% that knows it requires differential equations, may be just as influential to the entire group as a 5% limited math subgroup who thinks it is a philosophy question. You can imagine that the 3% group may get very frustrated knowing that the group doesn’t trust them, even though they know they’re right. But it doesn’t matter that they are right, because it is a group project (common work), and you cannot move beyond what the group trusts and thus inherently what they know. Thus, if we adopted a philosophy of “keep it simple stupid”, then what we would be saying is, keep everyone at their current level and appeal to the majority, in this case the limited math subgroup. The result of utilizing this philosophy, is that the problem is never solved. If, however, we adopt a “start simple” strategy, then what we are saying is, let’s start the explanation as to why we need to use Differential Equations at the 6thgrade math level and then advance to explain algebra and geometry and beyond so that the makeup of the group changes. Now this doesn’t mean we need to advance the majority of the group to Differential Equations, but it does mean we have to advance them enough to respect those that do know Differential Equations, and to be able to tell the difference between a high-level math vs a high-level philosophy problem.

Let me be clear, we all have a portion of the blame to carry. Over time, we the citizenry have grown accustomed to simple messaging from political candidates, and candidates have been more than happy to oblige. Yet I do think the KISS philosophy deserves and requires attention, as the impacts to our democracy are real, whether it be impacts on election outcomes, impacts to increased gridlock due to fractured simple messaging, or whether it be negotiating on false policy lines.

The Eternal Struggle
Let me start on a quick note on the length of these pieces. I know sometimes they seem long, and I am going to do my best to keep them brief, because I do want to be courteous of your time. But I also want you to have some perspective. I will utilize a quote below that comes from a speech, that when printed, is fifteen plus pages single spaced. Times have certainly changed. I am confident that in 100 years, it will be that longer political speech that gets attention over any crafted bullets put forth by our modern political campaigns.

Let’s start. On the campaign trail a lot of times you get questions like, “why are you running”, “do you consider yourself a progressive”, “what is your position on ____?” All of these questions are of course legitimate, but I also find them a little limiting. I often imagine these questions being multiple choice with the last answer choice being, “All of the above depending on the subject or circumstance”, and I honestly believe that is legitimately the best answer. In other words, as candidates, we may be running for multiple reasons; we may consider ourselves progressive on some issues and conservative on others, etc. However, because our political environment has become so cynical, most of us as citizens would view anyone answering in that fashion as attempting to be on all sides of an issue, elusive, or just an outright liar.

As citizens, I think what we are really seeking when we ask these questions is some larger commonality with our candidates. In other words, we may approach this as, “hey I have certain beliefs and I want to see if you are aligned with my beliefs.” Yet, I think it is important for us to know that in practice transforming our beliefs to actual workable policy (on complex multifaceted problems) can be quite difficult. So, because I understand as a candidate that citizens want to build this commonality and because I also know the difficulty in transforming beliefs into policy, I think it is best to lay out some guiding principle or view. If you understand my guiding principle, then I think you can appreciate how I approach policy. I am going to adopt and adapt a principle from one of our best political teachers, Abraham Lincoln.

On October 15, 1858 in his last of seven debates against Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln positioned the moral argument against slavery with the following:

“It is the eternal struggle between these two principles- right and wrong- throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says: ‘You work and toil and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.’ No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.”

Let me just make a few basic observations and then show you how this principle plays out in our current political environment. First, understand we started as a democratic republic and, over time, we expanded our democracy by extending voting rights to all adults. When we consider the “common right of humanity”, what is inherent in this phrase, is that our sacred form of government best represents this principle. Just so we are clear, when Lincoln positions the common right of humanity vs the divine right of kings, he is placing the tag “right” to common right of humanity and “wrong” to divine right of kings. He is also tying the divine right of kings to the institution of slavery, thus tagging it as “wrong”. But we also need to understand that at the time he made this speech, many Americans believed the institution of slavery was right. Ok hold on to that thought and we will come back to it.

First, let me say unequivocally, this campaign will employ the exact same moral foundation for most of the issues we face today. In short, we accept that Lincoln was correct in stating that these two principles will forever continue to struggle. Likewise, we will hold, as we believe all Americans should, that the common right of humanity is the higher principle to uphold. Finally, we will argue that resolving this struggle is harder than it has ever been in our Republic.

Let me expand on just one example so that you can understand the difficulty of how this principle plays out for modern issues. Let’s use healthcare. To start simple, let us say that the common right of humanity means universal healthcare, and that the divine right of kingsmeans that certain actors in our nation profit from not having universal coverage. And, because those actors profit, they also know they can have access to healthcare for themselves, but not for all. Let’s further define those (divine right of kings) actors as maybe hospital networks, insurance companies, prescription drug companies, healthcare lobbyists and healthcare service providers.

Many of you probably read the previous case and agree full heartedly. Maybe you read the previous and thought to yourselves, “Yes that’s right we need universal healthcare, and we have to put those greedy institutions in their place.” Yet, I think it is worth asking, do any of those actors rise to the level of immorality that the institution of slavery did, are prescription companies acting for purely malevolent purposes, is the institution of insurance equivalent to the institution of slavery?

We can go further into actual details. Do we dictate coverages or exclude medical procedures? Will we have tiered coverages (bronze, silver, gold)? How will those be priced? Will we require generic drugs? Will healthcare providers still operate as private sector entities? How do we determine justice between certain health behaviors (smokers vs non-smokers)? Will we have to subsidize with taxes? If so, what is the nature of those taxes? What is the impact to those employed in the insurance or medical professions? These questions and more all deserve consideration, and all serve to make the struggle between our two principles more unclear.

You see, back in Lincoln’s time, the pro-slavery and abolitionist camps had a very clear definition of what the institution was, so the dividing lines were pretty clear. The difficulty of his time was that the passion that many felt about the issue was intense, which became the pretense for the Civil War. Yet, in our time, the institutions, laws, beliefs or systems are harder to see and thus harder to resolve for the common right of humanity. Thus, when I said previously that resolving this issue is harder than it has ever been, let’s be clear, the historic price was high and was one of war and bloodshed. Today’s price is high, but it is one of ambiguity, where it is harder not simply to see the solution, but to create the political will to adopt a solution. To complicate matters, all of this takes place in a “Keep it Simple Stupid” political environment, where the average citizen isn’t being asked (nor has the time) to advance their knowledge of the issue.

To finish, I think it is important to understand that this campaign views the common right of humanity as the superior principle to fight for, but in modern times this is less of an absolute than many may believe it to be. The first part of this struggle is to make sure our average citizen understands the difficulty of the issues of our day, and to have the patience to advance our knowledge on these issues so that the policy follows.

Issues
Given our overall goal of advocating for renewed ownership from our citizens, this requires that the average citizen have a good grasp of the issues we face, in order to make an appropriate decision on who should represent them. Yet, this is difficult, given the fact that most of us are busy in life, working, raising families, pursuing leisure activities, so it is difficult for constituents to get an in-depth knowledge of all issues. This is compounded by the fact that the issues we face are inherently complex and interdependent. Most campaigns respond to this by giving us high quality nonsense. It is high quality because it is communicated plainly and can be distributed widely, but it is nonsense in terms of actually solving a problem. Our approach here is to be more honest, if nothing else, even though our communication will undoubtedly be less effective.

In the 1858 race for United States Senate of Illinois, there were seven debates that had the format of 60 minutes for candidate one, 90 minutes for candidate two, and a 30-minute rebuttal for candidate one, and the press at the time published entire transcripts of these debates. These were of course the Great Debates of 1858, Stephen Douglas versus Abraham Lincoln. While I am envious of the time our forefathers gave to the issues of the day, I am cognizant we live in a different time. Thus, our approach here has to be brief but effective. What our issues section will attempt to do, is to get us to think about issues from a different perspective, or to get us to understand how complex an issue can be. Remember, a part of changing the course of our politics is to stop politicians from selling us simple unsubstantiated policies and to start having them communicate an approach to problem solving. We won’t cover all aspects of an issue, nor do we want to; we just want to give you a feel for how we approach the issue.

