Heritage Alliance – a national conservative grassroots organization and creator of the iVoterGuide – has released their 2016 voter guide for the State of Texas. In it, Texans can find a comprehensive evaluation of all Republican candidates in each competitive race, from Congress to the State Board of Education.
Candidates are vetted based on contributions given and received, their voting record (if applicable), and responses to a questionnaire. Volunteers then holistically evaluate each candidate on a 7-point scale ranging from “very conservative” to “very liberal.” Candidates who are unopposed receive no evalulation.
At the federal level, Congressmen Louie Gohmert (R – Tyler) and John Ratcliffe (R – Heath) were the only two candidates to receive the groups “very conservative” rating.
Statewide, candidates deemed “very conservative” include Railroad Commission hopefuls Wayne Christian and Weston Martinez, and Supreme Court challenger Rick Green.
Legislative candidates earning a “very conservative” rating include incumbents Stuart Spitzer (R – Kaufman), Molly White (R – Belton), Jonathan Stickland (R – Bedford), Tony Tinderholt (R – Arlington), Bill Zedler (R – Arlington), and Matt Rinaldi (R – Irving). Challengers include Cole Hefner (R – Mount Pleasant), David Watts (R – Gilmer), and Jess Fields (R – College Station).
Unsurprisingly, incumbents Byron Cook (R – Corsicana) and Sarah Davis (R – West University Place) earned a “Liberal” label from the group’s volunteers, making them the two most left-leaning Republicans on the ballot.
Visit iVoterGuide.com to see the Heritage Alliance’s full slate of evaluations.
