- indicates
a known anti-gun candidate
This document contains all Democratic Primary Candidates for Congressional,
State-wide, and appellate court races, organized by district.
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.
Max Sandlin
Occupation: U.S. Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Jim Turner
Occupation: U.S. Congressman
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Ralph M. Hall
Occupation: U. S. Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: 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. He is Rated A+ by
TSRA, and GOA's stricter standards land him a B.
William A. Foster,
III
Occupation: Education/Business
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Foster ran for this seat in
1996. He dodged us that year, as neither our volunteer nor NRA
was able to get any kind of response out of him. This is
usually a pretty good sign that the candidate is anti-gun. Even
so, with an opponent of the likes of Pete Sessions (the incumbent),
there is really no choice anyway, as Mr. Sessions is a proven
friend of gun owners. The only reason we recommend Mr. Foster
in this primary race, is because we know for a fact that Mr. Morales
is bad.
Victor M. Morales
Occupation: Teacher
Incumbent? N
Analysis: In his bid for Senator in 1996,
he failed to respond to our mailed questionnaire and a
phone call to his campaign. However, he did reveal his views on
gun control in reponse to the press, in which he is quoted 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 March primary that year, his language got a little 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 from the Austin-American
Statesman).
Ben B. Boothe
Occupation: President, Ben B. Boothe & Assocs.
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Our volunteer noted: "Repeated
phone calls; got only a recording; no calls returned. I left a
message to call in a fax number to my answering machine."
We do not recommend voting for people who refuse to share information
about themselves.
Nick Lampson
Occupation: U.S. Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Lampson failed to respond
to our 1996 questionnaire (and to NRA's). When our volunteer called
Mr. Lampson to try to interview him, Mr. Lampson asked what the
purpose was, and 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 faxed one over,
but it was never returned. 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). From all this it is
apparent that Mr. Lampson does not wish to be known as anti-gun,
and would like to keep that fact a secret from his constituents.
GOA rates him a D."
Lloyd Doggett
Occupation: U.S. Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Doggett has been and will continue
to be a thorn in the sides of gun owners. It is a shame that he
is running unopposed this year. 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.
Chet Edwards
Occupation: U.S. Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Edwards did more than
most to help pass the ban on semi-automatics in the House of Representatives
back in May of 1994. Not only did he vote for the ban both in
1991 and 1994, but during the debate on the House floor he convinced
other Representatives to vote for the ban by making a point of
the fact that he had voted for a similar gun ban in 1991 and that
he was re-elected by a wide margin in 1992. He stated that if
the pro-gun vote could not harm him in a conservative Texas district,
then his colleages had little to worry about. Considering that
the bill passed by only one vote, his speech probably made the
difference. And boy did he mislead his friends, as the democrats
lost over 20 seats that year because of the gun ban they passed
into law. Unfortunately, he has no opponent this year, so he gets
a pass…
Tom Hall
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Mark Harmon
Occupation: Associate Professor
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Ed True
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Margaret Dunn
Occupation: Professor/Director
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Since we so strongly endorse
the incumbent, Ron Paul, for this race, we will not pretend to
be objective by trying to summarize the positions of his opponents.
Please understand that most candidates do not respond to questionnaires,
and we usually must have a volunteer expend his own money to call
and pester candidates to try to get them on record about their
views. We have limited numbers of volunteers and limited resources,
and we felt that it would be a waste of these resources to attempt
to interview all of the candidates in this race, when we already
know one of them so well.
Roger M. Elliott
Occupation: Candidate for Public Office <--[these are his words, not ours!]
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Since we so strongly endorse
the incumbent, Ron Paul, for this race, we will not pretend to
be objective by trying to summarize the positions of his opponents.
Please understand that most candidates do not respond to questionnaires,
and we usually must have a volunteer expend his own money to call
and pester candidates to try to get them on record about their
views. We have limited numbers of volunteers and limited resources,
and we felt that it would be a waste of these resources to attempt
to interview all of the candidates in this race, when we already
know one of them so well.
Tom Reed
Occupation: Auto Dealer
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Since we so strongly endorse
the incumbent, Ron Paul, for this race, we will not pretend to
be objective by trying to summarize the positions of his opponents.
Please understand that most candidates do not respond to questionnaires,
and we usually must have a volunteer expend his own money to call
and pester candidates to try to get them on record about their
views. We have limited numbers of volunteers and limited resources,
and we felt that it would be a waste of these resources to attempt
to interview all of the candidates in this race, when we already
know one of them so well.
