.
"A vote is not a horse race. You get nothing for picking the winner. A vote is a statement of who you are."
- Karl Hess (speech writer for Barry Goldwater).
Be aware that, due to a ruling about 3 racially gerrymandered
districts, a federal court has thrown out the primary results
and set new elections for 13 Congressional districts. There will
be no primary. Anyone who threw their hat in the ring by Aug.
30th will be on the ballot in the general election. Runoffs will
be held Dec. 10th. The affected districts will be marked with
a .
Legend:- indicates a known anti-gun candidate
- indicates our choice as the most pro-freedom candidate in the race
Note: Races with only one candidate are not covered.
LIB Michael E. Bird - Paralegal/mediator - He responded to our questionnaire and indicated a clear understanding the purpose of the 2nd Amendment saying it means that "government is NOT to create laws to infringe on that right." (Emphasis his). As a result of this view, his other responses were predictably pro-gun: He is opposed to the Brady Law, the semi-auto ban, and any limits on law abiding citizens to own and use firearms of any type. His views are consitent with the philosophy of the Libertarian Party.
REP Phil Gramm - Economics Professor - Incumbent. He has been a rather solid supporter of your right to keep and bear arms. He was so well known for his stand on gun issues that we felt sending him our questionnaire would be an insult. When he, Bob Dole, and Newt Gingrich were invited to appear in a photograph on the cover of the NRA magazines, only Gramm had the guts to show up. He is not scared to stand up in front of the whole world for your gun rights. As a gun owner, you cannot do much better with a senator like him. He's rated "A+" by TSRA. He recently stated that "if gun control worked, I'd be for it." This statement seems to indicate that Mr. Gramm has no Constitutional objections to gun control schemes. We were very disappointed to learn that he recently voted for 2 anti-gun amendments to an appropriations bill that passed before Congress went into recess. One was the Lautenberg "misdemeanor gun ban" and the other was the new version of the federal "gun-free school zones" law that was recently declared unconstitutional. To his credit, Gramm is one of only 15 Senators who voted against the final version of the appropriations bill, but this was apparently due to his opposition to the increase in spending, not the anti-gun provisions. We wish Mr. Gramm would be as firm on gun issues as he is on tax and spending issues. These latest votes are why we are no longer endorsing him in the race, since he can no longer be considered the "most pro-gun" in a race with a Libertarian.
DEM Victor M. Morales
- Teacher - He has failed to respond to our mailed questionnaire
and phone calls to his campaign. However, he has revealed his
views on gun control in response to the press, in which he is
quoted before the primary saying, "I personally have a handgun
and have no intention of giving it up. However, although I am
not sure of the effects of the Brady bill and assault weapon ban
on crime, I would have voted for the Brady bill and voted to continue
the assault weapon ban to attempt to have an effect on criminal
acts with weapons." In June after the primary, his language
seems to have gotten stronger: "I am for the Brady Bill.
I'll tell the truth that I am for that assault-weapon ban. . .
. I have a gun. I'm not happy I have one, to tell the truth."
(Quotes are from the Austin American-Statesman). He's rated
"F" by TSRA.
Note: In the House races, reference is sometimes made to votes on two amendments known as the "Istook" and "Chenoweth" amendments. These amendments were voted on in 1995 and were pushed by pro-gun people. The Istook amendment would have stopped all federal money from going to anti-gun groups who use it to propagandize for gun control (like the AARP and ABA); the Chenoweth amendment would have prevented an increase in funding for the BATF. Both amendments lost, and BATF got a reward for it's past behaviors, a budget increase of $200,000,000.00 (and $100,000.00 this year).
LIB Jack Daniel - We have no specific information about this candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm freedom issues
REP Ed Merritt - Attorney - He did not respond to our questionnaire, but TSRA rates him an "A." His web page states that he does support repeal of the ban on semi-automatics, so that is a good indicator of his views on other firearms issues.
DEM Max Sandlin - Judge/businessman - no response to either NRA or Peaceable Texans inquiries.
LIB David Constant - Engineer - A typical libertarian, he is a constitutionalist to the core. He appears very knowledgeable of the history and purpose of the 2nd Amendment and shows a good understanding of firearms issues. He is opposed to gun control in all its nefarious forms. He even posted his answers to our questionnaire on his web site!
REP Brian Babin - Dentist - He owns pistols, rifles, shotguns and clearly understands the 2d Amendment; he opposes waiting periods on 10th Amendment grounds; he supports repeal of the ban on semi-automatics; he appears knowledgeable about guns and gun control issues. Rated "A" by TSRA. His web page states, "I am opposed to: . . . Gun Control . . ."
DEM Jim Turner - Attorney - No response to Peaceable Texans inquiries, but TSRA rates him a "B." Apparently he is the same Jim Tuner who has represented Dist. 5 in the Texas Senate.
IND Henry McCullough - Retired -
U. S. Rep. Dist. 3 (NE
Dallas) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
LIB John Davis - Management Consultant - While being somewhat uninformed on whether or not "gun control" laws have had any effect on suicide rates or what weapons are responsible for the most deaths (most candidates didn't), all of his other answers were typical libertarian, i.e., strongly pro-Second Amendment.
REP Sam Johnson - Incumbent - Rated "A" by TSRA. Mr. Johnson has a perfect voting record on gun issues. For example, he voted for every pro-gun amendment and against every anti-gun amendment to all gun bills that came up during his time in the House. He even voted for both the Chenoweth and Istook amendments. He voted against the semi-auto ban and against the 1994 Crime Bill at every procedural vote that had a chance of killing it. This is a proven track record.
LIB Steven Rothacker - Contractor - Mr. Rothacker states that he adheres to a literal interpretation of the Second Amendment. However, he had "no opinion" to our question, "Do you believe that a bullet's ability to penetrate medium grade kevlar vests should determine whether or not the government should ban it?" This indicates a lack of knowledge concerning one of the anti-gunners' favorite Trojan horses.
REP Jerry Ray Hall - Although his questionnaire reflected an overall support of the Second Amendment, Mr. Hall, in answer to the question: " Do you believe that a bullet's ability to penetrate medium grade kevlar vests should determine whether or not the government should ban it?", answered "Yes". This indicates a lack of knowledge concerning one of the anti-gunners' favorite Trojan horses. He is rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Ralph M. Hall
- Incumbent - Mr. Hall is a staunch pro-Second Amendment Congressman.
On his questionnaire in answer to the section asking his interpretation
of the Second Amendment, he wrote: "You must be aware of
my complete opposition to any type of gun control." His pro
Second Amendment voting record was confirmed with his staff. Although
he has a good pro-gun voting record (he voted against Brady, for
the Staggers amendment to Brady, and against the semi-auto ban
and against the 1994 Crime Bill), he did vote against the Istook
amendment in 1995. But his otherwise spotless record and incumbency
make him a good ally. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 5 (SE
Dallas over to near Tyler and down to near College Station) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP Sam Johnson - Because new candidates entered the race in the districts which are having special elections after we had sent out our questionnaires, candidates like this one did not receive a questionnaire. If you have information about this candidate, please share it with us.
REP Pete Sessions
- Private Businessman - A very pro-gun candidate who spoke
at our 1994 rally at the State Capitol; he is not only a committed
fighter for your gun rights, he is a good advocate as well. Rated
an "A" by TSRA.
DEM John Pouland - Attorney, Businessman - totally unknown on the gun issue; the address he gave when he filed to run was no good, as his questionnaire was returned to us marked "forwarding order expired;" not a good sign of competency. Rated "B" by TSRA.
DEM William A. Foster, III - Mr. Foster has withdrawn from this race.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 6 (extremely
Gerrymandered district through Fort Worth & surrounding counties)
Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
LIB Catherine A. Anderson - We have no specific information about this candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm freedom issues
REP Joe Barton
- Incumbent - No response to our questionnaire. Rated "A+"
by TSRA. He voted
against the Brady Bill and for all of the pro-gun amendments
that were offered to it. He voted against the semi-auto ban in
1991 and 1994 and against the 1994 Crime Bill at every procedural
vote that could have killed the bill. He voted for both the Chenoweth
and Istook amendments in 1995. He even voted against the recent
re-enactment of the federal "gun-free school zones"
law and the new "misdemeanor gun ban." This is a perfect
voting record. It does not get any better than this.
IND Janet Carroll Richardson - TV Producer/Media Consultant - no response to either NRA or Peaceable Texans inquiries.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 7 (West
Harris County) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP Bill Archer
- Incumbent - Rated "A+" by TSRA,
Mr. Archer has a very good voting record. He voted in support
of your rights on every gun related vote except one: the Chenoweth
amendment; however, he did vote for the Istook amendment. An extremely
good voting record all considered. Thus, we think Mr. Archer deserves
to stay in office. This is also the opinion of the Greater Texas Sportsmen's Coalition,
which has endorsed Mr. Archer.
DEM Al J.K. Siegmund - Mr. Siegmund entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about him, please share it with us.
IND Gene Hsiao - Engineer/Attorney -
IND Robert R. (Randy) Sims, Jr. -
U. S. Rep. Dist. 8 (N.
Harris, Montgomery, Austin, Washington, & Brazos Counties)
Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP Kevin Brady - Chamber
of Commerce Pres. - very anti-gun, a staffer at NRA told us; he
did not respond to our inquiries. As a state legislator he voted
against the Right-to-Carry law and for each anti-gun amendment
that was offered to the carry bill, so do not let him fool you
with his campaign literature. Reading it would make you think
he is pro-gun! Our Houston pro-gun friends have also told us that
Mr. Brady is no friend of gun owners. Thus, we disagree with TSRA's
rating of "B." Mr. Brady is also endorsed by GTSC.
REP Gene Fontenot - Mr.
Fontenot is a medical doctor, former Navy surgeon, attorney, and
businessman. When he ran in 1994, he was endorsed by the NRA and
was rated "A" by the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA).
He is strongly opposed to the gun control measures recently passed
in Congress, according to a Houston area gun rights activist who
knows him well.
DEM Cynthia J. Newman - Public Relations - She did not respond to our questionnaire or to NRA's. According to one Houston pro-gunner we talked to, Ms. Newman is very anti-gun. Our contact said, "She does not know that there is such a thing as 'gun rights.' She is a nice lady, but extremely liberal."
DEM Robert Musemeche - According to our houston contact, Mr. Musemeche is quite anti-gun. He supports the Brady Law, and he believes there are no constitutional problems with gun registration.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 9 (Galveston
to Port Arthur) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP
Steve Stockman
- Incumbent - If you do not know of this man's reputation for
defending American firearms freedoms, then you must live under
a rock. He has been so vilified in the liberal press for his pro-gun
bills that it has been hard to miss. The nationl Democratic Party
has targeted this district and has committed a substantial share
of its resources (millions of dollars) to this particular race.
This will be a big battleground as District 9 was considered by
the democrats as a "safe" district and were stunned
by the defeat of Jack Brooks in 1994. The district has high union
membership which is why the democrats thought they could not lose
it. Unfortunately for the democrats, they did not understand what
the Second Amendment Foundation's 1994 exit polls
showed. Union members support american firearms freedoms, and
voted that way in 1994. If they will do so again, and Steve Stockman
wins, then the democrats may finally come to realize that gun
control advocacy is hurting them, and drop it like a hot potato.
He is rated "A" by TSRA,
and endorsed by GTSC.
DEM Nick
Lampson - Tax Collector - He has not responded to our questionnaire
or to NRA's. By asking around, we found out from someone who had
known Mr. Lampson for many years that Lampson is anti-gun. Lampson
used to be Jefferson County's Tax Assessor-Collector; according
to our source "he's the kind who will say anything to get
elected and then vote totally different," (this info provided
by a pro-gunner in this district). When our volunteer called Mr.
Lampson, once he was told the reason for the call was to ask his
views on the 2nd Amendment, Mr. Lampson immediately said, "Can
I put you on hold?" and then passed the phone to a campaign
worker who refused to answer questions but instead stated that
she was in charge of answering questionnaires, and would fill
out one if we would fax it over. We have done so, and it has yet
to be returned. From all this it is apparent that Mr. Lampson
does not wish to answer questions about his views on firearms
rights.