Campaign Finance
As many crowd sourcing candidates have had success in raising a significant amount of money, we see that the trend is to proclaim the “purity” of those donations. We see that candidates are eager to claim that they take no money from PACs or that their donation base is so large and their average donation so low, that they cannot be bought. Popular taglines go something like “our government isn’t going to be sold to the highest bidder.” While we like the crowd funding model, we differ a bit in that we think it is irrelevant in the current environment to make any “purity” claims or limit any contributions from any legal source. Yes, let me make it clear, we think under the current environment, that you should be able to take money from anyone (or any organization) within current campaign finance limits. So, let us explain why we think the “purity” argument should be irrelevant.

Let us say from the outset, we know campaign finance has some very serious structural problems, that have had direct implications on our democracy as a representative governance system. However, the fact that campaigns have to proclaim that their donations are “pure” and that they are not beholden to money, is an immensely sad statement about the state of politics today. We believe that what politicians are in fact saying when they proclaim, “I do not accept PAC money or other large donations”, is that they CAN be bought. The perception they leave is that if the candidate accepts a donation from a PAC or a large donor, they will be forced to do the PAC’s bidding because the candidate won’t be able to resist. In essence the candidate is saying, “Don’t believe a word I am saying on the campaign trail about what I stand for. The minute I get PAC money, I will believe and do everything they tell me to believe and do; so just make sure I don’t get any PAC money.” What we would rather a candidate’s position be is, “This is the policy or approach I stand for. When you donate to me, know that this is the approach and position you are supporting.” In other words, I have never understood why politicians find it so difficult to set boundaries with donors. Simply say, “Hey, your donation doesn’t mean you get to control my deliberation. We may or may not agree when it is time to hash out the details of policy. My policy will be based on what is good for the people, not on making sure you get a return on your donation.” The bottom line, we believe that if candidates establish the boundaries to their donors, they can accept money from whomever they wish. Our expectation is that if politicians operated honestly, openly and with conviction the right donors will surface, regardless of the label “PAC”. The deviant donors will likely walk, knowing their influence is limited to the deliberation process of the candidate.

Some may say it is naïve to think that these deviant donors won’t simply fund cooperative candidates who will win. The assumption here is that those well-funded candidates and their unsubstantiated messaging will be no match for the honest politician. This may be true, but then we come back to the role of the citizen in the republic. As Roosevelt pointed out, “The phrase-maker, the phrase-monger, the ready talker, however great his power, whose speech does not make for courage, sobriety, and right understanding, is simply a noxious element in the body politic, and it speaks ill for the public if he has influence over them.” The point being, campaign finance reform is only one element of structural change we need in politics. The far greater risk is a public that can’t decipher, or is influenced by, bought messaging focused on simple unsubstantiated policy. Again, this is our responsibility to fix.[42][34]

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### Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez[edit]

Tzintzún Ramirez's campaign website stated the following:

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Putting Families First
Cristina knows that no matter where we come from, the color of our skin, who we pray to, or who we love, we all want the same things for our kids–we want them to be safe and healthy, and to go to great schools to become all that they dream of.

As Senator, Cristina will put our families first and create great futures for our kids by fighting for:

Paid Parental Leave
There are just five countries in the world that don’t offer moms paid time off to be with their newborn babies–and the United States is one of them. Paid parental leave keeps parents and babies healthy and happy. It gives moms much needed time to recover after childbirth and allows babies to spend time bonding with their parents, supporting their brain development and overall health.

Reproductive Rights
We should leave it to women and not politicians to decide when they are ready to make a family. A woman’s right to choose what is best for her body, her family, and her health is a guaranteed right under the U.S. Constitution and Roe v. Wade- one that Cristina will work to protect. She will ensure that access to contraception and safe abortion are guaranteed in any health plan that she supports.

Healthy Families
Cristina wants to ensure that Texas families are healthy. She believes that in the richest country in the world we should all be able to go to the doctor when we are sick and have the highest quality healthcare when we need it.

As Senator, Cristina would support Medicare for All because it is the most efficient and cost effective way to make sure every American has quality healthcare, and it will allow small businesses and entrepreneurs to accelerate their growth instead of trying to worry about how to cover the cost of healthcare for themselves and their employees.

Medicare for All is one of the most popular policies in the country. Americans know that the current system we have is broken. By letting private insurance companies profit off our pain, illness, and injuries, we have created the most expensive healthcare system with some of the worst healthcare outcomes in the world. By any measure, our current system has failed us. Cristina will build a healthcare system that works for people, not for profit.

Gun Safety
Every 3 hours, we lose a Texan to gun violence. After the incidents in Midland and Odessa, El Paso, and Santa Fe High School, Texans are demanding action. Students shouldn’t have to live with the fear of being murdered in their schools. Instead of teaching kids how to survive a school shooting, we need to stop school shootings from happening. We need gun reform now.

John Cornyn has refused to act, putting the interests of the NRA over his Texas constituents, consistently earning an A rating from the gun lobby. Cristina believes that our representatives should fight for the young people, victims of gun violence and their families, and Texans that are demanding change, and not the NRA.

This is why Cristina has endorsed the Peace Plan for a Safer America by students and survivors of March for Our Lives. As Senator, Cristina will advocate for gun legislation that the majority of Americans support, including universal background checks, banning and buying back assault weapons like AR-15s and AK-47s, and holding the gun lobby accountable for the harm they have done to our communities.

Universal Childcare and Pre-K
Currently, the average Texas family pays $9,324 a year just for childcare for an infant child. On average, that’s $777 per month. With universal childcare and Pre-K as a guaranteed right, Texans won’t have to choose between work and family, and every child will have better education and care.

Great Schools and 21st Century Education
Fully funding our education system, from kindergarten through college, and tackling the crisis of student debt is just basic common sense and sound economic policy. It means we invest in our greatest asset: our people.

When Cristina is our Senator she will make sure our kids go to great schools with great teachers by fully funding the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which currently does not adequately meet the needs of our students, and ensuring that teachers are compensated and trained like the professionals they are.

Regarding student debt, studies show that college graduates contribute on average $278,000 more into local economies over their lifetime than their non-college graduate counterparts. But the high cost of higher education poses a huge barrier for many students to get a college degree. In Texas, the average student graduating with their bachelor’s has $27,000 in debt. Right now, one in five borrowers are already in default on their loans, and by 2023 it is projected that 40% will be in default. Student debt will be our next big economic crisis– unless we take action.

That’s why Cristina supports canceling student debt for millions of Americans that are struggling to pay back their loans. Cristina also supports efforts to make public universities and community college tuition-free. We’ll continue building the strongest economy in the world by investing appropriately in education.

Building an Economy for Everyone
When Cristina is our next Senator we will start measuring our economy not only by how big corporations are doing but by how well ordinary Texans are doing.

In this state, we work hard. Texans work more hours on average than most Americans. But you wouldn’t know it if you looked inside most Texans pocketbooks. Almost 40 percent of Texans are making under $47,000 a year and struggle to pay their bills, let alone have financial security. Today around 60% of Americans have $1,000 or less in savings. That means sudden emergencies can easily leave families bankrupt.

As Senator, Cristina will build an economy for everyone by working to: Give the American People a Raise
The American people need a raise. In Texas, our minimum wage is just $7.25 an hour. We need to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and ensure that it is tied to inflation. Wages should be based on the needs of American families, not on the inconsistency of political will in Washington.

Get Equal Pay for Women
Enact Equal Pay for Equal Work through the Paycheck Fairness Act so that we can close the gender pay gap that has left millions of women- especially Latina and African American women– behind.

Invest in Small Businesses
Small businesses are the engine of the U.S. economy. In Texas, small businesses represent over 99 percent of businesses and 45 percent of our workforce. As Senator, Cristina would ensure that Texas entrepreneurs can succeed by increasing funding for the Small Business Administration to provide access to low-interest loans and other programs to support aspiring business owners.

Ensure Americans can Retire in Dignity and with Security
Half of American households over the age of 55 have no retirement savings. We must ensure older Americans and families can live in dignity and with security by supporting measures like the Social Security 2100 Act, which protects and strengthen social security for decades to come.

Create Good Jobs
America has and will create great jobs for the majority of Americans again. It starts with working to make every job a good job– one that pays a living wage, provides benefits/time off, and gives workers retirement security. The American people work hard and they should be compensated for it. Cristina supports expanding the rights of American workers to unionize to ensure they can negotiate fair wages and conditions with their employers.

We must fully fund the Department of Labor Wage and Hour, OSHA and the EEOC to ensure American workers’ rights are protected.