Loy Sneary
Occupation: Farmer/Rancher
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Since we so strongly endorse
the incumbent, Ron Paul, for this race, we will not pretend to
be objective by trying to summarize the positions of his opponents.
Please understand that most candidates do not respond to questionnaires,
and we usually must have a volunteer expend his own money to call
and pester candidates to try to get them on record about their
views. We have limited numbers of volunteers and limited resources,
and we felt that it would be a waste of these resources to attempt
to interview all of the candidates in this race, when we already
know one of them so well.
Ruben Hinojosa
Occupation: U.S. Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Silvestre Reyes
Occupation: Tex 16th Dist U.S. Representat
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Charlie Stenholm
Occupation: Farmer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Sheila Jackson Lee
Occupation: Attorney - U.S. Congresswoman
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Sidney Blankenship
Occupation: Animal Welfare
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Steve Walker
Occupation: Teacher
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Maria Antonietta Berriozabal
Occupation:
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Armando Falcon
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Richard Garcia
Occupation: Physician and Surgeon
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Charlie Gonzalez
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Christine Hernandez
Occupation: State Legislator
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Walter Martinez
Occupation: Businessman
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Hill Kemp
Occupation: Management Consultant
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Allen Rindfuss
Occupation: Teacher
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Rindfuss did not respond to
our questionaire mailed Feb. 23rd. Our volunteer noted,
"Sources say as of two weeks before the primary, no campaign
has been seen." In 1996 we had similar a experience. He did
not respond to our questionnaire that year, but when we called
and spoke with his father, we learned from him that his son Allen
owns no guns and is opposed to an instantaneous background check
unless it is financed by gun owners; otherwise, he would keep
the current waiting period in effect.
Joseph P. (Joe) Sullivan
Occupation: College Professor
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Our volunteer was unable to contact
anyone at the phone number that Mr. Sullivan listed with the Elections
Division of the Secretary of State; he wrote, "Have tried
to phone on three occasions 9:45 a.m. Feb. 23rd, 6
p.m. on Mar. 6th, and 2 p.m. on Mar. 9th.
Phone just rings." He failed to respond to our questionnaire
or phone call in 1996 as well. We do not recommend voting for
people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Charlie Urbina Jones
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: His campaign is being run through
his law office; have been told that the person running the campaign
is busy and will call back. No response. He ran for this same
seat in 1996, but never returned our questionnaire that year.
In 1996, we were able to talk to a staff worker at his
campaign, who 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 or TSRA that year. We do not recommend
voting for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Martin Frost
Occupation: Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: 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 rated him 40% supporter in the last election. TSRA
listed him with a B- in 1996, which we feel is way off the mark.
We note that HCI gives
him good marks.
Ken Bentsen
Occupation: Member of Congress
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: In 1996 Mr. 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.
It is apparent to us that Bentsen is not interested in communicating
his position on Second Amendment issues to concerned constituents
because those constituents would not like what they hear. Based
on his voting record, Ken Bentsen has earned the following approval
ratings this year from civil liberties organizations: TSRA
F, GOA F, and NRA F. While he was not around when the Brady Bill
and semi-auto bans were voted on, his votes in 1995 (on the Chenoweth
& Istook amendments) show he is not sensitive to gun
owners concerns.
Solomon P. Ortiz
Occupation: U.S. Representative, 27th
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Ortiz has been a rather solid
Pro-gun supporter in all major gun votes in the past. He voted
against the Istook and Chenoweth amendments in 1995; however,
which to suggests that Mr. Ortiz has a good voting record on the
major bills, but not very good on the bills that only incidentally
affect your gun rights, like the Istook and Chenoweth amendments.
This explains why TSRA rated him an A+ in 1996, while GOA's tougher
standards garner him only a C.
Ciro D. Rodriguez
Occupation: Educator
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Rodriguez was sworn into office
in April, 1997, hence a scant record. He was elected in a special
election held to fill the vacancy left by Frank Tejeda,
who was a strong pro-gun representative, but who had to resign
due to cancer. It is unfortunate to see him replaced by someone
that seems to want to hide his views. I was
unable to get past his staff to speak with him. I mailed a survey
to him. I did research his congressional roll call record. He
appears to be aligning himself with big government types and liberals.
His background is with public (government) schools, take that
for what it is worth.
