Trent McKnight claims he supports smaller government, but he’s on record calling for the state to throw more money into a broken public education system. He says he wants to lower taxes, but he refuses to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. He calls himself a “common sense conservative,” but he’s voted Democrat nearly his entire life. Who is the real Trent McKnight?
Trent McKnight
Has Trent McKnight’s campaign on a “conservative platform” been nothing but a shill for bigger government?
Earlier today, AgendaWise published a video catching him telling constituents in HD 68 that he believes public education has “both a spending and a revenue problem” and the state should be able to address both.”
That sure sounds noble if you aren’t familiar with the rhetoric used by big-spenders. “Addressing a revenue problem” almost always means “higher taxes.” The thought of actually reducing spending never seems to be an option.
Young Conservatives of Texas later sent out a press release condemning McKnight’s policy inconsistency, stating, “To say public education needs more revenue while claiming to be a conservative on the campaign trail is talking out of both sides of his mouth… It’s clear to any conservative that throwing more money at the problem is not the answer.”
But taxpayers have more to worry about Trent McKnight than his disarming euphemisms.
McKnight says he’s against higher taxes, yet he refuses to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge – a vow to oppose any increase in the overall tax burden Texans already face.
Why is McKnight refusing to make such a simple vow to his potential constituents if he’s a “common sense conservative” as his campaign website claims?
Perhaps its because he’s no conservative at all. In fact, it might be a stretch to even call him a Republican.
Voting records in Throckmorton County (where he resides) show McKnight as a “Strong Democrat” – having only recently switched to the GOP in time to run for State Representative.
McKnight has also given thousands in campaign contributions to former Democrat TX Congressman Charles Stenholm (whom McKnight interned for in 2000) and Kansas Congressman Jim Slattery.
Voters deserve to know who the real Trent McKnight is. So far, who he is depends on whom he speaks to.
Drew Springer
In contrast, his opponent Drew Springer has been consistently supporting all five planks of the Texas Budget Compact from Day 1, and proudly signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. Springer’s unwavering support for conservative public policy earned him our endorsement as well as other leading conservatives and organizations, such as Young Conservatives of Texas, Texas Right to Life, Concerned Women for America, Kelly Shackelford of Liberty Institute and Cathy Adams of the Texas Eagle Forum.
Don’t bet the farm on Trent McKnight. In the race to replace Rick Hardcastle in HD 68, Drew Springer is the only principled conservative.
Early voting runs July 23rd – July 27th. The Runoff takes place July 31st.