Guaranteeing Equal Rights
Despite what John Cornyn or Donald Trump says, we all know that what’s best about Texas is our diversity. We are a state of 29 million, where people of color make up the majority of the population and around one in three Texans are like Cristina – immigrants or children of immigrants. Some of the most diverse cities in the country are right here in Texas.

As a country we have made tremendous strides to better protect the rights of marginalized communities– and when we take power we have the opportunity to build on this work and tackle real inequities that exist.

In the Senate, Cristina will make our nation live up to our promise and guarantee all people the same rights and opportunities by working to: Build a Just Criminal Justice System
Cristina recognizes that our current criminal legal system unfairly targets the low-income, and black and brown communities, not only because of misguided policies like the Drug War, but also because of corporations that profit off of imprisonment.

As Senator, Cristina would support the legalization of marijuana, as well as efforts to address the long-term harm done in communities of color such as expunging records of those with low-level marijuana offenses. She would also advocate for abolishing private prisons and mandatory minimums, ensuring that our government invests in schools rather than prisons. Lastly, she would support federal abolition of the death penalty.

Reform our Immigration System
At the Workers Defense Project, Cristina spent a decade working alongside immigrant communities that lost their fingers, limbs, and lives while working to build our homes, our schools, and our roadways. She saw up close the cost of our immigration system, which is willing to accept undocumented workers’ labor–but not their humanity.

As Democrats, we have the opportunity to not just say what we’re against– none of us are for putting children in cages– but also to say what we’re for. Cristina supports extending citizenship to DREAMers, who are Americans in every way except on paper. But she also believes that in addition to the DREAMers, we need to legalize the status of the millions of hardworking and honest immigrants that have been part of our communities for years. We need an immigration system that allows future generations to come here safely and legally, that fills our labor needs, and that empowers all immigrants to live their full humanity as families and human beings.

Defend LGBTQ+ Rights
While the LGBTQ+ community has made tremendous strides in social acceptance, full acceptance and equality has not yet been realized. The LGBTQ+ community still experiences regular and legalized discrimination at work, in housing, and schools based on their sexual oritentation and/or gender identity.

As Senator, Cristina will ensure that full equality for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community is enshrined into federal law by supporting the Equality Act, which would prevent discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which will make it illegal for anyone receiving Federal assistance to discriminate against LGBTQ children and families when placing children for adoption and foster care, the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which bans conversion therapy and the Do No Harm Act, which prohibits the use of personal religious beliefs as an excuse to discriminate.

Combat White Supremacy
Cristina recognizes that we need to address the growing threat of violence driven by white supremacy in our communities. These are the tragedies of the Politics of Hate. Especially in the wake of the massacre in El Paso, this issue hits close to home for many Texans. No Texan– and no American– should ever fear violence because of the color of their skin, the God they pray to, or any other identity they carry. As Senator, Cristina would direct funding to the Department of Justice to investigate hate crimes and treat acts of violence fueled by white supremacy as acts of domestic terrorism.

Defend Disability Rights
Almost 12% of Texans live with a disability. Yet, our state and our country don’t do enough to protect the rights of the disability community. Disabled Americans experience barriers to voting, housing, employment and education, and in many other aspects of daily life.

In Washington, Cristina will support the rights of the disability community by fully funding IDEA, which protects the right of disabled children to education; strengthening the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act so that disabled workers’ rights are fully protected; protecting housing rights by prohibiting discrimination based on source of income; and investing in disaster relief and preparation efforts specifically for the disability community through the Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion in Disasters Act (REAADI) and the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act (DRM).

As part of the Workers Defense Project, many of the people that Cristina worked with had lost their limbs or eyesight, and were otherwise living with disabilities, due to injuries on the job. As Senator, Cristina will continue fighting alongside the disability community to ensure their humanity and rights are respected and acknowledged.

Saving our Planet
As Texans, we don’t run away from big problems– we take them head-on. That’s exactly what we have to do on climate change.

In Texas, we have seen Houston underwater and agricultural communities that are suffering under unprecedented heat and drought. As the second-largest economy in the country with massive wind and solar potential, Cristina will make sure Texas is a leader in our nation’s transition into a green energy future, because no state has more to lose or gain than Texas. Like 81% of Democrats, Cristina supports the Green New Deal.

The Green New Deal lays the framework to make sure that our nation rises to the ambition necessary to tackle climate change, that oil and gas workers won’t be left behind, that we will create millions of good new green jobs, and that we will support oil and gas companies as we transition off of fossil fuels and grow in renewable green energy.

Making us an International Leader
Texas is intimately tied to the international community. We are multilingual, we are immigrants and children of immigrants, and we are located on the border. But for too long, our approach to international affairs has only served to benefit large corporations, and not working Texans. Under the Trump Administration this has only worsened, with Senator Cornyn choosing to use taxpayer money on an isolationist border wall instead of supporting measures of international cooperation, like the Paris Climate Accord.

In the Senate, Cristina will work to make Texas a leader on the world stage – something she will measure not by our export numbers or the length of an unnecessary wall – but by how well the interests of ordinary Texans are represented in our foreign policy.

As Senator, Cristina will advocate for:

Smart Trade Policy
Our current trade policy involves escalating trade wars that only increase prices for working and middle class families. However, even previous trade agreements often hurt workers by moving jobs overseas. Cristina believes that smart trade policy does not only protect the interests of businesses, but also the interests of our workers. In the Senate, Cristina will advocate for policy that protects labor rights, enforces environmental regulations, and maintains a level playing field between our international trade partners.

Climate Leadership
Texas has long been a global hub for energy, and Cristina believes that Texas can continue to lead as we transition to a clean energy future that protects our climate. She supports reentering the Paris Climate Accord because climate change is a global threat that requires us to work together with our international partners.

Human Rights Diplomacy
From her approach to immigration to climate change, Cristina believes that human rights– and not the desires of authoritarian leaders– should be central to U.S. diplomacy. Whether it concerns refugees at our Southern border, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, or protests for democracy in Hong Kong, Cristina will put human rights first.

Protecting our Democracy
Our democracy was founded on a radical proposition: that ordinary people could come together and decide who had the best ideas to solve their problems and represent them. At the time, only white land-owning men had this political power. When we extended the vote to women, African Americans and other communities of color, we made our democracy more whole.

Today, real democracy is still a radical idea. That’s because real democracy means that there are no kings and that no one is above the law. That our government should belong to and serve us, the people. That it shall be ordinary Americans that get to decide whose ideas are best to solve their real-life problems, and that they will get to determine by their single and equal vote– regardless of their color, their income, their gender, or their sexual orientation– the best course for our nation.

That is why some people in power are so afraid of democracy. Because they do not believe in the power of us. They want a government that serves their interests, not ours, which is why we need to shield our democracy against ongoing voter suppression and international efforts to interfere in our elections.

When Cristina goes to Washington one of her top priorities will be to pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act and making election day a national federal holiday so everyone can participate easily and equally in our democracy.

This is our Texas- our America. Let’s do this![43][34]

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### Royce West[edit]

West's campaign website stated the following:

“  |

Healthcare
This nation is facing a healthcare crisis — and Texans have been hit hard by outrageous insurance premiums, deductibles, and pharmaceutical prices that are sometimes triple the cost compared to other nations.

We must stand together, as a nation, and say that healthcare is a basic human right, not a privilege reserved for only those who can afford it.

That’s why, for decades, in the Texas Senate, I have fought to expand Medicaid to our most vulnerable neighbors. No matter your circumstance, our nation benefits from healthy and productive people.

I sponsored a bill in 2018 to expand Medicaid eligibility to our military heroes. Veterans and their families have earned high-quality healthcare, but we must do better, and take action to help cover the over 40 million Americans without coverage.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was a monumental step for the American healthcare system, but it didn’t go far enough. Costs are still too high, and patients had limited options for doctors. Texas left millions without coverage by refusing Medicaid expansion.

That’s why we need to invest in making the ACA work for everybody–this needs to be a funding priority in 2020. We need to ensure that everyone who wants to enroll in the ACA can do so, without forcing others to forfeit their employer sponsored insurance.

Healthcare, like reproductive freedom, must be a choice.

While we work to ensure affordable, quality healthcare for all people–it is imperative that mental health services don’t fall through the cracks. We must continue educating people on the importance of mental health and include those services with basic healthcare packages.

Introducing the importance of mental health to our children is a clear step we must take as a country. I authored multiple bills in the Texas Senate to not only include mental health services in our schools, but to also add mental health care as part of our curriculum.