Oscar H. Flores
Occupation: Van Operator/US Army (Retired)
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Oscar should prove to be a strong
ally for us Second Amendment enthusiasts. I spoke with Mr. Flores
at length and found his comments to be candid and encouraging.
He has a military background (Army NCO) and is probably more familiar
with gun issues than most. He even answered our survey over the
phone!!! I found his response to concealed carry interesting:
"law abiding citizen should not need a government approved
class to carry, criminals don't." Vote for OSCAR FLORES!
Lauro A. Bustamante
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Gene Green
Occupation: Attorney, Business Mgr.
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Occupation: Member of Congress
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: She is the poster child for the
gun haters. The sycophants at Handgun Control Inc.
have annointed her with their most favorable rating. Her Congressional
record is easily accessible from the usual sources. Unable to
get past her staff, where is that liberal open-mindedness and
compassion?
Garry Mauro
Occupation: Texas Land Commissioner
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
John Sharp
Occupation: Real Estate Broker
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
NOTE: In case you don't think the Attorney General
race is important to protecting your gun rights, please remember
that Bill Clinton launched his political career as Arkansas Attorney
General.
Occupation: Judge
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Overstreet has served on
the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals since 1990. When our volunteer
called Judge Overstreet's office to ask if he would respond to
our survey, we were told by an aide that Judge Overstreet would
deinitely not be responding. He did not respond to the GOA survey
either. We are aware of an anti-gun ruling by Judge Overstreet
in a 1995 case (Moosani v. State of Texas)
in which the defendant appealed his conviction for unlawful carrying
of a firearm--he had carried a pistol to and from his residence
and the convenience store where he worked as a manager. In this
narrow 4-1-4 decision, Overstreet concurred in the conviction
of the man who should have had every right to take a gun from
home to work. Read the opinion for yourself, especially Judge
Baird's blistering dissent.
Gene Kelly
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Kelly does not appear
to be a serious candidate. He doesn't even have access to a fax
machine and was the only AG candidate not to participate in a
radio debate broadcast by KUT on Feb. 27. When our volunteer called
Mr. Kelly, he said he would send a resume but would not respond
to the survey. We asked if he would share his views on gun rights
over the phone. Mr. Kelly responded that he had 30 years experience
in the military and knew a lot about guns. The volunteer persisted,
saying that what we needed were his views on citizens' right to
keep and bear arms. At this point, Kelly stated he did not want
to respond, said good-bye and immediately hung up! Kelly ended
up returning the survey along with a brief bio, after all, but
answered only two questions (he has received safety training in
the military and he gave a resounding "no" to the fully-informed-jury
question). Mr. Kelly wrote that he preferred to address the issues
"if and when they arise in office." We recommend him
because it may force the other two in this race into a costly,
damaging run-off election before the November general election.
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Mattox has served as Attorney General before, has been in US Congress and the Texas legislature. With his long public record, we wish he were more forthcoming with his views. He has tried valiantly to refrain from giving straight answers. He returned neither our survey nor the GOA survey. When our volunteer called his office asking his position on gun control, we were told that the AG position was one of upholding the law, not making law. An aide described Mattox as a "good Populist Democrat" concerned with "citizen's freedom issues." This volunteer was finally allowed to talk with Gary Horton, Mattox's campaign manager. Horton began fast-talking about what a big hunter Mattox was, how he had been raised with firearms and had hunted with his dad, etc. When asked, Horton finally said that he "thought" Mattox was in favor of the Right-to-Carry Law adding that he (Horton) was applying for a carry permit and Mattox was aware of that and approved--at least for his campaign manager! Horton persisted in chatting about his own views, even asking the volunteer if she could recommend an instructor for the CHL course. It was hard to keep the conversation on track and I felt we was being snowed. Finally, we asked Horton if he could furnish us with a statement from Mattox as to his position on gun rights. Horton replied he would try to do this and call us back. He never has.
When interviewed during the 1994 elections, a spokesman for Mattox
told Peaceable Texans that Mattox opposed the repeal of the semi-auto
(a.k.a. "assault weapons") ban. On his web page, Mattox
proudly displays photos of his family posing with Bill and Hillary
Clinton. Our conclusion: even though he owns guns, hunts and apparently
tolerates "Right-to-Carry", it is apparent that Mattox
would not defend your gun rights, and probably would assist in
destroying them.