DEM G. A. Brooks - Heavy Equipment Operator - Mr. Brooks has withdrawn from the race and will no longer be on the ballot. Mr. Brooks is the one who filed with the name G. "Jack" Brooks, a nickname he picked up some years ago. While he has little or no financial backing and is not considered by observers to be a serious contender, the use of his nickname caused Nick Lampson to file a suit against Brooks in order to force him not to use the nickname "Jack." He withdrew from the race after Mr. Lampson's lawyer began threatening Mr. Brook's boss, Bill Ballard, with subpoenas and an "all day" deposition as a witness in the case. This is an interesting tactic considering Lampson is supposed to be the union-backed "working man's" candidate!
DEM Geraldine Sam - From what little we have heard about Ms. Sam from sources that know of her, we have learned that she has a reputation as a liberal's "liberal."
LIB Gary Johnson - Investor - We have no specific information about this candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm freedom issues.
REP Teresa Doggett -
Businesswoman - A black businesswoman, she has made it clear she
claims to be a "strong" supporter of the Second Amendment
and the concept of private ownership of firearms. She has actively
enlisted our aid when she came to a local meeting of gun owners
and given her opponent's views, we ought to give it to her. Rated
"A" by TSRA.
DEM Lloyd Doggett
- Attorney Incumbent - Mr. Doggett is as anti-gun as they come.
He has a long history of attacking your gun rights from his days
in the State Legislature. He made sure to be on hand to welcome
Sarah Brady when she came to Austin in 1994. His votes as a freshman
Congressman show a particular hostility to gun owner's welfare.
For example, he voted against HR 666 (giving broad new power to
federal police to conduct searches that are illegal, if the searches
were done "in good faith" belief that they were legal),
which was a good thing, but when an amendment was offered to HR
666 to except the BATF from it's provisions (not allowing BATF
to use the "good faith" search law), he voted against
it. He also voted against both the Chenoweth and Istook amendments.
He is rated "F" by TSRA.
DEM Chet Edwards
- Incumbent - Voted for the 1994 semi-auto ban, voted for the
1994 Crime Bill, voted against repeal of the semi-auto ban. He
is Rated "F" by TSRA
and NRA. He also voted for the Brady bill in 1991 and against
the Staggers amendment (i.e., against instant checks), but he
did vote against the Brady Bill in 1993. However, this last vote
is in our opinion his way to take both sides of the issue for
political reasons.
REP Jay Mathis
- Insurance Agent - Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Kay Granger - Businesswoman
- She did not return our questionnaire, but in a phone interview
she stated that she would vote to repeal the semi-auto ban but
was unsure about the Brady Law. When it was explained to her that
the Brady Law is not uniformly applied across the country she
stated that she would vote to repeal it. She said she would vote
against the national concealed carry initiative as she believes
that that is the business of the states. She is rated "A"
by TSRA, but it
is not clear how devoted she is to the issue.
DEM Hugh Parmer - Attorney - Rated "F" by TSRA. He responded to the PT questionnaire generally in a non-supportive manner, but did indicate a knowledge of real meaning of the Second Amendment. While he would probably not initiate Charles Schumer type legislation, he would probably support it with any amount of pressure.
REP Mac Thornberry
- Rancher/Attorney - Freshman Incumbent. He voted for repeal of
the semi-auto ban and is rated "A+" by TSRA.
Generally acknowledged as a strong supporter of Second Amendment
issues. He voted for the Chenoweth and Istook amendments, which
shows he is truly sensitive to gun owners' concerns.
DEM Samuel Brown Silverman - Patent Attorney - no response to either NRA or Peaceable Texans. His democratic primary opponent Aaron Alejandro told us "he would not be with you on this issue."
DEM Charles (Lefty) Morris - Attorney -He has managed to dodge all our inquiries and avoid being pinned down on anything. Apparently he has done the same to NRA, since they rate him with a "?" His campaign seems to consist solely of attacks on the libertarian leanings of his opponent. We were told by an attorney in Austin that "Lefty" Morris got his nickname because of his politics. He doesn't have a website that we can find, but here is someone else's page about him.
REP Ron Paul
- Physician - He has stated an unequivocal position against federal
gun control and has promised to push for repeal of the Brady Law.
He is rated "A+" by TSRA.
He previously represented a Houston district in Congress years
ago as a republican. He also ran as the libertarian nominee for
President back in 1980. He says he switched parties when Nixon
instituted price controls, which proved to him that the republicans
were no better than the democrats. He is obviously back to running
as a republican, but as someone with a libertarian philosophy,
he is certainly more pro-gun than most members of Congress.
LIB George Harper - Structural designer - He responded to our PT questionnaire, indicating that he was not very familiar with gun issues, but stated that he would "support the repeal of the 'assault weapons' ban," and that his "support for the 2nd Amendment is uncompromising."
REP Tom Haughey - Broadcastor/Pastor/Author
- NRA member; FNRA organizer. He owns 2 rifles and has done some
reading on the 2d Amendment. He says, "'don't infringe' means
don't infringe." He said he supports repeal of the ban on
semi-autos; is against waiting periods and is against centralized
record keeping of gun owners/purchasers. "I go beyond the
NRA," which he feels is too soft on some issues. Rated "A"
by TSRA.
DEM Ruben Hinojosa - Businessman/Food Processor - his family owns H&H Meat Co.; he did not respond to our questionnaire or phone calls or to NRA's, thus he has no rating from NRA.
REP Rick Ledesma - Businessman, retired Maj. Army Reserves - Rated "A" by TSRA. Responded to our PT questionnaire, in which he indicated fairly low interest in gun issues, but did indicate a strong understanding of the Constitutional issues and support for the repeal of the semi-auto ban and for the Second Amendment in general. Also does not support the Brady Law. Our contacts in El Paso say he is "hands down pro-pro-pro; he looks good, talks well, and is very openly pro-gun." He is an advocate of our rights, not just a supporter.
DEM Silvestre Reyes - Retired Border Patrol Chief - generally conservative, and very popular; not strongly pro-gun and largely ignorant of gun control issues. He failed to appear at a candidate's forum sponsored by El Paso Coalition of Sportsmen when his campaign staff had promised that he was going to appear; he has steadfastly avoided being pinned down on his feelings on gun control. However, TSRA has rated him an "A."
DEM Charles W. Stenholm
- Incumbent/Farmer - Rated "A" by TSRA.
He strongly supported the bill in Congress to deny funding for
National Center for Injury Prevention & Control (NCIPC) which
has been using tax dollars to pump out extremely biased "studies"
supporting gun control. He voted against Brady in 1991 and 1993
and for all the pro-gun amendments offered on it. He voted for
the Chenoweth amendment but against the Istook amendment.
REP Rudy Izzard - Dentist/Rancher - Rated "A" by TSRA, and he answered the PT questionnaire showing good general knowledge of the issues and a strong support for the Second Amendment. In addition, he says he will work for repeal of the Brady Law and the recent terrorism Laws.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 18 - (Houston
District) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP Jerry Burley - Mr.
Burley is a black male running in a predominately black district,
and therefore, in our opinion, has the best chance of beating
Ms. Lee. Mr. Burley is a staunch supporter of the common man's
right to legitimately access firearms, and therefore stands in
stark contrast to his opponent. He attended and addressed the
crowd at the pro-firearms rally held at the State Capitol in July,
1995. He is a minister, military veteran, and a good public speaker.
REP George Young - Mr. Young entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about him, please share it with us.
REP Larry White - He is rated "A"' by TSRA, and we had no response to our PT questionnaire; however, we note that his web page lists endosrsements by both Steve Stockman and the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA), both of whom are very pro-gun. He is also endorsed by GTSC.
DEM Sheila Jackson Lee
- Attorney - Incumbent. A radical gun hater. She fought passage
of right-to-carry law with a vengeance, and sponsored a resolution
in support of the federal semi-auto ban when she was on the Houston
City Council. When confronted with a packed city council chamber
full of citizens opposed to her resolution, she displayed nothing
but a rude contempt for them. She also showed her ignorance of
the legislation she said she was supporting when she stated that
the guns ought to be banned because they were "machine guns"
which is, of course, completely untrue. The bill passed by Congress
had nothing to do with full automatics.
DEM Mike Lamson - Mr. Lamson entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about him, please share it with us.
REP Larry Combest
- Incumbent - Rated "0" by HCI and "A+" by
TSRA. That should
tell you plenty right there. He voted against Brady in 1991 and
1993, and for all the pro-gun amendments offered thereto. He voted
against the semi-auto ban and against the 1994 Crime Bill and
for every procedural vote that could have killed it. He
voted for both the Chenoweth and Istook amendments too!
DEM John W. Sawyer Biostatistician - He gave no response to us and is rated "F" by TSRA.
LIB Alejandro (Alex) De
Pena - Systems Analyst - Responded to the PT questionnaire in
great depth, demonstrating excellent understanding of firearm
issues and an unequivocal support for the Second Amendment, rejecting
all current attempts to undermine it.
DEM Henry B. Gonzalez
- Incumbent - Rated "F" by TSRA
and every other freedom loving organization. He voted against
your rights at virtually every single opportunity, with the exception
of a few minor amendments to anti-gun bills.
REP James Walker - Rated "A" by TSRA; we truly wish he would have responded to us. On his web page he says, "I support the Second Amendment right to bear arms, and am opposed to gun control. I favor the implementation of some technique to perform instantaneous checks for felony convictions before the purchase of a firearm."
REP Lamar Smith
- Incumbent. Based on his voting record, Lamar Smith has earned
the following approval ratings from civil liberties organizations:
NRA 100%, TSRA "A+,"
GOA 20%. We disagree with GOA's rather low rating. He is a tried
and true supporter of your gun rights.
DEM Gordon H. Wharton - Retired
Accountant - Wharton sees the Second Amendment as an attempt to
prevent state-sponsored militias from being disarmed by the Federal
Government and that individual citizens have no right to keep
and bear arms. Wharton, a WWII veteran, classifies himself as
an environmentalist and New Deal Democrat. He advocates waiting
periods, bans on "assault weapons", controls on "sporting
rifles and pistols" and asserts that "some bullets are
too dangerous to allow criminals to get possession of them."
He sees terrorism as an increasing problem requiring government
action. While he owns a couple handguns, he sees a "30 Cal.
carbine" as sufficient for hunters.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 22 (part
of Houston, and Fort Bend, Brazoria Counties) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP Tom DeLay
- Incumbent - he has a solid voting record for all gun related
votes for past 5 years; he even voted for Istook and Chenoweth
amendments--a very strong sign that he is sensitive to the rights
of gun owners. He has earned the following approval ratings from
civil liberties organizations: NRA 100%, TSRA
"A+," GOA 60%.
DEM Scott Douglas Cunningham
- Attorney - Mr. Cunningham returned a questionnaire via fax that
could not be read. Subsequent attempts to contact him by phone
failed to find anyone available for comment and failed to elicit
a return call. TSRA
has rated him an "F." GTSC has
labeled him as a "2nd Amendment Opponent."
REP Henry Bonilla
- Incumbent - Based on his voting record, Mr. Bonilla has earned
the following approval ratings from civil liberties organizations:
NRA 100%, TSRA "A+,"
and GOA 60%. He has a solid pro-gun voting record; he voted against
Brady, for all pro-gun amendments to Brady; against the semi-auto
ban, against the 1994 Crime Bill; and for the Istook and Chenoweth
Amendments.