We have to look at the full person, body and mind, when discussing the future of the American healthcare system. As your next Senator, I will face this healthcare crisis head on and fight to ensure every Texan receives the affordable care we all deserve.

Education – Higher Education
Increasing the accessibility of higher education has been the hallmark of my career. But there’s so much more we need to be doing for our students from preschool to college.

When students feel more burdened by their education than empowered, that is a big problem. Tuition is too high and student loan interest rates make it nearly impossible to even pay off your debt. We must offer debt relief programs for the millions of Texans who are unable to invest in buying a home or vehicle due to the burden of their debt.

We need to invest in Community Colleges, offering free tuition for low income students. The path from a Community College into a 4-year institution is complicated and uneven, and it is imperative to make that pathway easier to navigate for students.

I truly believe that everyone deserves the best education, and I’ve fought for 30 years for access to a high-quality education.

I was instrumental in bringing the University of North Texas to southern Dallas, so people could get a 4-year degree close to home. I also worked tirelessly to create the UNT School of Law in Downtown Dallas – the cities first and only public law school. These institutions are going to transform lives and the community

Education – K-12
Investing in K-12 education is one of my top priorities.

In the Texas state legislature, and in the voting booth, Democrats have put pressure on Republicans to finally do the right thing and pour more funding into our children’s public education.

Finally, after years of fighting, Republicans tried to placate things by passing an overhaul. It’s a good start, but don’t be fooled—we have to stay on top of this issue.

For years, politicians talked about the achievement gap and how to close it, but every time we went back to session, the gap stayed the same. So, the state, spearheaded by educators, especially teachers and Democratic legislators, decided to invest political capital at the polls and prioritize education. You know what, it worked!

One of the things we did was make sure funding followed our low-income students. Money would be given to schools based on the number of low-income students in attendance.

We also invested in our teachers. We passed a statewide pay increase for teachers to ease the burden they face. Teacher’s shouldn’t worry about paying for their own school supplies out of pocket.

Texas is starting to move in the right direction, but there is still a lot more we can do.

And, it is crucial that education remains a funding priority to ensure the investment we made last year continues forward.

Women's Rights
A woman has the right to make decisions about her body — it is that simple.

Any issue involving a woman’s healthcare is between her and her doctor, and that’s where we need to leave it.

In 2013, State Senator Wendy Davis gave an iconic 10-hour filibuster in pink sneakers to fight for women’s reproductive freedom in Texas. I was honored to be standing beside her that day on the Senate floor in support of her filibuster.

That day, we won the battle, and I am dedicated to continuing this fight in Washington, where Roe vs. Wade is under attack, and the continued appointment of anti-choice Supreme Court Justices could result in a catastrophic blow to women’s reproductive freedom.

I will take this fight from the Texas State Senate floor to the United States Senate floor.

Gun Violence
Our country is facing a gun violence epidemic, and this evil continues to hit Texas.

Our loved ones are being killed. Students are scared to go to school. This isn’t a “should we” question anymore, this is an absolute undeniable must. This must be addressed.

My position on gun reform has been clear for over 30 years. In the 1990’s I authored bills on both universal background checks and an assault weapons ban.

Since the 90’s, I have remained consistent in my unwavering belief that we must regulate deadly weapons. I support universal background checks, banning weapons of war, red flag laws, and limiting magazine capacity.

We need brave legislators in Washington to take on the NRA, and my record proves that I’m the best candidate to do that.

Economy & Jobs
Our economy is no longer working for middle class Americans. Cost of living continues to sky-rocket while salaries and wages remain stagnant.

Hard working Texans deserve a living wage, and should not have to live paycheck to paycheck.

I fully support a $15 federal minimum wage and I have fought for legislation to raise the minimum wage in Texas. With the staggering increase in income inequality, a single parent has to work 2 or 3 jobs just to afford putting food on the table.

This country can afford to pay workers a dignified, living wage.

To combat income inequality, we also need to make banking available to low income families without making interest rates so high that they continue the cycle of poverty. We must end predatory lending practices and safeguard well-intentioned borrowers who are trying to make their lives better.

Together, we must elect leaders to Washington who will ensure we have an economy that works for all of us — not just big banks and corporations.

Immigration
Immigration is an issue that uniquely affects Texans, particularly our border communities.

Our immigration system is broken, and President Trump has used it as a divisive hot-button issue to play to racism and bigotry. This presidential administration has thrown our immigration policies into total chaos — to the point where we are violating international human rights laws.

Children do not belong in cages, families must stay together, and we must immediately address the humanitarian crisis going on at the border.

Our border needs more resources, like judges who can expedite hearings for asylum seekers.

But let’s remember that people seek asylum because they are fleeing violence and war. We must take a proactive approach and work with Mexico and Central America in order to stop citizens from fleeing their homes.

We must solve the humanitarian crisis at our border, while also investing in technology and infrastructure to keep them secure.

Climate Change
The window to address climate change is getting smaller and smaller. This is something that America must address now, and our first step is reengaging in the Paris Climate Accords.

Beyond that, we have to end our dependence on fossil fuels and utilize renewable energy. As a nation, we are not investing nearly enough in clean energy solutions.

We have the technology to invigorate the solar and wind industries, which would create thousands of jobs across the country and aid our environment.

When we make energy decisions going forward, we must think of how it will impact both the environment and economy.

Criminal Justice
Our nation’s criminal justice system is in peril. From the halls of our local police departments, to the court rooms, and overcrowded prisons, total reform is needed at all levels of the judiciary.

Felony convictions for nonviolent drug crimes, criminal profiling, and excessive force by law enforcement disproportionately affects the black and brown communities. It is time to look at redefining the use of deadly force to better protect the officer and citizen.

We must pass federal legislation to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences, end private for-profit prisons, promote rehabilitation centers, and put support systems in place for former inmates who are shut out of opportunities.

In Texas, we are on the heels of several tragic deaths of black Americans by the police force, which occurs all too frequently to families across our country. We must seek justice—there is no other option.

We must hold our police departments accountable for misconduct and excessive force; and bring in independent investigators to reexamine the use of deadly force and foster an environment that prioritizes de-escalation tactics.

I have a long record of fighting for criminal justice reform and putting measures in place to hold law enforcement accountable. In the Texas State Senate, I authored groundbreaking legislation for body cameras and dashboard cameras in police vehicles.

Fairness in the criminal justice system is not a new issue but continues to evade resolution. We must look for new approaches that will bring about trust and accountability, while maintaining community safety.

Protecting Democracy
America was built upon the ideal of one person, one vote. And over the past hundred years, people of color, women, and disenfranchised folks have been fighting to be equally included in that simple phrase—one person, one vote.

Lawmakers and government institutions, for decades, have been working to systematically undercut voter access for millions of Americans, disproportionately affecting minority communities.

Federally, we must take whatever steps necessary to ensure that every person has the opportunity and access to the voting booth.

Voter equity means strengthening automatic voter registration, making Election Day a national holiday, increasing the number of polling places, and reversing all of the discriminatory Voter ID laws.

Voting rights has been one of my top priorities in the Texas State Senate and I have worked for decades to ensure all Texans, regardless of background, are given their right to vote.

I am proud to be one of the leaders in the Senate loudly advocating for voter rights, and arguing against ploys for voter suppression—that is how we protect our democracy.

LGBTQ+ Rights
There is no room for discrimination—every person has the fundamental right to love who they want and personally identify as who they are.

The systems of oppression built against the LGTQ+ community must be dismantled, and that starts with repealing dangerous policies that attacks same-sex couples and transgender Americans.

First, as a nation, we must pass The Equality Act and unequivocally say that discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, and access to public goods and services is illegal.

LGBTQ+ folks must have the freedom to live openly without fear of prejudice, so Congress needs to pass legislation to end the exclusion of sexual and gender identity as a protected class under Title VII and Title IX.

Furthermore, Congress must take action to immediately end the Trump Administration’s blatant transphobic policies. Our military service men and women are heroes and deserve our respect and gratitude—no matter how they identify.