Paul Hobby
Occupation: Businessman
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Richard Raymond
Occupation: State Representative
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Ernesto L. De Leon
Occupation: AG Consultant/Agri Export-Imp
Incumbent? N
Analysis: When our volunteer called
and left a message, Mr. De Leon was considerate enough to return
the call. He indicated he would not fill out the survey because
he was swamped with surveys and it was all too overwhelming. We
then asked him how he felt about gun rights and he replied that
people had the right to own guns. When asked about Texas' Concealed
Weapons Law, Mr. De Leon said that he didn't know anything about
it. When we explained briefly what the law was, De Leon said that
he did not want to give an opinion since he was not a lawyer and
reiterated that he didn't know anything about this law. At this
point, our volunteer thanked Mr. De Leon for his time (he seemed
most anxious to get off the phone).
Occupation: Farmer/ Rancher
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Patterson, State Representative
from District 3, returned our survey promptly, answering most
questions in a pro-gun manner. His less favorable answers indicate
an ignorance of some gun issues. His favoragble responses show
that he does not support waiting periods or licensing, does support
the repeal of the "assault weapons" ban, and favors
Vermont-style carry legislation. Mr. Patterson also responded
to the GOA (Gun Owners of America) survey, answering every question
in a pro-gun manner. Mr. Patterson is rated "A" by TSRA
(Texas State Rifle Association).
Gary Dugger
Occupation: Realtor
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Joe B. Henderson
Occupation: Attorney/Businessman
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Rene Nunez
Occupation: Real Estate
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Mary Helen Berlanga
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Simon O. Calvillo
Occupation: Former Teacher/Salesman
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Jose E. Esparza (Sparky)
Occupation: Teacher
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Charlotte H. Coffelt
Occupation: Retired Educator
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mrs. Coffelt has not returned at
least two messages that our volunteer left on her machine. We
do not recommend voting for people who refuse to share information
about themselves.
Mary Delk
Occupation: Teacher
Incumbent? N
Analysis: From conversation with her, it appears
Ms. Delk has a limited awareness of gun rights issues, and had
"no comment" on the issues raised by our volunteer.
She was faxed our survey to school where she works at her request,
but has not returned it.
Rosie M. Collins Sorrells
Occupation: Retired Education Consultant
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Allan Butcher
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
David Bernsen
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Mary M. Moore
Occupation: CPA
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Mario V. Gallegos, Jr.
Occupation: State Senator
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Edward Wesley
Occupation: Attorney/Businessman
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Wesley was telephoned
and asked his position on gun ownership. He stated that he has
a CCW permit. He also said that his family has been victimized
by an armed robbery and that he definitely supports the 2nd amendment
and gun ownership, including handguns. However, he said that he
has some concerns about certain types of weapon ownership, and
voiced disapproval of "assault" rifle ownership. He
responded to the GOA survey, answering that: he does not support
gun rationing, does want to keep the government involved in handgun
ownership, does not support guns on college campuses, and did
not answer questions on local ordinances about CCW and manufacturer
liability. The main and last point is that he opposes 'Vermont-style'
legislation. Enough said.
Rodney Ellis
Occupation: Investment Banker, Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Ronnie Ellen Harrison
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Ms. Harrison was telephoned
and a receptionist said to send the survey. A letter, with the
questionnaire enclosed, was sent requesting her stance on the
second amendment and gun control issues. She has not responded
to the letter.
Ken Armbrister
Occupation: St. Senator/ Businessman
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Frank Madla
Occupation: Legislator/Educator
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Carlos F. Truan
Occupation: Insurance Agent
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Royce West
Occupation: Lawyer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Greg Underwood
Occupation: Attorney & Small Businessman
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Barry B. Telford
Occupation: Businessman
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Tom Ramsay
Occupation: Realtor
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
B. D. Blount
Occupation: Plumbing Work
Incumbent? N
Analysis: This candidate has strong, but mixed,
opinions about gun-related issues. He says that the Second Amendment
protects INDIVIDUAL rights to arms. He believes that the semi-automatic
(a/k/a "assault weapons") ban should be repealed and
that those who commit violent acts should be punished more harshly.
However, he believes in waiting periods for firearms purchases
because of the benefits of a "cooling-off period." He
does not favor "no-license" weapons carry because he
likes the required training, but he favors reducing the "no-carry"
places in the current Texas law. He feels that if a person is
trained and licensed, that person should be able to carry essentially
anywhere. Summary: Could be better, could be worse.