DEM Charles P. Jones - Attorney at Law - We called his home & office and got no answer from him or response to two questionnaires. However, a staff worker at his campaign did talk with our volunteer about 2nd Amendment issues and stated that Jones generally supports existing federal firearms laws although he may object to some aspects of some laws. He may or may not be in favor of repealing the Brady Law and the semi-auto ban. Jones has no specific position regarding the ATF, it's funding or its mandate. Jones is a hunter and sees the 2nd Amendment as more of a guarantee than as a collective right. He might support restrictions on "cop killer" bullets. He did not respond to NRA/TSRA.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 24 (parts
of Dallas, Fort Worth and Navarro, Ellis Counties) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
DEM Martin Frost
- Incumbent - Mr. Frost has a long track record of anti-gun votes
while he's been in Congress. Although he voted against the Schumer
semi-auto ban bill in 1994, we view that as merely a political
ploy on his part so he can claim he is pro-gun. One has to look
at his total voting record to understand how anti-gun he has been.
On every other single vote he has voted against us. For example,
he voted against all the pro-gun amendments to the semi-auto ban,
the Brady bill, and the '94 Crime Bill as well as all the procedural
votes on the Crime Bill that would have killed it had they passed.
He voted for the Brady bill, and in 1995 he voted against the
Chenoweth and Istook amendments. His sole pro-gun vote against
the semi-auto ban is the only reason NRA rates him 40%. TSRA
lists him with a "B-", which we feel is way off the
mark.
DEM Marion Jacob - Mr. Jacob entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about him, please share it with us.
REP Ed Harrison - Home
Builder - Mr. Harrison feels that the Federal government has gone
too far in its regulation of firearms and ammunition. While he
is neither a sportsman nor particularly familiar with firearms,
he interprets the Second Amendment as a guarantee that individual
citizens have the right to keep and bear arms and that membership
in a state militia is irrelevant. He is concerned that the ATF
may have overstepped its mandate, but feels it may still have
a legitimate function to fill. He sees crime as primarily a social
and ethical problem which cannot be solved by prohibiting fire-arms
to law-abiding citizens. He is rated "A" by TSRA.
IND Dale Mouton - Law Student - This candidate did not respond to our questionnaire and did not follow up on our phone call.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 25 (parts
of Harris County including Pasadena, Baytown) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP Brent Perry - Attorney - Mr. Perry owns no guns; but gives correct answers to all questions on our questionnaire, which shows he is aware of and reasonably informed on gun related issues. He is one of the few who stated he opposes the anti-terrorism bill due to it's infringements on the rights and privacy of citizens. He supports repeal of the ban on semi-autos and is rated "A" by TSRA. Having elected to own no firearms himself, Brent seems willing to let others decide the matter for themselves. He is endorsed by GTSC.
REP Dotty Quinn Collins - Ms. Collins entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about her, please share it with us.
REP John Devine - Our Houston contact tells us Mr. Devine is a "Constitutionalist," and he is therefore also a firm supporter of the 2nd Amendment and your right to bear arms.
REP Ken G. Mathis - Mr. Mathis entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about him, please share it with us.
REP Dolly Madison McKenna - Ms. McKenna entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about her, please share it with us.
REP Ron (RC) Meinke - Mr. Meinke entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about him, please share it with us.
Lloyd W. Oliver -
John M. Sanchez -
DEM Ken Bentsen
- Incumbent - Ken Bentsen failed to respond to either of two questionnaires
and when we phoned his office, our volunteer was passed from staffer
to staffer until he was finally told that the staffer who responds
to Second Amendment issues was momentarily unavailable. We left
a message and were promised a return call in ten minutes. No such
call was ever received. Bentsen is not interested in communicating
his position on Second Amendment issues to concerned constituents.
Based on his voting record, Ken Bentsen has earned the following
approval ratings from civil liberties organizations: TSRA
"F," GOA 0%. While he was not around when the Brady
Bill and semi-auto bans were voted in, his votes in 1995 (on the
Chenoweth & Istook amendments) show he is not sensitive
to gun owners concerns.
DEM Beverley Clark - Ms. Clark entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about her, please share it with us.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 26 (N.
Dallas and S. Denton Counties) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP Dick Armey
- Incumbent - A strong supporter of your gun rights, Dick Armey,
House Majority Leader, has a proven track record of pro-gun votes
in Congress. His voting record has earned him the following ratings:
NRA 100%, TSRA "A+,"
and GOA 60%.
DEM Jerry Frankel - Physician
- Dr. Frankel developed a dislike for firearms early in life and
this feeling has been intensified by his experience in tending
to gunshot injuries. He would allow hunters in rural settings
to use rifles but would impose "severe restrictions"
on all other firearms and ammunition in all other circumstances.
"Only the militia, the military, and the police should bear
arms" says the doctor. Dr. Frankel would feel at home in
the company of Charles Schumer and Diane Feinstein and has the
potential to surpass them in zeal. Rated "F" by TSRA.
DEM Solomon P. Ortiz
- Incumbent - A solid Pro-gun supporter in all major gun votes
in past 5 years, except that he voted against the Istook and Chenoweth
amendments, which has earned him the following ratings: NRA 93%,
TSRA "A+,"
and GOA 60%. He has a good, proven track record and he is an incumbent,
so there is every reason to reward his good behavior.
REP Joe Gardner Certified - Public Accountant - Joe Gardner sees the Second Amendment both as a guarantee of an individual right to keep and bear arms and as a guarantee that state militias will not be disarmed by the federal government. He finds no merit in recent federal efforts at firearms regulation. He thinks such matters can be better handled by states which he sees as being closer to and more amenable to the will of the people. Joe owns firearms, has been around them his entire life and is a no-nonsense advocate of individual responsibility for firearms safety, especially where children and are concerned.
REP Mark L. Cude - This candidate did not return his questionnaire nor respond to any of several phone calls. However, TSRA rates him with an "A."
DEM Frank Tejeda
- Incumbent - Although he did not vote for the Chenoweth or Istook
amendments in 1995, he has an otherwise spotless pro-gun voting
record for his entire time in Congress. His ratings from other
civil rights organizations are: NRA 100%, TSRA
"A+," and GOA 20%.
U. S. Rep. Dist. 29 (N.
Central Houston) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
DEM Gene Green - Incumbent - Gene Green voted against the semi-auto ban when it first came up, but later voted for the 1994 Crime Bill which contained the same ban; he voted against the Brady bill but also against Istook & Chenoweth amendments. He recently voted in support of repealing the semi-auto ban, but this does not say much since everyone knew Clinton would veto the bill. His flip flopping has earned him the following ratings: NRA 66%, TSRA "B+," and GOA 20%. He is endorsed by GTSC, an endorsement with which we disagree. As one Houston activist told us, "Mr. Green is high maintenance," meaning that you have to keep tabs on him and work on him to get him to vote right.
REP Jack Rodriguez
- Jack Rodriguez interprets the Second Amendment as a guarantee
of an individual right to keep and bear arms. He feels the federal
government has strayed from the Constitution in passing the Brady
Law and the semi-auto ban. Besides, Rodriguez notes, there are
already plenty of un-enforced laws on the books; adding more has
only ceremonial significance. Noting that government budgets in
general need to be closely scrutinized, he would not exempt the
ATF from this examination. He is rated "A" by TSRA.
He is noted by GTSC as a "2nd Amendment
Advocate."
U. S. Rep. Dist. 30 (S.
Central Dallas) Note: This district was recently redrawn by court order. A special election--open to anyone who throws their hat in the ring--will held on Election Day; if no contender gets a majority, a run-off will be held December 10th.
REP John Hendry - John Hendry sees no merit in either the Brady Law or the ban on semi-automatics and would vote to repeal both. While he opposes limits on "conventional" ammunition, he is concerned but undecided about "cop killer" bullets, which troubles us, as "conventional" rifle ammo will pierce body armor. He sees the Second Amendment as a guarantee of individual rights and as a fundamental limitation on government power. With respect to pending "anti terrorism" legislation he says he has insufficient information to make a judgment. He owns "a couple" of firearms. He is rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Lisa Kitterman - Ms. Kitterman entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about her, please share it with us.
LIB Ken Ashby - Retired Teacher/Engineer - Ken Ashby feels that government has failed to achieve anything positive with its regulation of firearms and feels that we would all be better off if it simply quit the business entirely. He thinks that the initiation of physical force and fraud should be illegal and, although this philosophy would require some work in the way of law enforcement, the ATF would not be needed. He sees the Second Amendment as a guarantee of the right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms and that one need not be a member of a state-sanctioned militia to have Second Amendment rights. Ashby, a very soft spoken candidate, thinks too much hysteria has been generated about the firearms issue, and he proudly reports that he accepts no money from political action committees.
DEM Eddie Bernice Johnson
- Incumbent - Eddie Bernice Johnson has time to attend "town
hall meetings, issue oriented forums and other public events,"
but, neither she nor any of her staff have time to respond to
a two page questionnaire. Likewise, she ignored a second questionnaire
sent for the stated purpose of compiling a voters' guide. Neither
does she seem to have a prepared position statement on Second
Amendment matters that could be mailed in lieu of the questionnaire.
While she may not want to make her position on Second Amendment
matters known to concerned constituents, we have her voting record
to look at and it is very poor indeed. She has voted for the Brady
Bill, for the semi-auto ban, against most every pro-gun amendments
to those bills, and to increase the BATF power and budget. Based
on her voting record, Eddie Bernice Johnson has earned the following
approval ratings from civil liberties organizations: NRA 16%,
TSRA "F,"
and GOA 40%.
DEM Marvin E. Crenshaw - Mr. Crenshaw entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about him, please share it with us.
DEM James L. Sweatt - Mr. Sweatt entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about him, please share it with us.
IND Ada Granado - Ms. Granado entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about her, please share it with us.
IND Lisa Hembry - Ms. Hembry entered this race after the court-ordered special election was announced. Therefore, he was not mailed our questionnaire, because those were sent out before the court decision came down. We therefore have no information about this candidate. If you have information about her, please share it with us.
LIB Richard N. Draheim Jr. - Richard Draheim does not support the Brady Law, the ban on semi-automatics, or any other measure designed to deprive citizens of their right to self defense. He sees the Second Amendment as a guarantee of an individual right to keep and bear arms and, if honored, would result in the abolition of both the ATF and the FFL system. Observing that police are only able to stop a tiny minority of crimes, he notes that private citizens do most of the crime stopping and, in this context, he sees the right to keep and bear arms as a practical necessity.
REP Carole Keeton Rylander - Incumbent - Her campaign staff provided us with Ms. Rylander's answers to another group's (The Texas Constitutional Coalition) 1994 questionnaire in which she indicates that she is a supporter of the right to bear arms. She indicated that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right; that she is opposed to all federal laws regulating guns except for the 1934 NFA restriction on automatics and therefore she is for repealing the Brady law and the semi-auto ban. She is endorsed by GTSC.
DEM Hector Uribe - Attorney - Two hundred years of Texas residence have proved the necessity of firearms to the Uribe family he says, and Hector Uribe is conscious of this heritage. He has seen no evidence that waiting periods work or that bans on semi-auto rifles achieves anything. Instant background checks sound like a good idea to him and, it seems probable that the ATF is overfunded. He interprets the Second Amendment as a guarantee of an individual right to keep and bear arms.
Note: Some judges in Texas state they believe that answering of our questionnaire would violate the Code of Judicial Conduct, so they refuse to answer it. Thus, it is interesting that any judges answered them. Our Peaceable Texan questionnaire for judges was designed by a lawyer to avoid answers that would be in violation of the Code. We therefore surmise that some judicial candidates merely use the Code as an excuse for not answering voter questions. It would be a sad commentary indeed if the judciary could not agree on what the Code of Judicial Conduct means.
REP Tom Phillips - Incumbent - He did not respond to our questionnaire. However, he apparently did respond to one from the Greater Texas Sportsman's Coalition because they have endorsed him.
DEM Andrew Jackson Kupper
- A State District Judge, Mr. Kupper responded to our questionnaire
and revealed that he is an owner of several handguns and long
guns, who has read "many" law review articles on the
history and purpose of the 2nd Amendment. He also demonstrates
a good understanding of gun control issues, by correctly noting
that more people are murdered each year with bare hands and feet
than from all the rifles in the nation. Although not endorsed
by GTSC, they did note that he is a "2nd
Amendment Advocate."