As a society, we cannot exclude courageous and honorable individuals, and Trump’s transgender military ban does just that.[44][34]

|  ”

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## Campaign ads[edit]

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

### Mary Jennings Hegar[edit]

"Carpool" - Hegar campaign ad, released February 10, 2020

"Texas Tough" - Hegar campaign ad, released January 27, 2020

### Satellite group ads[edit]

"Cristina" - Lone Star PAC ad, released February 17, 2020

"Their Side" - John Cornyn (R) campaign ad, released July 21, 2019

## Polls[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
U.S. Senate election in Texas, 2020: Democratic primary runoff polls

Poll  |  Date  |  Hegar  |  West  |  Other  |  Margin of error  |  Sample size  |  Sponsor
University of Texas at Tyler |  June 29 - July 7, 2020  | 32%  |  20%  |  47%  |  3.3%  |  898  |  The Dallas Morning News
University of Texas at Tyler |  April 18-27, 2020  | 32%  |  16%  |  51%  |  4.6%  |  447  |  The Dallas Morning News

Click [show] to see older poll results

Poll  |  Date  |  Bell  |  Cooper  |  Edwards  |  Foster  |  Garcia  |  Harris  |  Hegar  |  Hernandez  |  Hunter  |  Ocegueda  |  Tzintzún Ramirez  |  West  |  Other  |  Margin of error  |  Sample size  |  Sponsor
Emerson College |  Feb. 29 - March 1, 2020  |  6%  |  5%  |  4%  |  0%  |  4%  |  1%  | 16%  |  4%  |  1%  |  1%  |  8%  |  11%  |  39%  |  4.6%  |  450  |  Nexstar Broadcasting
The Marist Poll |  Feb. 23-27, 2020  |  5%  |  4%  |  5%  |  1%  |  8%  |  2%  | 13%  |  5%  |  1%  |  3%  |  8%  |  7%  |  38%  |  3.7%  |  1,050  |  NBC News
University of Texas Tyler |  Feb. 17-26, 2020  |  7%  |  3%  |  4%  |  1%  |  4%  |  1%  | 15%  |  4%  |  1%  |  1%  |  7%  |  7%  |  46%  |  4.1%  |  586  |  The Dallas Morning News
University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs |  Feb. 6-18, 2020  |  6%  |  3%  |  3%  |  1%  |  3%  |  1%  | 22%  |  2%  |  1%  |  1%  |  4%  |  7%  |  46%  |  2.7%  |  1,352  |  N/A
University of Texas Austin |  Jan. 31 - Feb. 9, 2020  |  7%  |  3%  |  6%  |  0%  |  4%  |  2%  | 22%  |  5%  |  1%  |  1%  |  9%  |  6%  |  34%  |  4.1%  |  575  |  The Texas Tribune
University of Texas Tyler |  Jan. 21-30, 2020  |  4%  |  2%  |  4%  |  2%  |  5%  |  2%  |  8%  |  4%  |  2%  |  1%  |  4%  |  6%  |  56%  |  4.4%  |  487  |  Dallas Morning News
Data for Progress |  Jan. 16-21, 2020  |  5%  |  1%  |  1%  |  0%  |  2%  |  0%  | 14%  |  0%  |  0%  |  0%  |  6%  |  10%  |  59%  |  6.5%  |  684  |  N/A
Texas Lyceum |  Jan. 10-19, 2020  |  5%  |  5%  |  6%  |  0%  |  4%  |  5%  | 11%  |  5%  |  0%  |  2%  |  7%  |  8%  |  42%  |  4.9%  |  401  |  N/A
University of Texas Tyler |  Nov. 5-14, 2019  |  7%  |  \--  |  8%  |  \--  |  \--  |  \--  | 9%  |  \--  |  \--  |  \--  | 9%  |  8%  |  59%  |  4.7%  |  427  |  N/A
University of Texas Austin |  Oct. 18-27, 2019  |  3%  |  0%  |  4%  |  2%  |  \--  |  \--  | 12%  |  6%  |  \--  |  1%  |  4%  |  5%  |  63%  |  5.6%  |  541  |  The Texas Tribune

## Campaign finance[edit]

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are automatically updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[45] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date

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Mary Jennings Hegar | Democratic Party | $29,597,570 | $29,558,487 | $86,565 |  As of December 31, 2020
Royce West | Democratic Party | $2,077,258 | $2,074,162 | $3,096 |  As of December 31, 2020
Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez | Democratic Party | $1,218,354 | $1,160,039 | $58,315 |  As of December 31, 2020
Amanda Edwards | Democratic Party | $1,013,504 | $1,012,745 | $759 |  As of September 30, 2020
Chris Bell | Democratic Party | $399,245 | $396,923 | $2,322 |  As of December 31, 2020
Annie Garcia | Democratic Party | $82,008 | $82,008 | $0 |  As of May 5, 2020
Michael Cooper | Democratic Party | $12,244 | $4,530 | $6,296 |  As of March 31, 2020
Sema Hernandez | Democratic Party | $7,551 | $7,296 | $3,892 |  As of September 30, 2019
Jack Daniel Foster Jr. | Democratic Party | $6,957 | $6,124 | $833 |  As of March 4, 2020
Adrian Ocegueda | Democratic Party | $5,777 | $5,777 | $0 |  As of April 10, 2020
Victor Harris | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available
D.R. Hunter | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," .

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

## Satellite spending[edit]

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[46][47][48]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

* Lone Star Forward PAC launched a television ad buy in support of Tzintzún Ramirez on February 19. The ad, which was scheduled to run through March 3, praised her stance on healthcare and firearms regulations.[26]

* VoteVets spent $3.3 million on a television ad buy in support of Hegar. The buy, which praised her background and her position on healthcare, ran from February 3 through February 17.[29]

## Debates and forums[edit]

### February 22 candidate forum[edit]

On February 22, 2020, Bell, Edwards, Hernandez, and Ocegueda participated in a candidate forum hosted by the University of North Texas Democrats. Click here for clips containing a recording of the debate and here for a roundup from the North Texas Daily.

### February 18 debate[edit]

On February 18, 2020, Bell, Cooper, Edwards, Foster, Garcia, Harris, Hegar, Hernandez, Ocegueda, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West met for a debate at the KVUE studio in Austin.

Official recording, February 18, 2020 debate - KVUE

Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:

* The Austin American-Statesman
* The Dallas Morning News
* The Houston Chronicle
* Houston Public Media
* KVUE
* The Texas Tribune

### January 25 debate[edit]

On January 25, 2020, Bell, Edwards, Hegar, Hernandez, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West participated in a debate at the AFL-CIO COPE Convention.

Click here for the official recording of the debate. Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:

* The Austin American-Statesman
* The Dallas Morning News
* KVUE
* KXAN

### December 10, 2019, candidate forum[edit]

On December 10, 2019, Bell, Edwards, Hegar, Hernandez, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West participated in a candidate forum hosted by Indivisible.

* Click here for the official recording of the forum.
* Click here for The Texas Tribune roundup of the forum.

### September 5, 2019, candidate forum[edit]

On September 5, 2019, Bell, Edwards, Hernandez, Ocegueda, Tzintzún Ramirez, and West participated in a candidate forum hosted by WFAA-TV at Collin College in Frisco.

Click here for the official recording of the forum. Click the links below for roundups of the forum from:

* CBS 19
* The Dallas Morning News
* NBC-DFW

## Primaries in Texas[edit]

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. Voters do not have to register with a party in advance in order to participate in that party's primary. The voter must sign a pledge stating the following (the language below is taken directly from state statutes):[49][50]

“  | The following pledge shall be placed on the primary election ballot above the listing of candidates' names: 'I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year.'[34] |  ”

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## Runoff elections in Texas[edit]

In Texas, a primary election candidate for congressional, state, or county office must receive a majority of the vote (more than 50%) to be declared the winner. If no candidate wins the requisite majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.[51]

As of 2020, the Texas Secretary of State office stated, "There is no requirement to have previously voted in the general primary election in order to participate in the subsequent primary runoff election. Therefore, if a qualified voter did not vote in the general primary election, they are still eligible to vote in the primary runoff election." The office also stated that "if a voter votes in the primary of one party, they will only be able to vote in that party’s primary runoff election. ... After being affiliated with a party, a voter is not able to change or cancel their party affiliation until the end of the calendar year."[52]

## What's at stake in the general election?[edit]

See also: United States Senate elections, 2020

U.S. Senate elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincide with the 2020 presidential election. Thirty-three of the Senate's 100 seats were up for regular election in November. There were also two special elections in 2020. The results determined control of the U.S. Senate in the 117th Congress.