Mark Homer
Occupation: Sonic Drive In Franchisee
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Homer did not respond to our
volunteer's interview requests.
Bruce Wood
Occupation: School Superintendent (Ret)
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Wood states that he has a
policy against filling out questionnaires. He did not fill one
out for Peaceable Texans or GOA. Mr. Wood has worked as a bus
driver, teacher, school administrator (Terrell I.S.D.) and police
officer. He does state that he is a hunter and owns two rifles
and two shotguns. (A former police officer who does not own a
handgun?)
Bob Glaze
Occupation: Chiropractor
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Did not respond to our survey by
mail and would not respond to repeated phone calls. I did get
information from his opponent Dan Flynn. Bob is one guy that we
most definitely want to get voted out of office. Bob has tried
at every turn to fight against the Right-to-Carry Law and to restrict
Texan's handgun carry rights. He has voted at least twelve times
against us, everything from voting to force concealed carry licensees
to get $250,000 of liability insurance to trying to kill the Right-to-Carry
bill altogether. BAD GUY!!!!
Paul Sadler
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: TSRA rated C in 1996; our volunteer
did not contact him for the primary election because he had no
opposition; we hope to be able to change this by November.
Colin Strother
Occupation: Rancher
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Did not respond to GOA poll. Our
volunteer did not contact him because he had no primary opponent;
we hope to add information by November.
Clyde Alexander
Occupation: Rancher, Businessman
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Dan Kubiak
Occupation: Builder/Consultant/Rancher
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Larry R. Hickman
Occupation: Floral Grower
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Jim McReynolds
Occupation: State Representative/Petroleum
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Dan Ellis
Occupation: Office Manager
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
John Gaines
Occupation: Assistant District Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Ron E. Lewis
Occupation: Insurance Consulting
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Scot Doyen
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Doyen claims to be for
the concealed carry law and says he has a permit. His campaign
manager states that he is against the ban on semi-automatics and
would vote to repeal it. This is in direct contradiction with
what he told Gun Owners of America. According to them, he is in
favor of the ban and also would support a ban on all semi-automatic
weapons and high capacity magazines. He also opposes easing requirements
for concealed carry licenses. He has not returned our questionaire
and should not be considered gun owner friendly.
Zeb D. Zbranek
Occupation: Attorney, Petroleum Engineer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Zbranek is rated A+ by
the Texas State Rifle Association; however, he did not answer
the questions on the Gun Owners of America survey, and our volunteer
was unable to contact him either.
Allan B. Ritter
Occupation: Retail - owner/manager
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Ritter is for the concealed
carry law and has his own permit to carry. While he says he has
no opinion on the "assault rifle" ban, he is an avid
hunter and was raised around firearms. He feels there should be
gun proficiency and safety classes on the public school levels.
His PTFFR questionaire was not returned by deadline time.
Al Price
Occupation: Captain AAL Retired
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Patricia Gray
Occupation: Lawyer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Ms. Gray is rated D by the
Texas State Rifle Association. She did not return her Gun Owners
of America survey and should not for these reasons be considered
a friend to the gun owner. She did not return our volunteer's
phone call either.
Craig Eiland
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Eiland is rated A by
the Texas Rifle Association, (probably because he is an incumbent
and voted for the Right-to-Carry law). He did not return the Gun
Owner's of America survey or phone calls from our volunteer.
Dora Olivo
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Robert L. 'Robby' Cook
Occupation: Farmer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Rep. Cook did not want to answer
specific questions but was willing to discuss the gun-rights issue
generally. Our interviewer got the impression that he is on our
side more than against us. He believes in the INDIVIDUAL right
to arms. He voted for the 1997 CHL law improvements (he was not
in the legislature in 1995). He would like to get a CHL, but hasn't
had time to complete the training.
D.R. 'Tom' Uher
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Rep. Uher is generally pro-gun rights,
seeing the Second Amendment as protecting an INDIVIDUAL's rights,
and favoring state pre-emption (no local restrictive laws). He
opposes waiting periods and the assault-weapons ban. He's undecided
about Vermont-style "no-license" carry and restrictions
on penetrating bullets, saying that any legislation would have
to be very carefully drawn so as not to prohibit ordinary hunting
rifle ammunition. He voted for the 1995 CHL law and the 1997 improvements.