LIB David Parker - We have no specific information about this candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm freedom issues.
REP John Cornyn Justice - Incumbent - Mr. Cornyn feels that to answer our questionnaire would have been a violation of Canon 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct. He wrote, "In other words, I may not comment on issues that I may have to decide in my judicial capacity." He apparently did respond to a questionnaire from GTSC, however, because they have given him their endorsement.
DEM Patrice Barron - Attorney - As did her opponent, Ms. Barron also refused to answer our questionnaire. She wrote, "your questionnaire may not violate the letter of the Cannons [sic] as to all questions, in my opinion it violates the spirit of the law, in that the attempt is to discern my opinion on gun issues which could come before the court." She states she was endorsed by the Texas Constitutional Coalition in a previous race, but if she is unwilling to divulge information on herself, it is not clear to us on what basis such an endorsement could have been made.
LIB Thomas Stults - We have no specific information about this candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm freedom issues.
DEM Gene Kelly - Attorney - He did not send back his questionnaire, but he did send us a letter and give us his resume, which shows he has a long service record in the military, and many years experience in military justice as a prosecutor, a defender, and a judge.
REP James A. Baker - Incumbent - No response to our questionnaire, but he is endorsed by GTSC.
LIB Eileen Flume - We have no specific information about this candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm freedom issues.
REP Greg Abbott - Judge - No response to our questionnaire, but he has been ensorsed by GTSC.
LIB John B. Hawley - Mr.
Hawley is a gun owner and private practicing lawyer in Dallas.
He states he is fully aware of the purpose and intent of the right
to keep and bear arms as set forth in both the federal and our
state Constitutions, as well as the meaning of the word "militia,"
(he cited to us the state law provision off the top of his head).
He appears to be very educated on gun related legal issues.
DEM Bob Perkins - 331st Dist. Judge - A trial court Judge from Travis County, Judge Perkins would not speak with us. His staff told us "he does not want your endorsement."
REP Sue Holland - 296th Dist. Judge - she did not respond to our calls or questionnaire, but she is endorsed by GTSC.
REP Paul Womack - An assistant D.A. in Williamson County, Mr. Womack owns no guns. He has read Levinson's The Embarrassing Second Amendment article and Gary Will's recent book on the 2nd Amendment, saying he is "always impressed" with Will's writing (Note: Gary Wills is anti-gun and his book attempts to make the case that the 2nd Amendment protects no individual right). He says he believes gun control is "minimally effective."
DEM Charles Holcomb -
A Justice on the Tyler Court of Appeals, Mr. Holcomb owns a few
pistols, rifles, and several shotguns. He plans to apply for a
carry permit. He has not read any law review articles or books
on the 2d Amendment. When asked whether he thought gun control
was effective, he said, "I've been a prosecutor too long;
the bad guys will always get their guns." He is a member
of Ducks Unlimited. He is endorsed by GTSC.
DEM Frank Maloney - Incumbent - Mr. Maloney's questionnaire responses reveal that he was raised in a home with firearms and that he was trained in their use by the US Army in Korea. His answers also indicate that he is rather uninformed on gun issues; for example, he did not know the answer to our question #1. His answer to question #5 was "I doubt it." He apparently was also unaware of the US v. Lopez case, which struck down the draconian federal "Gun-Free School Zones Act." He has not applied for a permit to carry. He is endorsed by GTSC, but so is his opponent!
REP Tom Price - A Dallas
Judge, he owns a 30.06, shotguns, and pistols. He has not done
any reading on the 2d Amendment. He does not feel gun control
laws are effective. He has applied for a permit to carry, and
says that in his time as a judge, he has never seen a murder prosecution
involving a rifle or shotgun, so he feels that the ban on semi-auto
rifles is pretty useless as a practical matter. Mr. Price is rated
"A" by TSRA,
and is also endorsed by GTSC. Why GTSC
could endorse two candidates in the same race is unknown.
DEM Joe Draughn - No one in this race was on the list of candidates that we received from the Texas Secretary of State's Office shortly after the primaries, although they are listed now. As a result, we did not send either candidate a questionnaire.
REP Michael Schneider - No one in this race was on the list of candidates that we received from the Texas Secretary of State's Office shortly after the primaries, although they are so listed now. As a result, we did not send either candidate a questionnaire. However, Mr. Schneider has been endorsed by GTSC.
DEM George Ellis - Retired
Senior Judge - His responses to our questionnaire shows a man
who is informed about gun related issues. He knew the answers
to the fact questions and indicates that he believes that gun
control has been ineffective at reducing crime. He was raised
with firearms and has been trained in their safe use. He also
is exhibits a refreshing awareness of news media bias in the portrayal
of gun issues. Although not endorsed by GTSC,
they do note he is a "2nd Amendment Advocate."
REP Sam Nuchia - Attorney/Police Officer - We had no response to our questionnaire, but he did receive the GTSC's endorsement.
DEM Margaret G. Mirabal Justice - We had no response to our questionnaire.
REP Jim Gieseke Attorney - We had no response to our questionnaire, but he is endorsed by GTSC.
REP Dixon W. Holman Justice, 2nd Court of Appeals - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP William H. Brigham Justice, 2nd Ct. of Appeals - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
DEM Jimmy Carroll Chief Justice - We had no response to our questionnaire.
REP Skeet Des Champ Attorney - We had no response to our questionnaire.
DEM Phil Hardberger Justice, 4th Court of Appeals - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Frances Maloney Justice - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Will Barber Justice, Court of Appeals - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Mark Whittington Justice, Court of Appeals - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Carolyn Wright 5th Dist. Appellate Justice - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Deborah G. Hankinson Judge - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
DEM Ben Z. Grant Judge - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Terrie Livingston Justice, Place 7 - We had no response to our questionnaire.
DEM Dick Price Attorney - We had no response to our questionnaire.
REP John T. Boyd Justice, Court of Appeals - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
DEM Richard Barajas Appellate Judge - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
DEM Ronald L. Walker Justice - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
DEM Bill Vance Justice - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
IND Martin L. Peterson Attorney at Law - We had no response to our questionnaire.
REP Jim R. Wright Justice, 11th Court of Appeals - We had no response to our questionnaire.
REP Tom B. Ramey, Jr. Appellate Judge - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Robert Kern Attorney - We had no response to our questionnaire.
DEM J. Bonner Dorsey Attorney at Law - We had no response to our questionnaire.
REP Paul C. Murphy - Incumbent - We had no response to our questionnaire, but he is endorsed by GTSC
DEM Cynthia Owens Attorney - We had no response to our questionnaire.
REP Harriet O'Neill Justice - We had no response to our questionnaire, but she is endorsed by GTSC.
DEM Dalia Stokes Attorney - We had no response to our questionnaire.
Note: It may seem that gun issues are less relevant in elections for the State Board of Education than for other offices; however, the State Board of Education does play a role in textbook selection. That role was changed during the last legislative session and it is not clear now exactly what influence the SBOE will continue to have in review of textbook content. However, regardless of what role the SBOE has, we feel that any elected office carries influence and can always be used as a springboard to seek higher office. Why allow anti-gun candidates to gain a toe-hold in the political system?
REP Jose Garcia De Lara -
Architect - Incumbent. Mr. De lara returned our questionnaire
and his answers indicate a firm anti-gun stance. He supports the
Brady Law, the ban on semi-automatics, and would support limiting
the number of firearms and ammunition a person could possess.
When asked his opinion of the meaning of the 2nd Amendment, he
wrote that the "militia" now consists of the Army, Navy,
and Air Force, and that "our founding fathers did not mean
that all people had the right to bear arms for ever and ever."
This is an educator people!!!
DEM Joe J. Bernal - Retired Educator - Mr. Bernal failed to return our questionnaire and when we contacted him on the phone, he agreed to fill it out if we faxed it to him. We did so that day but never heard from him. Apparently he does not care to make his views known. We known nothing about him except he told us that he had served in the Texas legislature from 1964 - 1972.
DEM Alma A. Allen - Educator
- Incumbent. Ms. Allen returned our questionnaire promptly. Her
answers indicate a strong anti-gun position and ignorance of firearms
and firearms issues (she has never been instructed in firearms
safety). In response to a question asking for her opinion on the
intent and meaning of the 2nd Amendment, she wrote, "My father
was killed by gun shot. My brother was killed by gun shot. I hate
guns." Ms. Allen sounds like very bad news for gun owners
rights. She is noted by GTSC as a "2nd
Amendment Opponent."
REP Earl J. Ehlers - Education
Research - Mr. Ehlers spoke with us by phone and readily discussed
his views. He supports the concept of right-to-carry, repeal of
the semi-auto ban, and opposes gun registration. He described
the Brady law as an "emotional" law. He is concerned
about the government taking rights away from the people. His opinion
of the 2nd Amendment: "We have the right to bear arms."
Mr. Ehlers is aware of anti-gun attitudes in educators because
he has been substitute teaching in the Houston ISD for the past
5 years. He is endorsed by GTSC.
REP Bob Offutt - Pediatric
Dentist - Incumbent. Mr. Offutt returned our questionnaire with
answers indicating that he supports repeal of the semi-auto ban,
opposes the Brady Law (he wants an instant check system) and opposes
limitations on ownership of guns and ammo. His opinion of the
2nd Amendment: "It gives us the right to keep and bear arms."
DEM Nettie Ruth Bratton - Retired Teacher - She did not return our questionnaire. When we contacted her by phone she said that she felt our questions had nothing to do with being on the SBOE. Our volunteer asked her a few questions anyway and learned that Ms. Bratton believes the 2nd Amendment means "each person may own a gun," (stressing the word "a"). She also said we "don't need too many handguns," but said hunting rifles are fine. She has no understanding of gun issues and does not even know the difference between full and semi automatic actions. As for right-to-carry, she does not "feel comfortable" with people carrying guns and supports banning carry from parks, busses, businesses, and just about everywhere. She did, however, express the belief that citizens might need to use their guns if the government ever became tyrannical.
REP Jack Christie - Chiropractor
- Incumbent; he supports the Brady waiting period for all firearms;
voted for "Goals 2000," a federal plan that centralizes
education decision-making; he voted to appeal Maxwell Case,
(the case that held schools cannot withhold information from parents!).
He had a strong 2nd Amendment supporter as his primary opponent,
Terri Leo, who is a teacher and very knowledgeable about School
Board activities. But not enough pro-gun voters turned out for
her in the primary. For reasons we cannot understand, he was endorsed
by GTSC.
NLP - Angela Patton -
She was not listed by the Secretary of State's Office as a candidate
for this office at the time we obtained the list of candidates
from them. So she was not sent a questionnaire. However, from
what we have learned of the philosophy of her party, this party
believes in a return to the principles of our Federal Constution;
therefore, we feel she would be a supporter of the 2nd Amendment,
and anyone would be preferrable to her opponent.
REP David Bradley - Insurance/Real
Estate - He returned our questionnaire answering all questions
in a manner indicating a strong belief in our 2nd Amendment rights.
He opposes waiting periods, described the Brady Law as an "unfunded
mandate," and the ban on semi-automatics as "ineffective
useless legislation." He further wrote, "With a well-armed
citizenry, we will never see armed conflict on US soil--history
proves it--government says in check." He is endorsed by GTSC.
DEM Rema Lou Brown - Non-gainfully employed - She has "every liberal endorsement" according to our source. She did not return our questionnaire, but when interviewed on the phone she said that she did not know if the 2nd Amendment protected the right of individuals to own guns or not, and was otherwise quite vague and hard to understand. GTSC noted that she is a "2nd Amendment Opponent."
DEM Will Davis - Attorney - We know nothing of Mr. Davis because he has failed to respond to our repeated attempts to find out, including 3 mailings (one with an SASE) and one that was hand delivered to his Austin office. Perhaps we should say that since he has failed to respond, we suspect he may to anti-gun, or at the very least, he is unwilling to be honest with voters and therefore does not deserve anyone's vote.
REP Charlie Weaver
- Retired - In contrast, Mr. Weaver returned our questionnaire
twice, once for the primary and once for the general election.