At the time of the election, the Republican Party had a 53-seat Senate majority, while Democrats had 45 seats. There were also two independents who caucus with the Democratic Party. Republicans faced greater partisan risk than Democrats in 2020 because they were defending 23 seats compared to 12 for the Democrats. Both parties had two incumbents representing states the opposite party's presidential nominee won in 2016.

In 2018, Democrats and Democratic-caucusing independents defended 26 of the 35 seats up for election, while Republicans defended the other nine. Republicans won 11 seats to the Democrats' 24, for a GOP net gain of two.

In the 24 previous Senate elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained Senate seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party gained seats, the average gain was three seats. In years where the president's party lost seats, the average loss was five seats. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.

Incumbent John Cornyn (R) was first elected in 2002 and won re-election in 2008 and 2014. In the 2014 election, he defeated businessman David Alameel (D) by a 61.6-34.4 margin. At the time of the 2020 election, Democrats had last won a statewide election in Texas in 1994. In the preceding U.S. Senate election, incumbent Ted Cruz (R) defeated then-Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D) by a 50.9-48.3 margin.

## General election race ratings[edit]

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

* Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
* Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
* Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[53]
* Tossup ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[54][55][56]

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Texas, 2020

Race tracker| Race ratings
| November 3, 2020| October 27, 2020| October 20, 2020| October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report| Lean Republican| Lean Republican| Lean Republican| Lean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales| Lean Republican| Lean Republican| Lean Republican| Lean Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball| Lean Republican| Likely Republican| Likely Republican| Likely Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

## Pivot Counties[edit]

See also: Pivot Counties by state

One of 254 Texas counties—0.4 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008

County  |  Trump margin of victory in 2016  |  Obama margin of victory in 2012  |  Obama margin of victory in 2008
Jefferson County, Texas | 0.48% | 1.61% | 2.25%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Texas with 52.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Texas cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 66.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Texas supported Democratic candidates slightly more often than Republicans, 53.3 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.

#### Presidential results by legislative district[edit]

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Texas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[57][58]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 54 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 65 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won 10 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 85 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 34.5 points.