Jim Wyatt
Occupation: Materials Manager
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Wyatt did not respond to our
volunteer's interview requests.
Vernon Reaser
Occupation: Realtor
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Reaser declined to answer specific
questions from our interviewer, saying that he wasn't familiar
with the Peaceable Texans group. [Should that matter? -Ed.] He
did state that he was "100% behind gun rights."
Judy Hawley
Occupation: State Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Vilma Luna
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Luna did not return our survey or GOA's survey. She had a "C' rating in 1996 from the TSRA. Luna's office was contacted and a survey sent to her office on 2/16/98.
Jaime L. Capelo, Jr.
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: I contacted Capelo's law
office on a couple of occasions and have not been able to talk
to him. Unable to get a fax number from his office, I could not
send a survey. No GOA survey from Capelo either. Not a good sign.
Irma Rangel
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Kino Flores
Occupation: Manager
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Rene O. Oliveira
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Rep. Oliveira's office was
contacted and a survey sent to him on 2/20/98. Oliveira has not
returned our survey or the GOA survey. He has a 1996 "D"
rating from the TSRA.
Mike Rodriguez
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Rodriguez was contacted and
a survey was sent to him on 2/18/98. Rodriguez has not returned
our survey. And there are no GOA results for Rodriguez.
Jim Solis
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Miguel Wise
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Roberto Gutierrez
Occupation: Petroleum Products Distributor
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Henry Cuellar
Occupation: Attorney/Businessman
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Tracy O. King
Occupation: Hearing Aid Specialist
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Juan Antonio 'Tony' Garcia
Occupation: Retired
Incumbent? N
Analysis: We have no survey results
for Garcia. He also failed to return a GOA survey. Messages were
left with Garcia on two separate occasions and he failed to return
calls.
Alberto T. Martinez
Occupation: Farm/Rancher, School Board Member
Incumbent? N
Analysis: I was unable to get
in contact with Martinez. However, GOA did and, the results,
while not impressive, show that he would be the best choice of
his Democratic opponents. On the GOA questionnaire Martinez answered
yes to supporting a "Vermont style" law while at the
same time saying he would not support legislation that would eliminate
government mandated training. Sounds like Martinez needs to be
educated on the issues.
Ignacio Salinas
Occupation: Educator
Incumbent? N
Analysis: We have no survey results
for Salinas. He also did not return a GOA survey. Salinas is/or
was a registered lobbyist for the Texas State Teachers Association.
He listed his occupation as educator. I tried to contact Salinas
at the Texas State Teachers Association and was unable to get
in contact with him.
Alec Rhodes
Occupation: Businessman
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Rhodes replied to my letter
but refused to answer our survey, "My policy is to not respond
to any standard surveys. More often than not, surveys seek simple
answers to complex questions." I did try to call his office
but was given a run-around. Sounds to me as if he would rather
not give us an honest answer.
Sherri Greenberg
Occupation: Finance
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: If this woman had her way, you'd
be in jail for wanting to own guns.
Elliott Naishtat
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Naishtat will be working hard
to destroy your gun rights next session unless you replace him.
Dawnna Dukes
Occupation: Consultant
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Ms. Dukes has voted with the Austin
delegation of liberal democrats for gun control at every opportunity.
Glen Maxey
Occupation: Political Consultant
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: We know Mr. Maxey very well, and
you should too. He has voted against gun rights and for gun control
at every opportunity in his years as a legislator from East Travis
County (Austin); for example, he sponsored an "assault rifle"
ban for Texas several years back when it was a hot new item with
the news media. So, it is not surprising that our volunteer wrote
about Mr. Maxey: "He did not respond to our survey by mail
and would not respond to repeated phone calls."
Don Armstrong
Occupation: Ranching
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Armstrong did not respond to
our survey by mail and would not respond to repeated phone calls.
James McCutcheon
Occupation: College Student
Incumbent? N
Analysis: We put this race on our "no
brainer" list because Mr. McCutcheon has chosen to run against
one of the most determined pro-gun advocates in the legislature,
Ms. Susanna Gratia Hupp.
Raul G. Villaronga
Occupation: U.S. Army (Retired)
Incumbent? N
Analysis: We put this race on our "no
brainer" list because Mr. Villaronga has chosen to run against
one of the most determined pro-gun advocates in the legislature,
Ms. Susanna Gratia Hupp.
