MOVE Texas Civic Fund sent the following questions to several state and federal candidates running in key races across Texas from both major political parties. All candidates were asked the universal question. Depending on the office they are seeking, they were also asked either Question 2 or Question 3:
UNIVERSAL QUESTION: Young Texans are often underrepresented in primary elections and in state
decision-making. If elected, how would you make sure young people and other
underrepresented communities have a real voice in the decisions made through this
office?
ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTION: How do you stay accountable to Texans, especially young people and communities with less political power, when making federal decisions that have real, long term impacts on
everyday life across the state?
STATEWIDE EXECUTIVE OFFICE QUESTION: What values or principles guide how you will use the authority of this office, and how do
you see that role shaping the day-to-day lives of Texans especially in communities that
have historically had less political power?
U.S. Senate
Republican
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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Universal Question:
ANSWER:
I first became aware of what was happening to young americans when I heard from a student who was fixing to graduate from MIT and had no job interviews.Since then I've heard from many texas mothers and their children saying the same thing.
This is happening because all of our government jobs at our universities, colleges and state agencies are hiring foreign born workers on visas rather than offering our kids the same jobs first.
If elected, I will be seeking the assistance of young texans to better help me understand what they are facing so that we can fix it.
Accountability
ANSWER:Right now there is zero accountability.
I will set up daily meetings with all who contact my offices so that we can understand what is happening and work to fix it.
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
Young Texans are my favorite Texans!
As a Mother, and Grandmother, there’s a special place in my heart for young people.
As a former public school teacher, I know the importance, and challenges, of keeping young Texans engaged for more than a hot minute.
The best way to ensure, that all Texans are best represented by elected officials is for candidates to reach out to all constituents, to understand the concerns, ideas and needs in their respective communities.
As a candidate for federal office, to be the next US Senator from Texas, there is a serious challenge in reaching out to 31,709,281 people, on a regular basis.
If elected, my office website will have information posted on how to contact me directly. It will also provide forms that may be submitted, to make specific requests and to share information.
There will also be designated offices in various cities in Texas where young people can visit and share their concerns.
I want to hear the voices of young people and all people whom I represent. There will also be phone lines available so that I can hear your “real voice” and you can hear mine. Let’s get the conversations started! We as Americans are beginning a “Golden Age”, a renaissance! I am excited, delighted, and eager to serve the people of Texas, beginning in January 2027.
I need you to vote for Sara Canady, on March 3rd in the primary election 2026!
Accountability
ANSWER:
I plan to stay accountable to Texans, especially young people and communities with less political power, when making federal decisions that have real, long term impacts on everyday life across the state by keeping you informed of the daily decisions made in Congress. In addition to newsletters, bulletins and online platforms, I will have live and virtual town-hall -meetings, to keep our communities informed. Keeping up with, and taking into consideration, the ideas, information and concerns of the people I serve will be of utmost importance to me.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
Texans and underrepresented communities deserve a real seat at the
table—not just campaign-season attention. If elected to the U.S. Senate,
I will make engagement constant, transparent, and results-driven.
First, I will create a statewide Youth and Community Advisory Council
made up of students, young professionals, rural residents, veterans,
small-business owners, and healthcare workers to regularly advise my
office on legislation and federal programs. Second, I will hold rotating
town halls across Texas—including college campuses, rural counties, and
minority-owned business hubs—so voices outside Austin and Washington are
heard directly.
My office will also offer paid internships and fellowships focused on
policy, healthcare, agriculture, and energy so young Texans can gain
firsthand experience shaping federal decisions. We will expand digital
outreach—virtual town halls, livestreamed briefings, and interactive
policy forums—to meet young voters where they are.
As a healthcare entrepreneur who serves rural communities, I understand
what happens when people are ignored: hospitals close, opportunities
disappear, and families suffer. My approach is simple—listen first, act
second, and measure results.
Texas is strongest when every generation and every community is heard.