2016 presidential results by state House district

District |  Obama |  Romney |  2012 Margin |  Clinton |  Trump |  2016 Margin |  Party Control
1 | 26.82% | 72.17% | R+45.3 | 22.76% | 75.13% | R+52.4 | R
2 | 20.93% | 77.91% | R+57 | 17.59% | 79.78% | R+62.2 | R
3 | 22.26% | 76.65% | R+54.4 | 21.37% | 75.80% | R+54.4 | R
4 | 25.04% | 73.93% | R+48.9 | 22.70% | 74.70% | R+52 | R
5 | 23.75% | 75.33% | R+51.6 | 20.20% | 77.72% | R+57.5 | R
6 | 28.44% | 70.49% | R+42 | 28.89% | 67.98% | R+39.1 | R
7 | 27.14% | 71.97% | R+44.8 | 24.48% | 73.09% | R+48.6 | R
8 | 24.96% | 74.07% | R+49.1 | 21.12% | 76.63% | R+55.5 | R
9 | 27.47% | 71.73% | R+44.3 | 22.23% | 76.13% | R+53.9 | R
10 | 25.56% | 73.21% | R+47.7 | 25.20% | 71.62% | R+46.4 | R
11 | 26.75% | 72.23% | R+45.5 | 24.48% | 72.79% | R+48.3 | R
12 | 36.06% | 62.67% | R+26.6 | 32.54% | 64.35% | R+31.8 | R
13 | 22.71% | 76.25% | R+53.5 | 20.47% | 77.18% | R+56.7 | R
14 | 34.77% | 62.91% | R+28.1 | 38.79% | 54.03% | R+15.2 | R
15 | 21.79% | 76.77% | R+55 | 28.86% | 66.69% | R+37.8 | R
16 | 18.22% | 80.76% | R+62.5 | 18.80% | 78.35% | R+59.5 | R
17 | 37.30% | 60.79% | R+23.5 | 33.92% | 62.02% | R+28.1 | R
18 | 27.18% | 71.69% | R+44.5 | 23.96% | 73.47% | R+49.5 | R
19 | 22.22% | 76.79% | R+54.6 | 17.21% | 81.00% | R+63.8 | R
20 | 26.22% | 72.13% | R+45.9 | 25.81% | 70.27% | R+44.5 | R
21 | 23.92% | 74.97% | R+51.1 | 21.50% | 76.09% | R+54.6 | R
22 | 66.82% | 32.57% | D+34.3 | 65.95% | 31.80% | D+34.1 | D
23 | 44.24% | 54.56% | R+10.3 | 40.89% | 55.86% | R+15 | R
24 | 25.11% | 73.48% | R+48.4 | 27.42% | 68.20% | R+40.8 | R
25 | 28.74% | 69.92% | R+41.2 | 27.55% | 69.14% | R+41.6 | R
26 | 35.86% | 62.95% | R+27.1 | 45.81% | 50.71% | R+4.9 | R
27 | 68.80% | 30.44% | D+38.4 | 70.03% | 27.23% | D+42.8 | D
28 | 34.81% | 64.22% | R+29.4 | 43.01% | 53.21% | R+10.2 | R
29 | 35.44% | 63.32% | R+27.9 | 41.21% | 54.83% | R+13.6 | R
30 | 30.24% | 68.64% | R+38.4 | 26.80% | 70.36% | R+43.6 | R
31 | 61.89% | 37.31% | D+24.6 | 55.47% | 42.31% | D+13.2 | D
32 | 41.43% | 56.92% | R+15.5 | 42.04% | 53.45% | R+11.4 | R
33 | 26.49% | 72.25% | R+45.8 | 31.27% | 64.67% | R+33.4 | R
34 | 54.64% | 44.24% | D+10.4 | 53.40% | 43.18% | D+10.2 | D
35 | 66.43% | 32.71% | D+33.7 | 63.43% | 33.59% | D+29.8 | D
36 | 74.73% | 24.41% | D+50.3 | 73.70% | 23.21% | D+50.5 | D
37 | 69.28% | 29.75% | D+39.5 | 68.98% | 27.77% | D+41.2 | D
38 | 66.13% | 32.95% | D+33.2 | 65.76% | 30.74% | D+35 | D
39 | 74.02% | 25.10% | D+48.9 | 70.48% | 26.40% | D+44.1 | D
40 | 75.32% | 23.68% | D+51.6 | 70.73% | 25.91% | D+44.8 | D
41 | 56.64% | 42.35% | D+14.3 | 59.53% | 36.87% | D+22.7 | D
42 | 75.54% | 23.57% | D+52 | 73.73% | 23.49% | D+50.2 | D
43 | 46.96% | 52.09% | R+5.1 | 43.79% | 53.10% | R+9.3 | R
44 | 30.83% | 67.97% | R+37.1 | 30.22% | 65.99% | R+35.8 | R
45 | 41.83% | 55.19% | R+13.4 | 44.53% | 49.14% | R+4.6 | R
46 | 76.62% | 20.14% | D+56.5 | 78.16% | 16.34% | D+61.8 | D
47 | 39.32% | 58.05% | R+18.7 | 46.98% | 47.16% | R+0.2 | R
48 | 56.86% | 39.56% | D+17.3 | 65.17% | 28.12% | D+37 | D
49 | 70.19% | 24.89% | D+45.3 | 76.63% | 16.65% | D+60 | D
50 | 57.79% | 38.81% | D+19 | 63.38% | 30.05% | D+33.3 | D
51 | 78.49% | 17.43% | D+61.1 | 79.52% | 14.04% | D+65.5 | D
52 | 42.57% | 54.91% | R+12.3 | 46.12% | 47.56% | R+1.4 | R
53 | 22.29% | 76.50% | R+54.2 | 20.74% | 76.30% | R+55.6 | R
54 | 45.85% | 53.04% | R+7.2 | 44.07% | 51.07% | R+7 | R
55 | 33.08% | 65.48% | R+32.4 | 31.96% | 63.28% | R+31.3 | R
56 | 29.70% | 69.02% | R+39.3 | 31.16% | 64.82% | R+33.7 | R
57 | 25.97% | 73.09% | R+47.1 | 22.50% | 75.69% | R+53.2 | R
58 | 21.12% | 77.52% | R+56.4 | 18.84% | 77.90% | R+59.1 | R
59 | 21.36% | 77.31% | R+56 | 19.19% | 77.44% | R+58.2 | R
60 | 15.70% | 83.09% | R+67.4 | 13.33% | 84.19% | R+70.9 | R
61 | 16.19% | 82.54% | R+66.3 | 14.49% | 82.74% | R+68.3 | R
62 | 24.72% | 73.77% | R+49.1 | 20.89% | 76.05% | R+55.2 | R
63 | 26.39% | 72.13% | R+45.7 | 30.22% | 65.26% | R+35 | R
64 | 37.33% | 60.30% | R+23 | 40.00% | 54.49% | R+14.5 | R
65 | 40.84% | 57.52% | R+16.7 | 46.51% | 48.62% | R+2.1 | R
66 | 37.46% | 61.15% | R+23.7 | 46.24% | 49.45% | R+3.2 | R
67 | 37.26% | 61.08% | R+23.8 | 44.69% | 50.41% | R+5.7 | R
68 | 17.78% | 81.15% | R+63.4 | 14.23% | 83.37% | R+69.1 | R
69 | 23.27% | 75.20% | R+51.9 | 20.26% | 76.12% | R+55.9 | R
70 | 29.25% | 69.37% | R+40.1 | 32.82% | 62.78% | R+30 | R
71 | 22.84% | 75.76% | R+52.9 | 21.49% | 74.23% | R+52.7 | R
72 | 23.33% | 75.26% | R+51.9 | 21.45% | 74.81% | R+53.4 | R
73 | 20.22% | 78.37% | R+58.2 | 21.25% | 75.11% | R+53.9 | R
74 | 56.99% | 41.57% | D+15.4 | 56.27% | 39.58% | D+16.7 | D
75 | 72.33% | 26.62% | D+45.7 | 73.74% | 21.38% | D+52.4 | D
76 | 76.91% | 21.86% | D+55.1 | 77.93% | 17.86% | D+60.1 | D
77 | 64.07% | 34.29% | D+29.8 | 68.79% | 25.97% | D+42.8 | D
78 | 54.41% | 44.15% | D+10.3 | 59.28% | 35.16% | D+24.1 | D
79 | 64.73% | 34.12% | D+30.6 | 68.62% | 26.73% | D+41.9 | D
80 | 68.25% | 30.91% | D+37.3 | 65.06% | 32.31% | D+32.7 | D
81 | 24.20% | 74.66% | R+50.5 | 26.33% | 70.49% | R+44.2 | R
82 | 19.38% | 79.31% | R+59.9 | 20.58% | 75.76% | R+55.2 | R
83 | 21.27% | 77.50% | R+56.2 | 19.94% | 76.49% | R+56.5 | R
84 | 34.95% | 63.28% | R+28.3 | 35.12% | 59.58% | R+24.5 | R
85 | 37.99% | 61.03% | R+23 | 41.09% | 56.10% | R+15 | R
86 | 16.18% | 82.55% | R+66.4 | 16.16% | 80.17% | R+64 | R
87 | 22.12% | 76.56% | R+54.4 | 21.74% | 74.43% | R+52.7 | R
88 | 19.06% | 79.89% | R+60.8 | 16.48% | 80.59% | R+64.1 | R
89 | 31.79% | 66.67% | R+34.9 | 36.08% | 59.03% | R+23 | R
90 | 73.70% | 25.21% | D+48.5 | 74.97% | 21.48% | D+53.5 | D
91 | 30.45% | 67.90% | R+37.5 | 32.14% | 63.08% | R+30.9 | R
92 | 37.22% | 61.08% | R+23.9 | 40.54% | 54.66% | R+14.1 | R
93 | 38.26% | 60.21% | R+21.9 | 40.40% | 54.84% | R+14.4 | R
94 | 38.10% | 60.29% | R+22.2 | 40.87% | 54.30% | R+13.4 | R
95 | 76.11% | 22.99% | D+53.1 | 74.24% | 22.89% | D+51.4 | D
96 | 40.22% | 58.60% | R+18.4 | 42.55% | 53.74% | R+11.2 | R
97 | 38.92% | 59.59% | R+20.7 | 42.59% | 52.42% | R+9.8 | R
98 | 23.57% | 75.01% | R+51.4 | 28.91% | 66.33% | R+37.4 | R
99 | 30.70% | 67.69% | R+37 | 32.12% | 63.36% | R+31.2 | R
100 | 77.89% | 21.07% | D+56.8 | 77.24% | 19.30% | D+57.9 | D
101 | 64.01% | 34.87% | D+29.1 | 66.06% | 30.36% | D+35.7 | D
102 | 45.32% | 53.02% | R+7.7 | 52.27% | 42.74% | D+9.5 | R
103 | 69.87% | 28.77% | D+41.1 | 73.55% | 22.33% | D+51.2 | D
104 | 72.70% | 26.36% | D+46.3 | 75.60% | 20.85% | D+54.7 | D
105 | 46.48% | 52.14% | R+5.7 | 52.13% | 43.60% | D+8.5 | R
106 | 30.86% | 67.69% | R+36.8 | 35.83% | 59.70% | R+23.9 | R
107 | 46.89% | 51.83% | R+4.9 | 52.37% | 43.40% | D+9 | D
108 | 39.31% | 58.99% | R+19.7 | 50.32% | 44.01% | D+6.3 | R
109 | 81.75% | 17.68% | D+64.1 | 81.55% | 16.42% | D+65.1 | D
110 | 88.74% | 10.77% | D+78 | 86.76% | 11.25% | D+75.5 | D
111 | 77.24% | 22.06% | D+55.2 | 77.40% | 20.17% | D+57.2 | D
112 | 43.50% | 55.03% | R+11.5 | 48.28% | 47.10% | D+1.2 | R
113 | 46.31% | 52.53% | R+6.2 | 49.13% | 47.23% | D+1.9 | R
114 | 43.48% | 55.23% | R+11.7 | 52.14% | 43.21% | D+8.9 | R
115 | 43.23% | 55.27% | R+12 | 51.54% | 43.64% | D+7.9 | R
116 | 60.53% | 37.80% | D+22.7 | 63.73% | 31.10% | D+32.6 | D
117 | 51.99% | 46.85% | D+5.1 | 53.23% | 42.14% | D+11.1 | D
118 | 55.33% | 43.41% | D+11.9 | 55.58% | 40.41% | D+15.2 | D
119 | 60.26% | 38.58% | D+21.7 | 60.13% | 36.08% | D+24.1 | D
120 | 64.75% | 34.11% | D+30.6 | 63.51% | 32.10% | D+31.4 | D
121 | 37.61% | 60.88% | R+23.3 | 43.42% | 51.69% | R+8.3 | R
122 | 30.87% | 67.87% | R+37 | 37.75% | 57.87% | R+20.1 | R
123 | 61.36% | 36.80% | D+24.6 | 65.02% | 30.27% | D+34.7 | D
124 | 60.94% | 37.65% | D+23.3 | 62.19% | 33.04% | D+29.1 | D
125 | 59.11% | 39.59% | D+19.5 | 61.62% | 33.69% | D+27.9 | D
126 | 36.72% | 62.08% | R+25.4 | 43.00% | 52.94% | R+9.9 | R
127 | 29.60% | 69.21% | R+39.6 | 34.90% | 61.23% | R+26.3 | R
128 | 26.59% | 72.37% | R+45.8 | 28.77% | 68.15% | R+39.4 | R
129 | 33.88% | 64.47% | R+30.6 | 40.06% | 55.33% | R+15.3 | R
130 | 22.81% | 75.91% | R+53.1 | 27.96% | 68.06% | R+40.1 | R
131 | 83.65% | 15.69% | D+68 | 84.29% | 13.35% | D+70.9 | D
132 | 39.77% | 58.92% | R+19.2 | 45.68% | 50.04% | R+4.4 | R
133 | 30.41% | 68.14% | R+37.7 | 41.12% | 54.52% | R+13.4 | R
134 | 41.74% | 56.39% | R+14.7 | 55.09% | 39.61% | D+15.5 | R
135 | 39.86% | 58.83% | R+19 | 46.82% | 48.89% | R+2.1 | R
136 | 41.43% | 55.34% | R+13.9 | 47.69% | 45.16% | D+2.5 | R
137 | 63.91% | 34.49% | D+29.4 | 67.00% | 28.92% | D+38.1 | D
138 | 39.30% | 59.18% | R+19.9 | 47.85% | 47.78% | D+0.1 | R
139 | 75.62% | 23.61% | D+52 | 76.12% | 20.61% | D+55.5 | D
140 | 70.10% | 28.98% | D+41.1 | 75.09% | 21.87% | D+53.2 | D
141 | 87.41% | 12.07% | D+75.3 | 85.19% | 12.59% | D+72.6 | D
142 | 77.41% | 21.97% | D+55.4 | 76.20% | 20.97% | D+55.2 | D
143 | 67.18% | 31.86% | D+35.3 | 71.02% | 26.02% | D+45 | D
144 | 50.77% | 47.88% | D+2.9 | 57.75% | 38.37% | D+19.4 | D
145 | 60.26% | 38.28% | D+22 | 66.92% | 28.72% | D+38.2 | D
146 | 78.82% | 20.05% | D+58.8 | 79.43% | 17.32% | D+62.1 | D
147 | 78.07% | 20.30% | D+57.8 | 78.99% | 16.78% | D+62.2 | D
148 | 56.59% | 41.08% | D+15.5 | 63.82% | 30.50% | D+33.3 | D
149 | 58.76% | 40.12% | D+18.6 | 64.25% | 32.50% | D+31.8 | D
150 | 30.28% | 68.55% | R+38.3 | 36.63% | 59.18% | R+22.6 | R
Total | 41.40% | 57.19% | R+15.8 | 43.48% | 52.53% | R+9.1 | \-
Source: Daily Kos