Charles Rothrock
Occupation: Firefighter/EMT-P
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Rothrock did not respond to
our survey by mail and would not respond to repeated phone calls.
We do not recommend voting for people who refuse to share
information about themselves.
Jim Dunnam
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Gayle Appleby Ledbetter
Occupation: Homemaker
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
W. Leon Smith
Occupation: Newspaper Publisher
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
David Lengefeld
Occupation: Insurance Agent
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Bob Melton
Occupation: Economic Dev. Consultant
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Brenda Brown Rotramble
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Sam J. Thorpe
Occupation: Insurance Agent
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Thorpe did not respond to our
survey or phone calls. Many people believe that finiding out where
a candidate stands is just a simple matter of asking. Not So.
We routinely find it to be very difficult to get candidates to
take a stand. This candidate is one of them. It is incredible
that these people can ask for your vote, but refuse to tell you
anything about themselves. This is what our volunteer wrote about
Mr. Thorpe: "On February 11 I sent all the candidates a copy
of the survey with a self addressed, stamped envelope and a cover
letter that provided my phone number and a 24 hour, toll free,
voice mail phone number so that they could contact me if they
had any questions or comments. None of the mailings were 'returned
to sender' (so I am sure that they were received). On February
23 I was calling the candidates to be sure that they had received
the survey. Each candidate was called at least twice and was provided
with the same phone numbers and a request for a time and place
that I could call them back." We do not recommend
voting for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Kenneth Bridges
Occupation: Student
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Bridges is no supporter of
gun rights. While he, like many politicians nowadays, says he
supports Second Amendemnt rights. He said, "The second amendment
provides that the people have the right to defend themselves and
their communities from without and within through the use of firearms
if necessary." Yet, he would NOT support legislation to repeal
the semi-auto ban, or to prevent local governments from banning
the carrying of concealed weapons, and DOES support mandatory
waiting periods, such as the Brady Law for handguns. He also believes
that the ability of a bullet to penetrate a kevlar vest should
determine whether or not the government should ban it.
His closing comments were, "The people clearly have the right
to defend themselves but criminals must not have guns. We must
protect ourselves from crime without diluting our most cherished
rights. As a state representative, I will be a staunch defender
of freedom and safe communities."
He went on to say, "I believe existing statutes are adequate
and do not believe tightening restrictions further would be effective
in deterring crime." Which I would interpret that he thinks
the existing restrictions HAVE deterred crime and presumable he
would support further restrictions if he believed that they would
deter future crime.
He just doesn't get it.
Occupation: Small-Businessman
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Finnell did not respond to our
survey or phone calls. He apparently does not respond to any surveys,
as our volunteer wrote, "Did not respond to any surveys I
was able to locate on the web. There is no evidence that he has
authored or supported any pro gun legislation. His voting record
was not available. Finnell is not endorsed by the NRA, GOA and
did not participate in the NPAT or GOA surveys. He was rated "A"
by TSRA in the 1996 election.
David Farabee
Occupation: Insurance Agent
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Like all too many candidates for
public office, Mr. Farabee did not respond to our questionnaire.
David Counts
Occupation: Real Estate, Insurance
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Like all too many candidates for
public office, Mr. Farabee did not respond to our questionnaire.
Robert Junell
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Our volunteer called and faxed a
questionnaire to Mr. Junell's office. It has not been returned.
Robert R. (Bob) Turner
Occupation: Rancher/Farmer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Like all too many candidates for
public office, Mr. Turner did not respond to our questionnaire.
Pete P. Gallego
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Gilberto Serna
Occupation: Self Employed
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Like all too many candidates for
public office, Mr. Serna did not respond to our questionnaire.
Woodrow W. Bean III
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Like all too many candidates for
public office, Mr. Bean did not respond to our questionnaire.
Manny Najera
Occupation: Retired
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Like all too many candidates for
public office, Mr. Najera did not respond to our questionnaire.
Norma Chavez
Occupation: NCN Texaco, Bus. Manager
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Paul C. Moreno
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
John Cook
Occupation: Marketing Consultant
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Did not respond to GOA poll. Our
volunteer did not contact him because he had no primary opponent;
we hope to add information by November.
Joe C. Pickett
Occupation: State Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
James E. 'Pete' Laney
Occupation: Farmer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Speaker of the House. 1996 TSRA
rating of A+ because he has helped with concealed carry and other
firearms freedom fights. Did not respond to 1998 GOA poll.