As your next U.S. Senator, I will fight to ensure young Texans and
underrepresented voices help shape the future of our great state.Accountability
ANSWER:
Accountability starts with accessibility, transparency, and results. As
a candidate—and, God willing, as Texas’s next U.S. Senator—I believe no
community should feel ignored by Washington, especially young Texans,
rural families, and those with less political power.
I will remain directly accountable by holding regular town halls across
all regions of Texas—urban, suburban, and rural—and by visiting college
campuses, trade schools, farming communities, and small-business
corridors, not just during election season but throughout my term. My
office will publish clear explanations of major votes, legislation, and
federal funding decisions so Texans know exactly where I stand and why.
I also plan to establish Youth and Community Advisory Councils that
reflect the diversity of our state, with a special focus on reviving
“hospital deserts,” “pharmacy deserts,” and “physician deserts,”
particularly in rural Texas. These councils—made up of students, young
professionals, veterans, healthcare workers, farmers, and
entrepreneurs—will meet regularly to advise my office on legislation and
federal programs.
Digital town halls and online feedback platforms will ensure
participation for those who can’t attend in person.
As a healthcare entrepreneur serving rural communities, I’ve learned
that leaders must listen before acting and deliver measurable results.
My promise is simple: I work for Texas, not Washington insiders. Every
vote I cast will be guided by what strengthens opportunity, freedom, and
prosperity for Texans today and for generations to come.
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
Young Texans and underrepresented communities are too often mobilized during elections and then sidelined when it’s time for decisions to be made. I govern differently. In my campaigns and in my congressional office, young people do not just volunteer, they serve in leadership roles and shape priorities and strategy.
When I first ran for State House, I won by 90 votes. That victory was powered by young organizers who were not just supporters, but partners. It was youth organizers in the Sunrise Movement and the Texas Organizing Project that made all the difference. That philosophy guides how I lead today.
I know a lot of young people are on social media so I made it a point to be active online to connect with young people where they are. I will continue to prioritize hiring young Texans and individuals from underrepresented communities in meaningful policy and leadership roles so the people shaping legislation reflect the people impacted by it. I will never stop fighting for voting rights protections and fair representation so young and marginalized Texans are not structurally excluded from political power.
Accountability Question
ANSWER:
Accountability starts with access. If you cannot reach me, question me, or understand what I am doing, then I am not doing my job. My office creates consistent opportunities for engagement and policy feedback through quarterly tele-town halls, campus engagement, and direct partnerships with student, labor, and community organizations.
These forums allow us to gather input before major legislative decisions and use that
feedback to inform how I vote and what bills I champion.
But real accountability shows up in how I vote.
I do not walk into major federal decisions guessing. Before I cast a vote that could impact healthcare, student debt, voting rights, or immigration status for decades, I am talking to the people who are actually living it. Students worried about tuition. Families worried about losing coverage. Communities worried about their rights being rolled back.
I do not just read policy briefs. I listen to the people feeling the consequences. So when I weigh long-term impact, I ask: Who carries the burden if we get this wrong? If the answer is working families, young Texans, or marginalized communities, then that changes how I approach the decision.
I have also held multiple Know Your Rights and Conozca Sus Derechos seminars in my district because accountability is not just about asking for votes. It is about equipping people with information and power, especially when they feel targeted or uncertain.
You will always know where I stand and why. That is accountability.
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No response.
Democrat
Governor
Republican
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
Young Texans and historically underrepresented communities are often excluded from decisions about public resources that shape their future. My guiding principle is simple: shared resources must serve the public, not monopolies.
Texas helped give birth to a projected $1.7-trillion-per-year global internet economy by allowing a single corporation to dominate Low Earth Orbit. SpaceX plans to deploy up to 42,000 Starlink satellites, concentrating global communications and speech infrastructure into one private entity. United Launch Alliance has warned that a launchpad explosion could block emergency U.S. spy-satellite launches just six miles away—posing risks not only to national security, but also to nearby civilian communities.
One individual has been granted permission to launch rockets from a protected wildlife reserve near South Padre Island without any publicly disclosed, independent failure-mode and effects analysis. The FAA allows the company to perform its own safety analysis. I know this because I wrote the FAA before the first Starship launch requesting the explosion analysis—and they had none.