His answers indicate a basic belief in gun rights although he
does support waiting periods for handguns and in unfamiliar with
some significant gun issues such as the semi-auto ban and current
proposals to ban bullets. He owns one revolver and seems like
a reasonable man; he is definitely a better choice than his opponent.
REP Richard Neill - Dentist
- Dr. Neill responded in a very pro-gun manner to almost all the
questions on our survey. He is against waiting periods for both
handguns and long guns, against laws that would limit the number
of guns a person may own, against banning ammo simply because
it can penetrate kevlar vests and supports repeal of the semi-auto
ban. Because of his responses we can definitely recommend Dr.
Neill over his opponent.
DEM Robert M. Platt - Retired
- He did not return our questionnaire but willingly answered questions
over the phone when our volunteer contacted him at his bookstore
in Fort Worth. Generally, he is uninformed on firearm issues.
He states he is for the Brady Law, and says he would support laws
that limit the number of guns and ammo that a person may own.
He wants cities to ban concealed carry in public facilities. Is
opinion of the semi-auto ban: "It's generally a good law,"
but when asked what an "assault weapon" was, he replied
"Uzis and other things," revealing that his opinion
is based on mis-information and ignorance.
LIB Brady Byrum - Muscle Therapist - Immediately described himself as "the most pro-gun candidate in America," when interviewed on the phone. He is well read on the 2nd Amendment. He believes that gun control, especially registration, is a precedent needed to confiscation of firearms, to be followed by the destruction of other freedoms. His opinion of both the Brady Law and semi-auto ban: "Totally unconstitutional."
REP Geraldine "Tincy" Miller - Business Executive - Incumbent. She has been on the SBOE for 12 years. When questioned on the phone, she readily admitted she was uninformed about gun issues and did not want to venture an opinion the Brady Law or semi-auto ban based solely on what she has read in newspapers. We found this skepticism of the news media to be an indication of an open mind and willingness to be educated. She said she was "not enthusiastic" about the right-to-carry law, but quickly added that if a woman needed to defend herself she should be able to carry a gun. She wrote on her questionnaire her belief of the 2nd Amendment: "The most vivid experience about the right to bear arms was the very moving picture . . . of the young man in Tiananmen Square . . . standing before a giant armed tank. The young man had no weapon to protect himself because he had no legal right to bear arms as an individual in China. I believe in our Constitution and the right to bear arms . . .."
DEM Barbara V. Montgomery
- Retired Teacher - she responded to our questionnaire, which
revealed that she is truly uninformed about gun issues, supports
waiting periods for all guns, wants to make dealer's licenses
harder to get, and supports the semi-auto ban. "Why would
anyone need an assault weapon?" she wrote.
NOTE: In our opinion, every incumbent can be considered as having made three anti-gun votes in the last session of the legislature. These bills were pernicious: 1) A bill that made it a crime to give your child--or any child under the age of 17--"access" to a firearm, 2) a bill that made it illegal to sell or transfer a handgun to a person subject to a protective order, and 3) a bill that makes it a felony to possess a handgun within 300 feet of any public or private school or school activity (as introduced, it would have been 1000 feet and included rifles too). These bills all passed unanimously out of committee and, except for the last one, were passed without objection from anyone on the floor of each house. Keep this in mind when casting your ballot.
DEM David Cain - Lawyer - Incumbent. No response to PT survey, and he did not return our phone calls. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Bob Reese - Businessman - No response to PT survey, and he did not return our phone calls. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Drew Nixon - CPA -
Rated "A" by TSRA.
He responded to our questionnaire and indicated he opposes waiting
periods, one-gun-a-month laws, and the semi-auto ban. Curiously,
he did not offer any response to the question on what he thinks
of the meaning of the 2nd Amendment.
DEM Jerry K. Johnson - Financial Services - No response to PT survey or phone calls.
REP Jon Lindsay - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. He is endorsed by GTSC.
REP Florence Shapiro - Business Owner/Incumbent - TSRA rating of "A," no response to PT survey phone calls.
LIB Randal Morgan - System
Support Manager - Our volutnteer wrote, "I had a most informative
phone conversation. Mr. Morgan is definitely a strong supporter
of gun owners' rights. He may be a long shot, but he is the best
gun rights man in this race."
REP Jane Nelson - Business woman - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Chris Harris - Attorney - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
DEM Mike Moncrief - Independent Oil Producer -Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
DEM Gonzalo Barrientos -
Business Person - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent,
but there was no real need to, as his anti-gun votes in the State
Senate are well known. He voted against the right-to-carry law
at every opportunity.
DEM John Whitmire - Attorney/Businessman - Incumbent. Rated A+ by TSRA, but no response to the PT questionnaire or telephone calls. He is endorsed by GTSC.
REP Tom Kelly - Rated by TSRA as a "B," no response to the PT questionnaire or telephone calls.
DEM Judith Zaffirini - Former Educator - TSRA rating of "A." When contacted by phone, a campaign worker stated that Ms. Zaffirini had not received our questionnaire, so one was re-faxed, but still we had no response. This race offers a challenger who is supportive of measures that Texans Against Gun Violence champion (an antigun group with association with HCI and Sarah Brady if you saw the Democratic Convention you have an idea for what she stands, and an Incumbent Sen. who did not respond to our survey.
REP James C. Whitworth - Accountant - No response to our questionnaire, but in a phone interview, Mr. Whitworth used arguments that indicate to us that he is not sensitive to gun owners' concerns. For example, he pointed out that gun owners had a responsibility to protect children from firearms--a common argument used to support anti-gun legislation. He also favors the semi-auto ban, and expresses concern about "cop killer" bullets (another trojan horse of the anti-gun crowd). We feel that he is the kind of candidate who is so soft on this issue that he could not be relied upon to protect your rights, even though he attempts to avoid sounding like he is anti-gun.
DEM Rick Rhodes - Business Owner -
REP Troy Fraser - President, Fraser Ind. -
REP Jeff Wentworth - Attorney/Real Estate Broker - Incumbent. Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
DEM Gregory Luna - Attorney
- Incumbent. He is rated a "D" by TSRA because of his
voting record. We would rate him an "F." He is no friend
of gun owners.
REP Andrew Longaker -
No response to our questionnaire, and listed no phone numbers
with the Secretary of State. He is not rated by TSRA. Still, we
feel that, even if he is anti-gun, a freshman anti-gunner is better
than an senior incumbent.
DEM Eddie Lucio, Jr. - Advertising Executive - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Randy Berry - This
is what our El Paso voluteer wrote about Mr.Berry: He is a CHL
holder. However, he is cautious about opening the law up for positive
changes, for fear of negative changes which might also be made.
Other than that, he seems pretty good. He says that Shapliegh,
his opponent, got so upset with the questions being asked at El
Paso Coalition of Sportsmen's candidate debate last March, that
Shapleigh got up and walked out. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Eliot Shapleigh - Attorney - Mr. Shapliegh failed to return our questionnaire even after he requested we fax it to him, (which we attempted 5 times, but his fax would never answer). He also failed to respond to our calls from two volunteers, except he did leave a message on a phone answering machine with one volunteer, and made a broad, general statement that he supports the right to own firearms. He is not rated by TSRA.
NOTE: In our opinion, every incumbent can be considered as having made three anti-gun votes in the last session of the legislature. These bills were pernicious: 1) A bill that made it a crime to give your child--or any child under the age of 17--"access" to a firearm, 2) a bill that made it illegal to sell or transfer a handgun to a person subject to a protective order, and 3) a bill that makes it a felony to possess a handgun within 300 feet of any public or private school or school activity (as introduced, it would have been 1000 feet and included rifles too). These bills all passed unanimously out of committee and, except for the last one, were passed without objection from anyone on the floor of each house. Keep this in mind when casting your ballot in November.
DEM Barry B. Telford - Businessman - No response to our questionnaire or telephone calls. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
REP George Lavender - Businessman - No response to our questionnaire or telephone calls. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Tom Ramsay - Real Estate Broker - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM L.P. (Pete) Patterson - Farmer, Rancher, Real Estate - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Betty Brown - Homemaker
- TSRA rating of "A." She gave very favorable responses
on our questionnaire. For example, she exhibited a real understanding
of the concept of the right to keep and bear arms when she wrote,
"It is evident from a study of our country's history that
our founding fathers saw a need to guarantee citizens the right
to keep and bear arms. Militias were formed in response to a threat
to lives and property. The arms that they bore were those already
in their possession not ones issued by the government."
DEM Keith Oakley - Incumbent - No response to our questionnaire or telpehone calls. However, we know of Mr. Oakley from his chairmanship of the House Committee on Public Safety, which considered all of the gun related bills in the last legislature. Although he supported the right to carry bill, he did waffle on that support at times, and it took a barrage of calls from his constituents to get him back on track. He also voted for the three anti-gun bills mentioned above. We think his support of your gun rights is only skin deep. He is rated "A+" by TSRA, which we think is another example of TSRA trying to "stay on the good side" of an incumbent.
DEM Bob D. Glaze - Chiropractor/Rancher - With a TSRA rating of "A+" we feel this is another case of TSRA over-rating an incumbent solely because he is an incumbent. During our discussion, Rep. Glaze appeared overly concerned with firearm accidents and what can be done, legislatively, to reduce them. Of course, legislative attempts to mandate safety almost always means jail time for gun owners with such schemes as trigger lock laws, gun bans, waiting periods, etc., none of which has ever been shown to have any impact on accidental shootings. He also believes we need more "safe guards" in our new right-to-carry law. We would rate him a B+ at the highest.
REP Dan Flynn - Financial
Consultant/Rancher - TSRA rating of "A." He scores well
with us on our survey, on which he wrote, "I believe that
the Second Amendment guarantees all Americans the sacred right
to Keep and Bear Arms . I will oppose any legislation that infringes
upon that right."
REP Ted Kamel - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Tommy Merritt - Corporate President - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Gene Barron - Retired
- No response to our questionnaire or phone calls. However, he
is rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Paul Sadler - Attorney
- Incumbent. He is, in our opinoin, over-rated a "C"
by TSRA. He voted
against the right-to-carry law. Our volunteer noted that Mr. Sadler
was "agitated" in phone conversation, and stated that
the right-to-carry law was a stupid piece of legislation. He refused
to say whether he supported the Brady Act for the reason that
it was a federal piece of legislation. This is no excuse to evade
the question just because it is "federal" issue, which
it is not, since the Texas Legislature voted to expand Brady to
include persons subject to a protective order. Rights must be
defended at all levels. Rep. Sadler seems to prefer the ideas
of Sarah Brady, who uses the phraseology of "responsibility"
and "reasonableness," to legislate away your your rights
as a gun owner.
DEM Judy McDonald - Health Care - Ms. McDonald did not respond to our questionnaire. When contacted by phone by our volunteer, she was non-responsive. She suggested we discuss legislation with her after the session begins! She is not rated by TSRA.
REP Wayne Christian - Investor - He did not respond to our questionnaire or phone call.
REP Jim Pitts - Attorney - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Doug Lowe - Attorney - He says he supports the concealed carry law. He also expresses support for the Brady Law and the ban on semi-automatics. He is not rated by TSRA.
REP Todd Staples - Real Estate Appraiser - He did not respond to our questionnaire or phone calls but is rated "A+" by TSRA.
REP Greg Orr - Self-employed - He supports the concealed carry law, but wants increased training requirements. He has no big problem with the Brady Law. He does not support the semi-auto ban, and says he believes that the 2nd Amendment protects both an individual and a state right. Rated "A" by TSRA. It is not clear if Mr. Orr is still on the ballot, as his name no longer appears on the most recent list from the Secretary of State. The republican candidate is now listed as Jerry Moon, about whom we have no information.
DEM Clyde Alexander - Incumbent Rancher, Businessman - He did not respond to our questionnaire or phone calls. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
DEM Dan Kubiak - Real Estate, Ranching, Consultant - He supports the concealed carry law. He does not support the Brady Law. He does support the ban on semi-automatics "with modifications." He believes the 2nd Amendment protects individual right [How he can say this while supporting the semi-auto ban?]. In our opinion, he is over-rated as an "A+" by TSRA.
