In keeping with our effort to provide Texans with the information they need to be informed voters, Texas Scorecard made a questionnaire available to those running the State Republican Executive Committee. While we won’t be issuing an endorsement in any of these races, we hope that the responses to these questions will help you decide which man and which woman will best represent your interest on the SREC.

Here are the answers from the Senate District 12 candidates who responded:

Jill Glover

David Wylie

David Halvorson

What are the qualities of a Texas Republican? Why are you one?

Jill Glover: Any Texan who believes in inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness as articulated by our founders and embodied in the Constitution.  The traditional family, sanctity of life, personal responsibility, limited government, free enterprise, and second amendment protections are foundational.  I am a Republican because our principles are based on Judeo-Christian principles, given from God.

David Wylie: While there does seem to be a big difference between what Texas Republicans say they want to be and what those elected deliver, from my point of view Republicans in Texas should stand for limited government and limited intrusion into the lives of Texans.  My first question about anything that someone wants me to support as a Republican is always “should the government involve themselves in this”. Unfortunately, I am left with there only being two teams to play for and I have chosen the team that at least says they are for less government.

David Halvorson: Believe in Liberty, Lower Taxes, Pro Family, Pro Life, Pro Business, Pro 2d Amendment, Pro Individual Responsibility. Hopeful. Willing to serve. Asking others to serve. I believe in these principles and am willing to serve my fellow Texans with a positive attitude and encourage others to do the same.

Texas has a lot of elected Republican officials. Who do you believe does the best job standing up for the priorities of the Texas GOP? Why?

Jill Glover: Senator Bob Hall.  He boldly supports our platform.

David Wylie: Jonathan Stickland has done the best job of standing up for the priorities that the Texas GOP professes to support.  The priorities of the party are few and usually very limited in scope.  They involve things like Life, Liberty and Freedom, these are things that Jonathan worked to keep from being taken away from the people, mostly against the efforts of those in his own party.

David Halvorson: Ted Cruz, Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton, Louie Gohmert, Paul Bettencourt, Jane Nelson, Van Taylor, Sid Miller, Matt Krause, Bill Zedler. These elected officials have done a great job, not perfect, but a great job standing up for the interest of the grass roots conservatives of Texas. Liberty and Texas Republican Values enumerated in #1 above are their top priority.

Some individuals say the current party platform is too long and should be shortened. Do you agree? If so, what portions of the platform would you advocate eliminating?​

Jill Glover: It could be formatted better and slightly condensed, but shortening significantly could lend itself to subjectivity in interpretation.  The preamble and principles articulate what we believe and why, and the planks specifically address implementation.

David Wylie: The platform has become a dumping ground for resolutions and ideas.  It is so convoluted that it contradicts itself in some cases and is readily dismissed by the elected officials as unachievable.  I would throw out everything after the Priorities.

David Halvorson: The platform needs to be revised in form, not in principles but in length. The best way to adjust the length of the platform is with a committee appointed by the Permanent Platform Committee to work throughout the next Legislative Session and election cycle to produce a platform that reflects our Texas Republican Values. There is simply not enough time to do this during one week of Convention.

What must be done to ensure the Texas GOP’s legislative priorities are implemented by legislators?​

Jill Glover: Strong leadership by a state RPT chair, strong SREC leadership, and educated voters who hold the governor and legislators accountable.

David Wylie: GOP legislators respond to one thing—  pain.  Shining light on them in social media and making public demands at their public appearances is the path to their compliance to the platform and grassroots concerns.

David Halvorson: Every delegate and alternate should know that as part of being a delegate they are opting into a Legislative Priorities alert notification list. Emails and Text messages should be sent when Leg Priorities item votes are imminent with simple, clear Action steps to be taken when needed during the session. Activists should be encouraged to build a personal relationship with someone in both their Representative’s and Senator’s offices that they can call email or text.

Why have you decided to run for the SREC?

Jill Glover: I am deeply concerned about the eroding of our liberties in Texas under current elected officials, as are voters in my district. I will work to ensure this reverses course.  It is critical that we reelect President Trump in November, as well as elect Republicans that will uphold our principles to state, county, and city offices.  I will work to engage and educate voters on what we stand for as Texas Republicans, and teach them how to have a voice to their elected officials.

David Wylie: We have a lot of SREC reps that are very good at going to parties and parroting whatever the State Party Chair thinks.  I am running to REPRESENT the grassroots opinions to the elected officials and to the State Party chair, not the other way around, which is too common.

David Halvorson: I want to complete my 4th term and finish what I started. My initial and remaining priority, as a pastor, is religious liberty. Only religious liberty brings justice.

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