This is not capitalism. It is monopolism. And it is not Texan.
Texas once ensured oil wealth benefited generations. Access to space is the new oil. If treated as a shared natural resource and managed through a permanent citizens’ fund, it could put thousands of dollars per month directly into every U.S.-citizen Texan’s pocket.
Video overview:
Campaign website:
Statewide Executive Office Question
ANSWER:
Education in Texas must be grounded in literacy, critical thinking, parental involvement, and human formation, not bureaucratic mandates or unproven technology. Texas must restore reading fundamentals and proven instructional methods before replacing teachers with automated systems that weaken comprehension and reasoning.Parents—not distant courts—should guide the moral and historical resources available to their children. Educational materials, including the Bible as a foundational historical and moral text, should be available in schools through parental opt-in, respecting freedom of conscience while restoring access to sources that shaped Texas and Western civilization.
Texas should strengthen family participation in education. I support work-sponsored time off for parents to engage in schools at least once a month and inclusive learning tools—such as His Hands Reader—that allow students, including special-needs learners, to learn together through kinesthetic and language-based instruction.
Education should prepare young Texans to read fluently, think clearly, work competently, and participate responsibly in civic life—not to serve ideology, monopolies, or experimental shortcuts.
Education policy video:
Full policy:
https://www.hishandsreader.org/bob.html
An example of the His Hands Reader mother tongue literacy curriculum with hand sign assist:
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
As Governor, I’d ensure young people and underrepresented communities have a real voice by
prioritizing grassroots engagement and policies that empower them directly. My administration
would host town halls and virtual forums focused on youth issues like affordability, education,
and jobs—inviting young Texans to speak and shape priorities.
I’d expand access to decision-making through my True School Freedom Act: universal school
choice lets dollars follow the child to public, private, charter, or homeschool options—no zip code
traps, no caps. This gives underrepresented families control over education, breaking cycles of
poverty.
The Freedom Fund eliminates property taxes forever (ZERO by 2034, no new taxes)—putting money back in young families' pockets for housing, starting businesses, or raising kids. Funded responsibly by Cultivate Texas Act (cannabis legalization the Texas way) and Texas Freedom Act (unleashing industries like coastal resorts), it creates jobs and opportunity without new burdens.
Sovereignty Acts secure borders and ban foreign land grabs, protecting communities from crime and overreach. No insiders—my one-man grassroots campaign shows I listen to all
Texans, not lobbyists.
Young voices matter. I'll fight for your freedom and future.
Office Specific Question
ANSWER:
My guiding principles are faith, family, freedom, and personal responsibility—rooted in Christian values and the Constitution. Government should protect rights, not control lives; empower people, not create dependency. As Governor, I'll use the office's authority sparingly but decisively to cut burdens and unleash opportunity for all Texans.
For communities with less political power (rural, low-income, young families), this shapes day-to-day lives through real relief: the Freedom Fund eliminates property taxes forever (ZERO by 2034, no new taxes)—funded responsibly by Cultivate Texas Act (cannabis legalization the Texas way) and Texas Freedom Act (coastal resorts). This puts thousands back in pockets for housing, groceries, starting businesses—breaking poverty cycles without handouts.
True School Freedom Act gives universal school choice—dollars follow the child to better options, no zip code traps. Sovereignty Acts secure borders and ban foreign land grabs, protecting communities from crime and overreach:
Texas Sovereignty & Influence Shield Act: Bans hostile foreign nations (China, Iran, Russia, North Korea) and cartel-linked entities from owning Texas land, water, or infrastructure—plus mandatory foreign-agent registry and transparency on university funding (over 400k acres already foreign-owned).
Texas Sovereignty Defense Act: Delivers 100% border security—deploys Guard/DPS to riverbank, permanent barriers, full arrest authority (no catch-and-release), ignores federal stand-downs unless Legislature overrides.