REP James T. Hartley -
Network Specialist - He supports the concealed carry law. He does
not believe the Brady Law works, citing problems with implementation.
He does not support the semi-auto ban, and says he believes 2nd
protects an individual right. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Steve Ogden - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Peter B. Plotts -
Businessman/Farmer - He supports the concealed carry law, but
wants greater traning requirements. He is unsure about Brady,
but supports an instant check system. He does not support the
semi-auto ban. He believes the 2nd supports an individual right.
An NRA member. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Thomas "Tommy" Williams - Insurance & Financial Services - He did not respond to our questionnaire. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Bob Rabuck - Incumbent - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Billy Clemons - Public
Transit Director - He supports the concealed carry law. He does
not support the Brady Law or the semi-auto ban. He believes the
2nd Amendment protects both individual and states rights. Rated
"A" by TSRA.
DEM Jim McReynolds - Petroleum Landman - He initially opposed the concealed carry law, but now says he is reconsidering. He initially opposed the Brady Law, but not anymore. He does not believe the "assault weapons ban" does much one way or another. He Believes the 2nd supports an individual right. He is an NRA member, and his answers show he is thoughtful about gun issues. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Allen Ross Hightower Jr. - Incumbent - He did not respond to our questionnaire. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
REP Richard S. Ohendalski - Accountant - He did not respond to our questionnaire. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Ron E. Lewis - Insurance Management - He did not respond to our questionnaire. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
REP Jeff VanFleet - Self Employed - He did not respond to our questionnaire. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Kent Batman - Business Owner - Rated "A-" by TSRA. He did not respond to our questionnaire.
DEM Zeb Zbranek - Incumbent Attorney - Rated "A+" by TSRA. He did not respond to our questionnaire.
DEM Mark W. Stiles - Businessman - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
DEM Al Price - Incumbnet - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "D" by TSRA.
DEM Patricia Gray - Incument Lawyer - Rated "D" by TSRA. She did not respond to our questionnaire.
REP Dave Norman - Rated
"A" by TSRA.
He did not respond to our questionnaire.
DEM Craig Eiland - Attorney - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM David S. Miller -
Real Estate Sales - Mr. Miller not only answered our questionnaire
but sent along a resume and data from his web page. He believes
local government should have control over local gun carrying,
[which would create a nightmare for citizens travelling from city
to city]. He supports mandatory waiting periods for both ALL guns.
His comment was: "A law-abiding citizen would not mind a
waiting period". On the kevlar vest question his comment
was: "In The Public Interest, Government should be allowed
to ban any weapon/system/bullet." It does not get any better…
"There are limits to "How Many" and "what
kind" of guns--and ammunition--that a citizen could use"
- "I oppose repeal of the "Assault Weapons Ban,"
I do not believe that such weapons should be in civilian hands.
What do law-abiding citizens need such firepower for? We have
police and military to protect us in that manner." His answer
to question number 10 about the intent and meaning of the 2nd
Amendment was equally frightening. He is over-rated as a "C"
by TSRA.
REP Dennis Bonnen
- He did not respond to our questionnaire. I spoke to his father
and faxed another questionnaire. No response as of late August.
He has a web page but there is no mention of the gun issue there.
He is a lifelong resident of Brazoria county. Rated "A"
by TSRA.
REP Charlie Howard - Incumbent - Not surveyed because we believed this candidate would have no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
NLP Diane Prather - We were unaware this candidate was on the ballot because she was not on the Secretary of State's list. Like a lot of third party candidates who qualify by petition (instead of paying the $2,500.00 fee), she was not approved to be on the ballot until his petitions were verified, which occurred after we obtained the list from the Secretary of State. As a result, she was not included in our survey. From what little we know of this Party's philosophy, though, she would call herself a "constitutionalist."
DEM Dora Olivo - Attorney - No response from this candidate. Someone in this district please tell us about her. Not rated by TSRA.
REP Bobby E. Mills - Mr.
Mills responded to our questionnaire. He does not appear knowledgeable
about guns or gun issues. He has not been around firearms and
supports mandatory waiting periods. He does NOT support repeal
of the Brady Law. His statement to explain his position was: "I
do not believe that a civilized technological society would license
private citizens to own such weapons. Handguns & shotguns
for private protection, yes. Assault weapons, no." And his
answer to number 10, the intent and meaning of the Second Amendment:
"An organized military for national defense. We have the
right to protect our (homes) private property, but not carry weapons
on our person(s) in the streets. In my opinion the carrying of
handguns in a civilized society is unacceptable." 'nuff said?
No rating from TSRA.
DEM Robert L. (Robby) Cook - Farmer - Mr. Cook did not respond to our questionnaire. He returned my call but I was out. I called back and got his fax number and faxed him another copy of the questionnaire, but I did not hear from him again. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Chip Rayburn - Insurance
Adjuster - He answered our questionnaire and shows to be a knowledgeable
about firearms. He was raised in a home with firearms present
and has applied for his CHL. His answer to number 6, about banning
bullets that can pierce kevlar vests was "No" with this
comment: "I favor the strict and certain punishment of those
who attempt to kill or injure a law enforcement officer using
Any type of weapon." He does not support mandatory waiting
periods, supports repeal of the Assault Weapons Ban, and his answer
to question 10, on the intent and meaning of the Second Amendment:
"I believe that the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
clearly guarantees the right of an individual to keep and bear
arms. As a State Representative, I will vote against any piece
of legislation that in any way infringes upon that right…"
Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM D.R. (Tom) Uher - Attorney - Mr. Uher did not answer the questionnaire and when asked why he stated that it is his policy not to respond to special interest groups in this manner. He stated that he felt that surveys such as ours "break the spirit of the law" (Huh?). Mr. Uher was brought up on a farm, has experience with firearms and is an avid hunter. He voted for the right-to-carry bill the second time around after it was "tightened up". He stated that he has reservations about conceal carry and trusting people to use common sense and safety. He mentioned family violence and the "angry husband" fear. Mr. Uher says that he supports the Second Amendment rights to bear arms. We spoke for some time concerning this issue. My feeling is that Mr. Uher wants to protect us from ourselves. He and his friends are responsible people but he is not sure about the rest of us. Rated "B" by TSRA.
REP Donna Coleman - She
did not answer the original questionnaire but did respond after
I called and faxed her a new copy. She was raised in a home where
firearms were present and plans to apply for her CHL. On question
6, concerning banning bullets that could pierce kevlar vests she
answered: "We should not limit the law abiding citizen because
of criminals." She does not support mandatory waiting periods,
"quick computer check for known felons." She opposes
the 1994 semi-auto ban, stating that "this is a state issue,
not federal and most assault weapons, if used in a crime, are
illegally obtained anyway." Her answer to the intent and
meaning of the Second Amendment: "Our founding father's understood
the need for a free society that could defend itself. We have
been given this freedom through the 2nd Amendment." Rated
"A" by TSRA.
REP Steve Holzheauser - Ranch/Real Estate - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Judy Hawley - Incumbent - She responded to questionnaire and our volunteer's call with a letter stating that "it is my policy not to respond to questionnaires of this nature" on the grounds that what she might say could later be taken out of context and used against her. Ms. Hawley did vote for the right-to-carry law, however, which probably explains her "A" rating from TSRA.
REP Jim Gaines - Engineer - No response to questionnaire or to phone calls, but rated "B+" by TSRA.
DEM Pat M. Eisenhauer - Insurance - No response. A second copy of our questionnaire was faxed to him also. Rated "C" by TSRA.
REP Gene Seaman - Property
Manager - No response to our questionnaire but was quite receptive
to my call. At his request I faxed him a copy and he asked to
respond to the questions with me on the phone. Mr. Seaman lives
in Corpus Christi and is a property manager. He stated that he
fully supports the Second Amendment and that it is "what
our nation is all about." He feels that firearms laws should
be standard throughout the state and favors preventing local governmental
units from banning concealed carrying of handguns in parks, busses
and other public facilities. He was raised on a farm and had firearms
as a kid. In answer to question 4, "Have you ever been instructed
in firearms safety," he laughed and said that he was in the
military and assembled and disassembled M1's many times. He has
not applied for a CHL. He does not support the government banning
ammunition because of its ability to penetrate medium grade kevlar
vests. He does support waiting periods for handguns but not for
long guns. He would definitely NOT support the limiting or licensing
the number of firearms or amount of ammunition an individual may
possess. As to the repeal of the 1994 ban on semi-automatics he
stated that he honestly did not know because he is not familiar
with the details of the legislation. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Vilma Luna - Attorney - Incumbent. Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "C" by TSRA.
DEM Hugo Berlanga - Vice President of Marketing - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "F" by TSRA.
DEM Irma Rangel - Attorney - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "D" by TSRA.
DEM Kino Flores - Manager - No response to PT questionnaire or follow-up calls. No rating from TSRA.
REP Kathleen Holton -
Director, Resource Development - No response to PT questionnaire
or follow-up calls. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Rene O. Oliveira - Attorney at Law - No response to PT questionnaire or follow-up calls. A second copy of questionnaire was faxed also. Rated "D" by TSRA.
REP Philip Thomas Cowen
- No response to PT questionnaire or follow-up calls. A second
copy was faxed also. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Jim Solis - Attorney - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. He is rated "F" by TSRA.
DEM Miguel Wise - Attorney - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. He is not rated by TSRA.
REP Emilio D. Santos -
No response to PT questionnaire or follow-up calls. A second copy
of the questionnaire was faxed also. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa - Attorney - No response to PT questionnaire or follow-up calls. A second copy of the questionnaire was faxed also. Not rated by TSRA.
DEM Roberto Gutierrez - Petroleum Products Distributor - No response to our original questionnaire, but Mr. Gutierrez spoke to me on the phone. He said that he did not answer the questionnaire because he had some concerns with some of the questions and felt they were designed to "pin him down." He voted for the right-to-carry law and explained it to me this way: "I was against it. My family and friends were very much against it. But, I asked my constituents to call my office and let me know how they felt. I received 120 calls FOR conceal carry and only 40 AGAINST. So, I voted for it." He definitely does NOT support the repeal of the semi-auto ban. Rated "A" by TSRA, probably solely because he voted for the right-to-carry law.
REP Javier Perez - No response to our questionnaire. No rating from TSRA. If you know something about this candidate, please let us know.
DEM Henry Cuellar - Attorney/Businessman - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "C+" by TSRA.
DEM Tracy O. King - Hearing Aid Specialist - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Richard Raymond - Consultant - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent. Rated "A-" by TSRA.
REP Edmund Kuempel - Salesman - (incumbent) Home city, Seguin. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, Chairman of the State Recreational Resources Committee. Prior to entering politics he was a salesman for Structural Metals Inc. He holds a BA degree from Texas Lutheran. Born November 29, 1942. Rated as " A+" by Texas State Rifle Association. He did not respond to Peaceable Texan's Questionnaire.
LIB Bill Utterback - Bookstore
Manager - Mr. Utterback, as do most candidates of his party, demonstrates
a thorough understanding and commitment to the 2nd Amendment.
He states unequivocally that he would oppose gun and ammunition
bans. His questionnaire responses also show he is well read on
the history and meaning of the 2nd Amendment, even citing the
Supreme Court case of US v. Miller at one point. We know
is an activist in the firearms freedom struggle from the help
he gave during the 1994 fight over Clinton's Crime Bill, and suspect
the reason he ran for office is because of the gun rights issue.
He would certainly be an advocate of your rights. Because he is
a libertarian candidate, he is not rated by TSRA.