## Election history[edit]

### 2018[edit]

See also: United States Senate election in Texas, 2018

General election

##### General election for U.S. Senate Texas

Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Beto O'Rourke and Neal Dikeman in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Ted Cruz (R)  |

50.9

| 4,260,553

| Beto O'Rourke (D)  |

48.3

| 4,045,632

| Neal Dikeman (L)  |

0.8

| 65,470

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 8,371,655

|
|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas

Beto O'Rourke defeated Sema Hernandez and Edward Kimbrough in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Beto O'Rourke |

61.8

| 640,769

| Sema Hernandez |

23.7

| 245,847

| Edward Kimbrough |

14.5

| 149,851

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,036,467

|
|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas

Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Mary Miller, Bruce Jacobson Jr., Stefano de Stefano, and Geraldine Sam in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Ted Cruz |

85.3

| 1,315,146

| Mary Miller |

6.1

| 94,274

| Bruce Jacobson Jr. |

4.2

| 64,452

| Stefano de Stefano |

2.9

| 44,251

| Geraldine Sam |

1.5

| 22,767

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,540,890

|
|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Bob McNeil (Independent)

# 2014[edit]

U.S. Senate, Texas General Election, 2014

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | John Cornyn Incumbent | 61.6% | 2,861,531
| Democratic  |  David Alameel  | 34.4% | 1,597,387
| Libertarian  |  Rebecca Paddock  | 2.9% | 133,751
| Green  |  Emily Marie Sanchez  | 1.2% | 54,701
| Write-in  |  Mohammed Tahiro  | 0% | 988
Total Votes | 4,648,358
Source: U.S. House Clerk "2014 Election Statistics"

# 2012[edit]

U.S. Senate, Texas General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Ted Cruz | 56.5% | 4,440,137
| Democratic  |  Paul Sadler  | 40.6% | 3,194,927
| Libertarian  |  John Jay Myers  | 2.1% | 162,354
| Green  |  David B. Collins  | 0.9% | 67,404
Total Votes | 7,864,822
Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

## See also[edit]

* United States Senate election in Texas, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)
* United States Senate election in Texas, 2020
* United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2020
* United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2020
* United States Senate elections, 2020
* U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2020

## External links[edit]

|  Suggest a link

|

* Search Google News for this topic

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Austin American-Statesman, "Endorsement: Hegar in Dem primary for U.S. Senate," February 14, 2020
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Austin Chronicle, "Chronicle Endorsements for the March 3 Primary Election," February 14, 2020
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Twitter, "Evan Smith on February 10, 2020," accessed February 10, 2020
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "We recommend this Texas Democrat as best bet to take on John Cornyn for Senate," February 16, 2020
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Houston Chronicle, "We recommend Royce West in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate," February 21, 2020
7. ↑ Amanda Edwards' 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed February 19, 2020
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Dallas Morning News, "Rep. Joaquin Castro backs Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez in Democratic Senate race against John Cornyn," February 18, 2020
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Texas Tribune, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez in Democratic primary to challenge Cornyn," February 21, 2020
10. ↑ Twitter, "Chris Bell on January 28, 2020," accessed February 10, 2020
11. ↑ Youtube, "Dr. Elba Garcia Endorses Royce West," accessed July 27, 2019
12. ↑ Youtube, "Pauline Medrano endorses Royce West," August 2, 2019
13. ↑ 350 Action, "Endorsements," accessed February 10, 2020
14. ↑ Twitter, "Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez on January 6, 2020," accessed February 10, 2020
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Twitter, "Senate Democrats on December 16, 2019," accessed February 10, 2020
16. ↑ Facebook, "End Citizens United on May 22, 2019," accessed February 10, 2020
17. ↑ Twitter, "MJ Hegar on February 6, 2020," accessed February 10, 2020
18. ↑ Twitter, "Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez on January 22, 2020," accessed February 10, 2020
19. ↑ VoteVets, "VoteVets Endorses MJ Hegar for Congress," accessed February 10, 2020
20. ↑ Twitter, "Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez on December 14, 2019," accessed February 10, 2020
21. ↑ KXAN, "More than a third of voters undecided on Texas Democratic US Senate race, poll shows," March 2, 2020
22. ↑ Dallas Morning News, "With MJ Hegar rising, Democratic Senate contest against Republican John Cornyn a race for second," March 2, 2020
23. ↑ NBC News, "NBC News polls: Sanders has the edge in Texas, is tied with Biden in North Carolina," March 1, 2020
24. ↑ University of Houston, "Texas Democratic Primary Election Survey 2020," accessed February 25, 2020
25. ↑ North Texas Daily, "UNT College Democrats host Texas Senator Forum," February 25, 2020
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 The Texas Tribune, "Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez gets super PAC help in Democratic primary to challenge Cornyn," February 19, 2020
27. ↑ KVUE, "Highlights from KVUE's U.S. Senate Democratic primary debate," February 18, 2020
28. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "MJ Hegar leads the Democratic U.S. Senate candidates, UT/TT Poll finds," February 17, 2020
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 The Texas Tribune, "Hegar gets heavy outside support in crowded Democratic primary to challenge Cornyn," February 3, 2020
30. ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Democrats tout labor-friendly bona fides in U.S. Senate debate," January 25, 2020
31. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "After uncertain filing period, Democratic U.S. Senate candidates seek to "get down to business"," December 13, 2019
32. ↑ CBS 19, "Six of seven Texas Democrats running for U.S. Senate meet in Frisco," September 5, 2019
33. ↑ Chris Bell's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 10, 2020
34. ↑ 34.00 34.01 34.02 34.03 34.04 34.05 34.06 34.07 34.08 34.09 34.10 34.11 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
35. ↑ Facebook, "Michael Cooper," accessed February 10, 2020
36. ↑ Amanda Edwards' 2020 campaign website, "Priorities & Issues," accessed February 10, 2020
37. ↑ Jack Daniel Foster Jr.'s 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 10, 2020
38. ↑ Annie Garcia's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 10, 2020
39. ↑ Victor Harris' 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 10, 2020
40. ↑ Mary Jennings Hegar's 2020 campaign website, "Where MJ Stands On the Issues," accessed February 10, 2020
41. ↑ Sema Hernandez's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 10, 2020
42. ↑ Adrian Ocegueda's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 10, 2020
43. ↑ Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 10, 2020
44. ↑ Royce West's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 10, 2020
45. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2020 Quarterly reports," accessed September 21, 2020
46. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
47. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
48. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
49. ↑ Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed January 2, 2014
50. ↑ Texas Statutes, "Section 172.086," accessed February 5, 2018
51. ↑ Texas Legislature, "Chapter 172. Primary Elections," accessed July 10, 2020
52. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Election Advisory No. 2020-05," February 11, 2020
53. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
54. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
55. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
56. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
57. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
58. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

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Jake Ellzey (R)

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Sheila Lee (D)

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Roger Williams (R)

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Michael Burgess (R)

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Henry Cuellar (D)

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Colin Allred (D)

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Marc Veasey (D)

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