No cronyism or special interests—my grassroots campaign proves I answer to people, not insiders. I'll prioritize underrepresented voices through direct engagement, ensuring freedom lifts all Texans.
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
Our youth is vitally important to our future. They bring new, insightful and creative ideas that can help shape not only their future, but the future for generations to come. I would advocate for youth lead internships and committees that can focus on specific policies and/or populations to help provide insight for decision makers in local communities as well as our legislatures.
Statewide Executive Office Question
ANSWER:
My principles and values are instilled in me by the people that raised me. I take great pride in the legacy they gave to me, and I would never do anything to disgrace the good name I’ve been given. They were working class and I am also working class. I am a farmer and a retired fire fighter Lt. from the City of Plano. I believe if Texas wants to see real change in the state and local government, the communities need to start electing people that come from them, instead of career politicians, lawyers, bankers, and retired stockbrokers. Vote for the teachers, nurses, mechanics, and farmers that know the real struggles of the community and the difficulties faced with making ends meet. If we want a Texas that works for the working class, we need to take it back.
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, I saw firsthand how policy decisions made in Austin could either help people get ahead or lock them out of opportunity. As governor, I’ll bring that lived experience, along with years of legislative service, into the job every single day. I know how to build coalitions, how to listen, and how to get things done for Texans. Under Greg Abbott, it is harder than ever for young people to afford to pay their utility bills, get an education, save for a home, or consider starting a family. All Texans are working more and getting less because we’re all paying the Greg Abbott Corruption Tax.
My office has always had an open door policy for constituents, and that would certainly continue as Governor. I would also ensure that every person in the office - including myself - knows that our primary responsibility is to the people of Texas, which means allocating our time and energy accordingly. We will always be committed to fight for the next generation and against the billionaires that currently hold all the power in Texas. Young Texans deserve a governor who works as hard as they do – and they deserve a Texas where they have the opportunity to prosper.
Statewide Executive Office Question
ANSWER:
My approach to governing Texas is built on a lifetime of fighting for working families, public education, affordable health care, and real economic opportunity, not corporate handouts – I have spent my career fighting for people who are ignored by those in power. As a civil rights and union lawyer and a former school board president, I’ve spent my career standing with hardworking Texans. In the Texas House, I helped secure billions of dollars for public schools, fought to strengthen health care access, and exposed policies that divert public resources to wealthy interests.Most importantly, I never thought I would do this. I wasn’t interested in politics, but my son’s school was threatened with closure and I became a mad mom on a mission to keep it open. My time in public service has been defined by that same desire to make state government work for working people—and I would carry it with me into the Governor’s Office. I carry a strong track record of building coalitions, winning populist reforms, and challenging the status quo to make our state more fair and affordable for all Texans.
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
Democrat
Lieutenant Governor
Republican
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
In my four terms as a Representative, I have a record of working with underrepresented communities. As Lt Governor, I will continue to engage with people from all backgrounds, especially Young Texans. Some examples of my work include the following:
I worked with SEAT (Students Engaged in Advancing Texas) on legislation allowing high school students to participate as non-voting members of school boards. I also worked with Measure, a BIPOC organization, on a bill to bring awareness to disproportionate discipline in schools. My office met with Texas Menstrual Equity Coalition, and ultimately the Legislature eliminated the sales tax on menstrual products. A group of women business owners came and expressed desire to change the law around the cottage food industry, and we were ultimately successful. I worked with a family and successfully passed the “Natalia Cox Act” to spread awareness about violence prevention after a 21-year-old woman in my district was shot and killed by an acquaintance. We also changed the law around sexual consent working with Summer Willis, a young woman who was raped. Besides working with various constituencies on legislation, I spend a great deal of time going to schools to speak to students about the legislative process and the importance of voting. I believe it is important to form voting habits from a young age, and I have pushed back against legislation that makes it harder to register and harder to vote. I will continue this habit of outreach and having an open door for all.
Statewide Executive Office Question
ANSWER:
What values or principles guide how you will use the authority of this office, and how do you see that role shaping the day-to-day lives of Texans especially in communities that have historically had less political power?