DEM Alec Rhodes - Businessman - (incumbent) Home city Dripping Springs. Elected to the House of representatives in 1994, legislative Committee assignments include: Business and Industry, Rules and Resolutions, State, Federal & International Relations. Other experience: U.S. Navy 1963-68, President owner Martinez Office Supply 1986-89, Instructor Austin Community College 1979-85. Education: AB University of North Carolina, Economics 1963, MBA, Emory University 1968. Born March 25, 1942. Rated an "A" by Texas State Rifle Association. He replied to Peaceable Texan questionnaire with a letter citing his policy of not responding to questionnaires, which we find to be a poor attitude for an elected official. However, we have learned from a pro-gun voter in his district that Mr. Rhodes voted for the Right-to-Carry legislation last session, and that he has been endorsed by NRA.
REP Ken Fleuriet - Executive - Home city, San Marcos. Past experience: State Representative House District 38, 1991-93. Education: BA, University of Pennsylvania 1989, MA Boston University, 1995. Born December 29, 1968. Rated as "A" by the Texas State Rifle Association, in addition Mr. Fleuriet responded to Vote-Smart's NPAT questionnaire where he indicates he favors a repeal of all bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from obtaining firearms, and supports law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms. He did not respond to Peaceable Texans' Questionnaire.
Dem. - John Lindell - Retired Human Services Administrator - he said he supports the ban on semi-automatics and that gun control is not an important issue to him. Rated "C" by TSRA.
Rep. - Terry Keel
- Mr. Keel has avoided giving us any sort of information on his
opinions on firearms issues during his entire candidacy. We are
understandably disappointed that he refuses to divulge his stands
on issues of importance to gun owners. Nonetheless, we feel he
is the best bet in this race. He is rated "A" by TSRA.
NLP John Stern - We were unaware this candidate was on the ballot because he was not on the Secretary of State's list. Like a lot of third party candidates who qualify by petition (instead of paying the $2,500.00 fee), he was not approved to be on the ballot until his petitions were verified, which occurred after we obtained the list from the Secretary of State. As a result, he was not included in our survey.
DEM Sherri Greenberg - Incumbent
- You can do no worse than this lady. She is not only a rabid
gun hater, she is an active gun hater. She fought the right to
carry bill tooth and nail in the last session, and she has vowed
to introduce legislation to repeal the right-to-carry law in the
coming session. She is always on hand for the anti-gun press conferences.
She is also a member of the board of advisors for Texans Against
Gun Violence, the HCI organization here in Texas. Unfortunately,
she won her primary contest, and she has no opponent in the general
election! So expect to see her face on the news next session singing
the praises of her latest gun control bill.
Dem. - Elliot Naishtat -
Incumbent. Mr. Naistat is about as anti-gun as they get. He has
always supported anti-gun bills and opposed pro-gun bills in the
legislature, and has made appearances at anti-gun press conferences;
he is also an advisory board member of Texans Against Gun Violence,
the anti-gun group that recently formed in Austin.
Rep. - Gustav Emil Blomquist
- While Mr. Blomquist is not exactly a strong advocate for gun
rights, he definitely is not the gun-hater that Mr. Naishtat is.
Blomquist tells he is "Pro-Gun," and he did come to
one of our meetings to meet with us personally, tell us his views,
and enlist our support.
DEM Dawnna Dukes - Incumbent
- Like most of the Austin delegation in the legislature, Ms. Dukes
is positively hostile to your firearms rights. Unfortunately,
she has no opponent in the general election.
Dem. - Glen Maxey - Incumbent,
and extremely anti-gun. He has worked closely with Sherri Greenberg
and is also an advisor to the anti-gun organization called Texans
Against Gun Violence. The Texas Monthly labeled him as
the worst legislator in the 1993 session (for reasons unrelated
to gun control).
Rep. - Davis Blakely - Mr. Blakely refuses to take any position on issues with the argument that he will do "whatever his constituents want." This is not leadership, this is following the crowd.
NLP Dan Wolf - We were
unaware this candidate was on the ballot because he was not on
the Secretary of State's
list. Like a lot of third party candidates who qualify by petition
(instead of paying the $2,500.00 fee), he was not approved to
be on the ballot until his petitions were verified, which occurred
after we obtained the list from the Secretary of State. As a result,
he was not included in our survey. Considering the views of his
opponents though, he would be the best candidate on gun issues,
since Natural Law Party candidates are essentially "constitutionalists."
DEM Jerry Graham - Retired - Home city, Georgetown. Retired, no other data available. Rated as "B" by the Texas State Rifle Association, responded to Vote-Smart's NPAT questionnaire by indicating he supported the ban on semi-automatics, and supports all current state registration procedures and restrictions on possessing firearms. However he supports the right-to-carry law. He did not respond to Peaceable Texan's questionnaire.
REP Mike Krusee - (incumbent)
Home city, Round Rock. Elected to Texas House in 1994. Legislative
Committee assignments: Human services, Land & resource management,
Rules and Resolutions. Born February 26, 1959. Rated as "A+"
by the Texas State Rifle Association.
Did not respond to Peaceable Texan Questionnaire.
REP Harvey Hilderbran
- Businessman - (incumbent) Home city, Kerrville. Elected Texas
House 1994, Committee assignments: Human services chair, Land
and resource management. BA, Texas Tech. Born February 9, 1960.
Rated "A+" by the Texas State Rifle Association.
He called us instead of sending in questionnaire; it is apparent
that he is a man with pro-gun views; he almost voted against the
right-to-carry law because it was too restrictive when he got
calls from his constituents complaining of the bill; he looks
forward to making it a better law; he obviously is conscious and
knowledgeable of the provisions of the state and federal constitutions
(unlike too many politicians) and believes the 2nd Amendment is
a individual right. He was raised with guns as a child and plans
to get his CCW license. He does, however, support instant background
checks, although he is opposed to waiting periods.
DEM Jim Franklin - Retired - Home city, Burnet. Retired, no other data available. Rated as "C" by the Texas State Rifle Association. He responded to Vote Smart's NPAT questionnaire by indicating he desired to ease state procedures and restrictions on the purchase and registration of a firearm, and supports the right-to-carry. Did not respond to the Peaceable Texan questionnaire.
REP Suzanna Gratia Hupp
- Doctor of Chiropractic - This woman has done more to help Americans
regain the right to arm and defend themselves than almost any
other single person. She is the woman whose parents were shot
and killed in front of her at the Luby's massacre in Killeen.
She usually broke the law and carried a gun, but that day she
had not because she was worried about losing her license to practice
medicine if she were caught. She has testified before Congress
and many state legislatures around the country about her experience
and about how she could have stopped the massacre and saved her
parents had she only been allowed to be armed.
DEM Layton Black - Rancher - Incumbent. Mr. Black has apparently withdrawn from the race, as his name no longer appears on the Secretary of State's list of candidates.
DEM Dick Miller - Because he was not listed as a candidate at the time our survey went out, we have no information about his views. He apparently has not responded to TSRA's survey either, since he has no rating from them.
REP Dianne White Delisi - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
REP Kip Averitt - Self Employed - Not surveyed because candidate has no opponent.
DEM Jim Dunnam - Attorney - - Rated "B" by TSRA. He did not respond to our questionnaire
REP Barbara Rusling - - Rated "A" by TSRA. She did not respond to our questionnaire
REP Arlene Wohlegemuth - Incumbent Flight Instructor - Rated "A+" by TSRA. He did not respond to our questionnaire.
DEM Bernard Erickson - Dentist - Rated "A" by TSRA. He did not respond to our questionnaire.
DEM Allen Place - Incumbent - Rated "A+" by TSRA. He did not respond to our questionnaire.
REP Becky Farrar - Rancher - Rated "A" by TSRA. She did not respond to our questionnaire.
NLP P.C. Wisdom Hanes - We were unaware this candidate was on the ballot because he was not on the Secretary of State's list. Like a lot of third party candidates who qualify by petition (instead of paying the $2,500.00 fee), he was not approved to be on the ballot until his petitions were verified, which occurred after we obtained the list from the Secretary of State. As a result, he was not included in our survey.
REP Jim Keffer - Sales
- Home city, Eastland. No other data available. Rated "A"
by the Texas State Rifle Association.
Responded to the NPAT questionnaire by indicating support to repeal
all bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from
obtaining firearms, and supports the right-to-carry concept.
DEM John R. Cook - Attorney/Ranching - (incumbent) Home city, Breckenridge. Elected Texas House 1994, Committee assignments: Juvenile Justice & Family Issues, Vice-chairman Appropriations. BBA/JD University Texas. Born June 27, 1944. Rated as "A+" by the Texas State Rifle Association. Did not respond to the Peaceable Texan Questionnaire.
REP Ric Williamson - Self-Employed - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Roger Sanders - Attorney - Home city, Sherman. Not rated by TSRA. He did not respond to Peaceable Texans' Questionnaire either.
REP Ron Clark - Attorney
- Home city, Sherman. Rated an "A" by TSRA.
Mr. Clark did take the time to respond to the Peaceable Texan
questionnaire and took the opportunity to expand on the questions
asked. He indicates some knowledge of firearms and the 2nd Amendment.
He supports repeal of the semi-auto ban, and does not support
the Brady Law. He would not support efforts by local governments
to place restrictions on the carrying of handguns in parks and
on busses, but considers limitations appropriate for areas such
as courtrooms, council chambers, and jails where prisoners are
present. Responses appear to be very pro-gun, but he did indicate
that the ability of a bullet to penetrate medium grade kevlar
vests should be used as a basis for the government to ban that
bullet. A member of the NRA.
REP Mary Denny - Incumbent - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Jim Horn - Incumbent - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
REP Burt Solomons - Incumbent - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
REP Brian McCall - Incumbent - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "C" by TSRA.
REP Jerry Madden - Incumbent - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Charles Finnell - Incumbent Small Businessman - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM John Hirschi - Incumbent - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "C" by TSRA.
REP Scott McLaughlin - Rancher - Home city, Big Springs. Education: BBA, University of Texas at Austin, (accounting) 1976. Rated an "A" by the Texas State Rifle Association. He responded to the NPAT questionnaire by indicating support for the right-to-carry concept. He did not respond to Peaceable Texans' questionnaire.
DEM David Counts - Real Estate, Insurance - (incumbent). Home city, Knox City. First elected to the Texas House in 1988. Legislative Committee assignments: Natural Resources chair, Insurance, energy council, Legislative oversight for workers compensation. Born July 14, 1936, education: West Texas, and North Texas State, U.S. Command and General Staff College. Rated "A+" by the TSRA. He replied to the Peaceable Texans questionnaire by letter citing his policy not to respond to questionnaires!
REP Bob Hunter - Incumbent - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Robert Junell - Incumbent Attorney - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Robert (Bob) Turner - Incumbent Rancher/Farmer - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
DEM Pete P. Gallego - Incumbent Attorney - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "B" by TSRA.
REP James Barnett - Mr.
Barnett spoke with us by phone. He does not seem to be a fervent
pro-gun person, but at least he is a realist. He is an NRA member,
but he feels that no changes should be made to the right-to-carry
law until we have some more time to see what effects it has. He
himself does not have a license yet, though he says he has considered
it, but simply hasn't had the time, which is understandable, considering
the paperwork involved. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Gilberto Serna - Incumbent - No response to our PT questionnaire or our volunteer's telephone call. Rated "F" by TSRA.
DEM Norma Chavez - Business Manager, NCN Texaco - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Paul C. Moreno - Attorney - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "F" by TSRA.
REP Pat Haggerty - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Joe C. Pickett - Instructor - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "D" by TSRA.
REP Gary L. Walker - Consultant - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP G. E. "Buddy" West - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Tom Craddick - Businessman - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Delwin Jones - He was not sent a questionnaire because we believed he was running unopposed. He is Rated "C" by TSRA. The Secretary of State lists him running as a republican, while TSRA shows he is running as a democrat. Perhaps he is one of the many politicians who switched parties after the 1994 elections?
LIB Brad Clardy - We were
unaware this candidate was on the ballot because he was not on
the Secretary of State's
list. Like a lot of third party candidates who qualify by petition
(instead of paying the $2,500.00 fee), he was not approved to
be on the ballot until his petitions were verified, which occurred
after we obtained the list from the Secretary of State. Being
a libertarian, he is a safe bet on firearm issues.
