Spotlight on the Candidates
Spotlight on the candidates. With Election Day only two-months away, make sure you know the candidates running this Nov. 8, 2022, and what issues they support.
Election Day: November 8, 2022
Governor of Texas
“Together, we can push past the small and divisive politics that we see in Texas today — and get back to the big, bold vision that used to define Texas.”
Beto O’Rourke is a fourth-generation Texan, born and raised in El Paso where he has served as a small business owner, a city council representative and a member of Congress. He founded and currently leads Powered by People, a Texas-based organization that works to expand democracy and produce Democratic victories through voter registration and direct voter engagement. Powered by People has helped register over 250,000 unregistered Texans to vote since its inception in December 2019.
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
“Here is my solemn promise to you: I will wake up every day committed to honestly solving problems, as I have done all my life. No matter where you live or who you are, I will fight to be a Lt. Governor you can be proud of with every fiber of my being.”
Mike first entered politics for one reason: to fight for Texas public schools. After seeing money gutted from our public schools year after year, he put his career aside to run for office and hold our state leaders accountable.
Mike’s passion for Texas extends beyond public education. He believes that we need to fix our damn grid, that healthcare is a human right, that Black Lives Matter, that income inequality and climate change pose grave threats to the future of Texas.
Attorney General of Texas
“Our state is under attack by politicians who have passed some of the most restrictive laws in the country and sided with special interests over Texans,” said attorney Rochelle Garza. “It’s time for Texans to take a stand. I’m running for Texas Attorney General to be a voice for hard-working Texas families and protect their interests and our civil rights in court.”
Rochelle was raised in Brownsville, Texas. She is the daughter of two public school teachers and became a lawyer for the people — fighting for children, immigrants, and families as a civil rights lawyer. She fought to keep families together during Donald Trump’s devastating “zero tolerance” immigration policies of family separation and denying access to asylum. She knows what it’s like to represent the interests of everyday Texans as they interact with our legal system — from representing parents seeking child support to defending people’s due process rights.
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas deserves someone managing our money who understands everyday Texans. We also need someone who understands smart spending.
As a certified public accountant, I’ve spent my adult life auditing, accounting for, administering and investigating state and local governments and their grants, taxes, procurement, spending and reporting. In other words – I understand how the system works and how we could better utilize it to our advantage.
When I look at the numbers, I see HUGE opportunity here in Texas. From healthcare to the environment, to creating jobs and new revenue streams – I’m qualified, care deeply, and ready to put in the work.
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture
“I’m a fifth generation Texan. Relatives died at the Alamo. I know what Texas has been, and I know what Texas could be if we purge the government of corruption and work together to build rural Texas back up.”
I grew up in the one-high school town of Brownwood, in the area where my family started ranching shortly after the Civil War. Rural Texas is home to me and where I’ve finally returned. But in the meantime, I went off to the University of Texas at Austin, then to the Georgetown Law School, and started a career in advocacy.
I wear quite a few legal hats including being Board Certified in Legislative and Campaign Law, a specialty that focuses on ethics. Ethics isn’t negotiable, and it’s one of the reasons I decided to run for this office. We have to start with leaders who know right from wrong. If you know me, you know I am a stickler for details, the facts, and the law.
Texas Land Commissioner
“I have dedicated my entire life to enhancing our natural resources and ensuring that we manage and conserve land for the benefit of future generations. I believe that our quality of life, food stability, energy dependence, and diversity of wildlife depend on the responsible stewardship of Texas landscapes.”
I was born in South Texas and raised on my family’s working ranch, the King Ranch. As a sixth-generation Texan, I started working cattle when I was 5 years old. Growing up in an agricultural community taught me the value of hard work and getting the job done right. It also gave me a deep respect for Texas, the land, and people from all walks of life. As I got older, I quickly realized that our individual freedoms do not negate our responsibility to one another. We have to take initiative and ensure that our great state will thrive for generations to come.
Texas Railroad Commission
“I’m running because 700 Texans died unnecessarily during Winter Storm Uri in a grid failure that could have been prevented if the Texas Railroad Commission had done their jobs. And because when the power was out, instead of working tirelessly to get the grid back online, the Commissioners were focused on making billions for their friends and passing those costs on to consumers.
The world is changing. Texas has been an energy leader for decades, with oil and gas jobs helping millions of Texans provide for their families. In order for energy jobs to continue to be the backbone of the Texas economy for decades to come, we need a Texas Railroad Commission that embraces technology, innovation, and science. It’s too important to wait.”
Texas Supreme Court Place 3
Justice Nowell considers fairness to be a core value in her work on the appellate court and throughout her career. Nothing is more important than the public’s trust in the justice system, and the idea that every litigant has a chance to be heard, the facts are fully presented, and the process yields a fair outcome.
Justice Erin Nowell serves on the Fifth District Court of Appeals, Place 5, an appellate court with general jurisdiction to hear all appeals from six North Texas counties. She was first elected in 2018 to a six-year term. She is seeking the 2022 Democratic nomination for Texas Supreme Court.
Texas Supreme Court Place 9
Judge Maldonado brings her diversity, integrity, transparency, legal and judicial experience as a candidate for the office of Texas Supreme Court Justice, Place 9.
Julia Maldonado is the Presiding Judge of the 507th Family District Court in Harris County. Judge Maldonado was elected to the 507th District Court in the November 2016 election. She is the past Administrative Judge – Family Law Division of Harris County and out of the ten family court judges, Julia is the senior judge.
Texas Supreme Court Place 5
Justice Amanda Reichek was first elected to the Fifth District Court of Appeals in 2018, where she has authored hundreds of well-reasoned opinions, while serving on the panel of hundreds more. She has a reputation for being well-prepared, humble, and for working collaboratively with her colleagues and the greater legal community.
Justice Reichek is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law, and before she joined the court she spent much of her legal career advocating for the rights of employees and labor unions.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has been 100% Republican for many years. We need more diversity of experience on this court.
Judge Dana Huffman is a respected attorney and municipal judge in the North Texas area. She has 25 years of combine legal and judicial experience.
Judge Huffman has presided over hundreds of bench and jury trials. She currently serves as a municipal judge and magistrate for five cities, and as a prosecutor for three cities.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6
I am the judge of the 177th Criminal District Court in Harris County. I was born in New York City, but I have lived in Houston for the past 40 years. After graduating from Sharpstown High School, I attended the University of Houston and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business and Commerce in 1990.
I worked in the private sector from 1990 through 1998. I received my law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2001. While in law school, I had the opportunity to do an internship with the Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office. After finishing law school, I opened up my own practice. Prior to becoming a judge, I did criminal defense work for 13 years.
State Board of Education District 14
“I know the Texas public education system. I also know how it should work – and with your help, we can get there.
I am a 25-year education advocate for Texas Public School kids and have served on my local school board for the past ten years.
I learned and experienced a lot as a parent and wanted to use my wisdom to help make the public education system better. I am unapologetically pro-public education and am shining the light on the need to prepare our kids for THEIR world.“