The Lt Governor has immense power simply by setting the agenda and priorities for the legislative session and by serving on the Legislative Budget Board. As Lt Governor, I will work to preserve the democratic values of supporting our public education system, ensuring people can access the healthcare they need affordably, addressing housing affordability and planning for our water needs. These priorities will help Texans in their daily lives by providing opportunity for a successful future through an excellent education. When someone has a medical need, they will be able to see a doctor and won’t have to worry about going bankrupt when a medical emergency arises. Working families will earn a living wage so they can keep a roof over head and food on the table. People will be able to realize the American dream of owning a home. Infrastructure dollars will be distributed around the state and will be used to help those communities that are currently under served. As Lt Governor, I won’t threaten or punish Senators or Representatives, but instead will build relationships to ensure we work together to serve the needs of Texans. Donors won’t be given priority and people won’t have to donate in order to meet with me. Lobbyists will not be given preferential treatment either.
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No response.
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No response.
Democrat
Attorney General
Republican
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
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No response.
Democrat
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No response.
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
As Attorney General, I will be hiring hundreds, perhaps thousands, of young people, on whose energy, passion, and intellect I will rely to restore integrity and purpose to the office. Their perspectives will help shape the myriad policies the OAG so powerfully directs.
As a State Senator, I run an internship program known around the Capitol for giving young Texans the opportunity to put their powerful minds and spirit to work at the most substantive and consequential levels. I have passed several pieces of legislation that sprang directly from the interests of young staff and interns, as they became part of a team that served their ideas while they served the goals and purposes of the office. Many of our former interns have gone on to join state agencies, other legislative offices, non-profit organizations, and advocacy groups.
I take all this quite seriously. We’re moving through time in a perilous moment. No one – young or old or in between – has the singular ability to guide us through these shoals on their own. But each of us has abilities that, together, compose the combination that will allow us to navigate through the storm. The spirit, vitality, passion, industry, quickness of mind, and even a certain level of naivete (this is what allows us all to do what common thinking says cannot be done!) that young Texans can bring are essential components of that vital combination.
As Attorney General, I commit to ensuring that they can bring all this to bear.
Statewide Executive Office Question
ANSWER:
Concentration of power may be quick and convenient, but it leads to abuse. A central, constitutional function of the Office of Attorney General is to serve as a check on concentrated power – political and commercial. That is, the Office of the Attorney General is intended to serve and guard the interests of the people, not a political party or a single individual's ambitions.
I value good governance over political stunts. My ideology is rooted in the idea that the government shapes the environment in which people succeed or fail, prosper or struggle, suffer or thrive, and we have an obligation to shape it so that people are likely to land on the better side of that equation.
Through my time in the legislature as a State Senator, I’ve become more aware of the role of the attorney general in people’s everyday lives, in whether their rights are honored, in whether they are preyed upon by unscrupulous businesses, in whether they are served effectively by the child support system, in environmental stewardship and justice, and much more. The OAG can be as powerfully good under the right leadership as it has been powerfully bad under the current AG.
All of this requires practiced patience balanced with a sense of urgency, confidence tempered humility, and ultimately faith that we can elevate the human condition if we make that our purpose.
Railroad Commissioner
Republican
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No response.
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No response.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
Young people and other underrepresented folks often pay the heaviest price for the oil disasters facing our state -- the ones I’m fighting to end.
The first thing to understand is that the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) has nothing to do with railroads! It’s a crazy name. The commission’s job is to regulate oil and gas. But it has become, as the Houston Chronicle put it, “a rubber stamp” for the industry.
So we’ve got old, abandoned oil wells leaking toxic chemicals all over the state, destroying land and endangering water supplies. Instead of fixing the problem, the commission keeps making things worse by injecting massive sums of wastewater into the ground. Some of these old wells then turn into “zombie wells,” suddenly springing back to life -- only this time as geysers shooting liquid poison 100 feet into the air. Real environmental justice demands we stop this.