REP Robert L. Duncan - Mr. Duncan has apparently withdrawn from the race, as his name no longer appears on the Secretary of State's list of candidates. He was originally listed with no opponent. Please write to us if you know about the candidates in this race.
REP Carl H. Isett - No information available. Please write to us if you know about the candidates in this race.
DEM Don R. Richards - No information available. Please write to us if you know about the candidates in this race.
REP Hollis Cain - Rancher - Home city, Springlake. Did not respond to the Peaceable Texans questionnaire. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM James E. "Pete" Laney - Farmer - Home city, Hale Center. Currently, Speaker of the House, Born March 20, 1943, Education: BS, Texas Tech. Rated an "A+" by the Texas State Rifle Association. Did not respond to the Peaceable Texans questionnaire.
REP John Smithee - Attorney - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP David Swinford - Agribusiness - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Warren Chisum - Oil & Gas Producer - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Homer Dear - Incumbent - Rated "A+" by TSRA. He did not return our questionnaire.
REP Sue Palmer - Rated "A" by TSRA. She did not return our questionnaire.
DEM Lon Burnam - Self Employed - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Not rated by TSRA.
REP Bill G. Carter - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A+" by TSRA. Mr. Carter was a big help in getting the right-to-carry law passed in the 74th Session.
REP Todd Smith - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Toby Goodman - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A-" by TSRA.
REP Kent Grusendorf - Rated "A+" by TSRA. Because the Secretary of State's Office listed no opponent for Mr. Grusendorf when we obtained their list shortly after the primaries, he was not sent a questionnaire.
NLP David A. Offutt - We were unaware this candidate was on the ballot because he was not on the Secretary of State's list. Like a lot of third party candidates who qualify by petition (instead of paying the $2,500.00 fee), he was not approved to be on the ballot until his petitions were verified, which occurred after we obtained the list from the Secretary of State.
DEM Glenn Lewis - Attorney - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "D" by TSRA.
REP Kenneth "Kim" Brimer - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Anna Mowery - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A+" by TSRA.
REP Nancy Moffat - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Ken Marchant - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
LIB Mike Neder - Grounds
Supervisor - We have no specific information about this candidate,
but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on
firearm freedom issues.
DEM Terri Hodge - Retired - Terri seems unfamiliar with all gun-related issues. Terri's view on the Second Amendment is of extreme concern to us because he wrote, "The right to bear arms to protect and defend does not give me or anyone else the open right to kill. I agree with the Amendment, but I expect people to be sensible." This indicates to me a complete misunderstanding of the Second Amendment, and an implication that Pro-RKBA advocates want to "kill." Not rated by TSRA.
REP Joe Granado - Did not respond to our questionnaire. He likewise did not respond to TSRA's and is not rated by them.
REP Elvira Reyna - Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Tony Goolsby - Rated "B" by TSRA.
DEM Steve Wolens - Attorney - Rated "D" by TSRA. He did not respond to our questionnaire.
REP Monty O. Weddell -
A perfect 10! Mr. Weddell knows that more crimes are committed
with bare hands & feet than "assault rifles." He
does not believe that local authorities should be able to prevent
law abiding citizens from carrying a concealed weapon on public
property, and has owned a firearm since age 12. In response to
the question about repeal of the 1994 federal ban on semi-automatics,
Mr. Weddell stated, "The right to bear arms is and should
continue to be supported as a basic Constitutional RIGHT!!!"
[emphasis his]. Rated "C-" by TSRA.
DEM Domingo Garcia - Attorney - Mr. Garcia seems very "wishy-washy" on the area of Second Amendment issues. He has applied for a permit to carry a handgun, was raised with guns, and has been formally trained in firearm safety. He does, however, believe in banning bullets based on their ability to penetrate medium grade kevlar vests and supports the Brady Law. He further indicates support for the 1994 semi-auto ban stating, "you don't need assault weapons to hunt. These weapons are used by gang members and terrorists." He obviously has bought that line from the major media, since the fact is that more people are murdered each year with bare hands and feet than with all the rifles in the nation. Rated "B" by TSRA.
IND Jack W. Borninski - Consultant - Did not respond to our questionnaire.
DEM Dale Tillery - Attorney - Rated "A+" by TSRA. Did not respond to our questionnaire.
REP Richard Stokley - Rated "A" by TSRA. Did not respond to our questionnaire.
DEM J. David Gutierrez - Chemist - Not rated by TSRA; he apparently did not respond to their questionnaire.
REP Ray Allen - Rated "A+" by TSRA.
LIB Steven May - Self-Employed
- We have no specific information about this candidate, but a
Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm
freedom issues.
REP Ernest Leonard - Not rated by TSRA; he apparently did not respond to their survey.
DEM Harryette B. Ehrhardt - Teacher - Rated "D" by TSRA.
LIB Clifton M. Murphy - Retired - We have no specific information about this candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm freedom issues.
REP Carolyn Galloway - Curiously, this entire race is not covered by TSRA. At the time we sent out our questionnaires, the only persons on the ballot for this race were the incumbent, John Carona, and Mr. Murphy. Mr. Corona resigned to run in a special election for an unexpired term in State Senate District 16 with the backing of TSRA. Therefore, Ms. Galloway was not sent a questionnaire and we have no information on her. If you do, please share it with us.
DEM Phil Bird - Curiously, this entire race is not covered by TSRA. At the time we sent out our questionnaires, the only persons on the ballot for this race were the incumbent, John Carona, and Mr. Murphy. Mr. Corona resigned to run in a special election for an unexpired term in State Senate District 16 with the backing of TSRA. Therefore, Mr. Bird was not sent a questionnaire and we have no information on him. If you do, please share it with us.
DEM Helen Giddings - Small Business Owner - Rated "D" by TSRA.
DEM Jesse W. Jones - College Professor - Rated "D" by TSRA.
LIB Howard B. Bridges,
Jr. - Businessman - We have no specific information about this
candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe
bet on firearm freedom issues.
DEM Yvonne Davis - Consultant - - Rated "D" by TSRA.
REP Fred Hill - Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Joe Driver - - Rated "A" by TSRA.
LIB Matthew Trotter - Film Producer - We have no specific information about this candidate, but a Libertarian candidate is virtually always a safe bet on firearm freedom issues.
REP Will Hartnett - - Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Leticia Van de Putte - Pharmacist - - Rated "A-" by TSRA.
DEM Leo Alvarado, Jr. - Incumbent Attorney - Rated "F" by TSRA.
REP Donald D. Varella
- - Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM John Amos Longoria - Incumbent Attorney - Rated "D" by TSRA.
DEM Ciro D. Rodriguez - Educator - Rated "A-" by TSRA.
DEM Robert Puente Incumbent Attorney - Rated "D" by TSRA.
DEM Karyne Jones Conley - Incumbent - Rated "D" by TSRA.
IND Emma Thompson-Warren -
DEM Bette Graham White - TV Producer - No rating from TSRA.
REP Bill Siebert - Incumbent - Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP John H. Shields - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Frank J. Corte, Jr. - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Christine Hernandez - Consultant - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. Rated "D" by TSRA.
REP David J. Kirk - Rated
"A" by TSRA.
DEM Arthur "Art" Reyna - Attorney - TSRA rates him with a "?" because he did not respond to their survey.
REP Peggy Hamric - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. She has been endorsed by GTSC. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Joe Crabb - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. She has been endorsed by GTSC. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Fred M. Bosse Attorney - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. He has been endorsed by GTSC. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP Mike Jackson - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. He has been endorsed by GTSC. Rated "A" by TSRA.
REP John Culberson - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. He has been endorsed by GTSC. Rated "A" by TSRA.
DEM Ron Wilson - Lawyer - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. He has been endorsed by GTSC. He is rated "A+" by TSRA.
DEM Scott Hochberg - Technical Consultant - Not interviewed because Peaceable Texans relied upon GTSC for information on Houston area candidates. He is rated "D" by TSRA.
REP Ken Zimmern - Endorsed by GTSC. He has no rating from TSRA.
REP Joe Nixon - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. He has been endorsed by GTSC.
REP Kyle Janek - M.D. - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. He has been endorsed by GTSC.
REP Gary Elkins - Not interviewed because this candidate has no opponent. He has been endorsed by GTSC.
LIB Gary William Moore - Geologist - Not interviewed because Peaceable Texans relied upon GTSC for information on Houston area candidates, but being a libertarian candidate, we feel they are always a safe bet on firearms issues.
REP Beverly Woolley - Endorsed by GTSC. This endorsement is probably the result of the fact that she is the incumbent. She is rated "A+" by TSRA.
REP Chris LaRue - Endorsed
by GTSC.
DEM Debra Danburg - Incumbent
- She is on the Advisory Board of the Houston Chapter of Texans
Against Gun Violence, the HCI anti-gun organization for Texas.
GTSC notes that she is a "2nd Amendment Opponent."
DEM Ken Yarbrough - Incumbent - Endorsed by GTSC. This endorsement is probably the result of the fact that he is the incumbent.
REP Dwayne Bohac - Not endorsed by GTSC, but they do note that he is a "2nd Amendment Advocate."
DEM Sylvester Turner - Incumbent
Attorney - Noted by GTSC as a "2nd Amendment Opponent."
He has no opponent in this year's election. He is rated a "D"
by TSRA.
DEM Kevin Bailey - Incumbent College Teacher - Rated "A" by TSRA; he is also endorsed by GTSC. We would point out that Mr. Bailey is the vice-chairman of the House Public Safety Committee, and he supported the 3 anti-gun bills we mention above; indeed, he seemed quite hostile to our concerns during testimony against those bills. His rating from TSRA is due, we feel, solely to TSRA's desire to "stay on the good side" of incumbents if they voted for the right-to-carry law during the 74th Session.
DEM Senfronia Thompson - Attorney - Endorsed by GTSC.
DEM Harold V. Dutton, Jr.
- Incumbent - Noted by GTSC as a "2nd Amendment Opponent."
He has no opponent in this year's election. He is rated an "F"
by TSRA.
DEM Gerard Torres - Incumbent
- He is rated "D" by TSRA
and GTSC notes that he is a "2nd Amendment Opponent."
REP David McCullough -
Endorsed by GTSC.
DEM Brooks T. Harrison - Student - Not interviewed because Peaceable Texans relied upon GTSC for information on Houston area candidates, and they did not give any information about Mr. Harrison.
LIB Clifford Lee Messina - Distributor - Not interviewed because Peaceable Texans relied upon GTSC for information on Houston area candidates, and they did not give any information about Mr. Messina, and TSRA does not rate libertarian candidates.
REP Robert E. Talton - Incumbent - Endorsed by GTSC. He is rated "A+" by TSRA.
DEM Diana Davila - Incumbent
- Rated an "F" by TSRA,
GTSC notes that she is a "2nd Amendment Opponent."
REP Michael Bunch - Rated
"A" by TSRA;
he is also endorsed by GTSC.
REP David Lee Fuson -
Rated "A" by TSRA.
He was not interviewed by us because we relied upon GTSC
for information on Houston area candidates.
DEM Al Edwards - Real Estate
- He is rated "D" by TSRA, a rating we feel should be
an "F." Therefore, we cannot understand why he would
have received the endorsement of GTSC.
DEM Garnet F. Coleman - Business Consultant. Rated "C" by TSRA. She was not interviewed because she has no opponent.
DEM Jessica Farrar - Incumbent
- She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Houston Chapter
of Texans Against Gun Violence, the HCI anti-gun organization
for Texas. GTSC states that she is a "2nd Amendment Opponent."
She is rated "D" by TSRA; we feel she should be an "F."
REP Talmadge L. Heflin - Rated an "A" by TSRA; he is endorsed by GTSC as well.
NLP Bob Schneider - Not interviewed because Peaceable Texans relied upon GTSC for information on Houston area candidates, and they did not give any information about Mr. Scheider. TSRA does not rate Natural Law Party candidates.
REP Paul J. Hilbert - Rated "A" by TSRA; he has also received the GTSC endorsement.