Young Texans have grown up with entire poisonous lakes created by this mess. I’ve spent the last few years meeting with and helping Texans from all walks of life who are suffering from all this. If I’m elected, I’ll welcome them into the commission and respond to their needs. I invite young people, members of underrepresented communities, and everyone else to let me know about the disasters they’re facing.
My plans will also create lots of jobs across the state. I spent more than 30 years cleaning up oilfield messes all over the world. Now it’s time to do this right here in Texas.
Statewide Executive Office Question
ANSWER:
I’m the only candidate in this race who has spent decades working with people of all backgrounds, from all communities, in these kinds of cleanup operations. As I’ve traveled across Texas testing out abandoned wells, I’ve worked with people trying to rescue their homes, farms, crops, livestock, businesses, schools and hospitals before it’s too late. We’re all Texans, all in this fight together.
My international experience helped me learn a lot about cultural differences and cooperation.
I’ve worked in more than 100 countries, including ones in Latin America that so many Texans come from. I’ve also led operations across Africa, Asia, and Europe. It means a lot that in Houston, one of the most diverse cities in America, the paper endorsed me.
I describe my campaign as a “blue-collar rebellion.” The kind of work that needs to be done -- getting in the ground and safely plugging up those old oil wells -- is blue-collar work.
Blue-collar workers are very often ignored by the government. A study found that only 1.6% of state lawmakers nationwide are “working class,” compared with 50% of U.S. workers.
Increasing numbers of young people are going into blue-collar fields. These jobs are also disproportionately filled by members of minority groups.
Perhaps most important of all, I’m committed to being totally nonpartisan. There should be nothing partisan about the RRC. No matter who you are, you’re affected by the rampant disasters threatening the safety and stability of our state. I’ll tackle this for all of us.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
There is always a way between election cycles for young people to speak their mind and let the government know what they would like to see. The most impactful way for young people to have a voice in the decisions made is to vote in every single election. I have been the most vocal candidate in the race about engaging youth and getting them involved in politics.
Statewide Executive Office
ANSWER:
I am the only candidate in this race who has been vocal on the importance of helping out the younger generations to whom we will leave our state. While many politicians would rather outsource opportunities to other countries, I believe we need to put our own people first. This is especially important at the Railroad Commission, where jobs in Texas energy have provided great, lucrative opportunities to those who couldn’t find them elsewhere. In fact, I would like to see training and outreach programs that help more young Texans start a career in our energy sector, because it can provide a great living.
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
The youth of today will become the leaders of tomorrow. It is imperative that we have an open dialogue to discuss their concerns and our experiences. As a trainer in the oil and gas industry, I would always demonstrate how I did things the first week; and ask them to demonstrate how they would do it differently. Some of my ways have been passed down and I have adopted new techniques over the years from my trainees.
Statewide Executive Office
ANSWER:
I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America thirty-three years ago. That oath was not to a politician, a party, a group of people, or corporation. To fully understand that oath, you have to understand the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble. The only thing politicians are supposed to do is “Secure the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for ourselves (Americans) and our posterity (future generations).”
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Universal Question
ANSWER:
When elected as Railroad Commissioner, I pledge that I will have listening sessions all over Texas on how the oil and gas industry affects communities everywhere. From keeping the lights on to mitigating the damage done by unregulated facilities and refineries, everyone has a stake in the Railroad Commission - especially young Texans. I will also work to have RRC meetings done not just virtually, but also done statewide as well, so we can meet people where they are.
Statewide Executive Office Question
ANSWER:
The same principles that guided me in my four terms in the Texas House of Representatives: working towards outcomes that benefit all Texans, standing up for the voiceless, and cutting through the typical BS from career politicians. What that means in practice as a Railroad Commissioner is that I will refuse to rubber-stamp permitting for oil and gas production, I will work to lower our electric and gas bills, and I will actively solicit input from communities around the state that have been ignored and overlooked by the RRC, because their voice must be heard too on the Commission.
Democrat
Commissioner of Agriculture
Republican
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No response.
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No response.
Democrat
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No response.