S.L. "Serg" De Leon
Occupation: Legal Assistant
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Did not reply to GOA's 1998 survey.
Our volunteer did not contact him because he had no primary
opponent; we hope to add information by November.
Lon Burnam
Occupation: Self-employed
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Glenn Lewis
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Gene Mitchell
Occupation: Writer
Incumbent? N
Analysis: According to GOA, Mr. Engel
filled out the GOA survey and answered Yes to all questions. He
was telephoned by a PTVG volunteer and there was no answer. A
letter was sent with the PTVG questionnaire enclosed. He has not
responded to the letter.
Joe Granado
Occupation: Self employed
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Terri Hodge
Occupation: Retired - Southwestern Bell
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Steve Wolens
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Domingo Garcia
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Maria E Gomez
Occupation: Housewife
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Dale Tillery
Occupation: Lawyer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
John J. Lopez
Occupation: Student
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
David Gutierrez
Occupation: Teacher
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Harryette Ehrhardt
Occupation: Teacher - Retired
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Helen Giddings
Occupation: Small Business Owner
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Jesse W. Jones
Occupation: College Professor
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Yvonne Davis
Occupation: Business Owner
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Leticia Van de Putte
Occupation: Pharmacist
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Leo Alvarado, Jr
Occupation: Attorney-at-Law
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
John Amos Longoria
Occupation: Attorney at Law
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Sylvia Ruiz-Mendelsohn
Occupation: Small Business
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Carlos "Charlie" Uresti
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Robert Puente
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Ruth Jones McClendon
Occupation: State Representative
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Robert Ashton Herrera
Occupation: Production Controller
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Rolando R. Rocha
Occupation: Investment Broker
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Juan F. Solis III
Occupation: Director of Patient Svcs. Opti
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Arthur "Art" Reyna
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Fred M. Bosse
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Rick O'Sullivan
Occupation: Law Clerk/Property Manager
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Alma A. Allen
Occupation: School Administrator Houston
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Ron Wilson
Occupation: Lawyer
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Scott Hochberg
Occupation: Technical Consultant
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Mike Laster
Occupation: Attorney At Law
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Debra Danburg
Occupation: State Rep/ Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Ken Yarbrough
Occupation: Exec. Director/Editor
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Sylvester Turner
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Kevin Bailey
Occupation: College Teacher/Consultant
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Senfronia Thompson
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Leroy Chevalier
Occupation: Attorney, NFISD School
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Harold V. Dutton, Jr.
Occupation: State Representative/Atty
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Gerard Torres
Occupation: Marketing
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Mark (M.T.) Sandoval
Occupation: Businessman
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Jamie H. Bray
Occupation: CEO of Electric Security Firm
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
John Ray Harrison
Occupation: Retired
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Ben Mendez
Occupation: Educator
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Rick Noriega
Occupation: Senior State Relations Special
Incumbent? N
Analysis:
Al Edwards
Occupation: Real Estate
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Garnet F. Coleman
Occupation: Banking/Marketing
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Jessica Farrar
Occupation: Architect Intern
Incumbent? Y
Analysis:
Jerry Scarbrough
Occupation: Lawyer
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Scarbrough did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Mike Westergren
Occupation: Attorney/Judge
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Westergren did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Rose Spector
Occupation: Judge
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Ms. Spector did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
David Van Os
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Van Os did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Charles F. (Charlie) Baird
Occupation: Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Judge Baird is the incumbent and
has proven to be a reliable jurist who is intellectually honest.
In an important case on the right of Texans to carry handguns,
the Court of Criminal Appeals (the highest criminal court in Texas)
narrowly sustained a conviction of a man who was carrying a handgun
in his car from home to work. Judge Baird wrote an excellent and
blistering dissent in that case, which is Moosani v. State.
He is one of the few jurists that we know his opinion on the Second Amendment
because he has written on the subject in a decided court case.
There is no reason to replace a man of Mr. Baird's caliber.
Winston Cochran
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Chochran did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
William J. Cornelius
Occupation: State Judge
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Cornelius did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
George Ellis
Occupation: Retired Senior Judge
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Ellis responded to our judicial
questionnaire and his responses indicate that he is knowledgeable
on firearms issues (e.g., he answered question #1
correctly). He grew up with firearms, and to question #7
he answered, "No. People who want to commit a crime with
a gun will find a way to obtain one."
Bob Roller
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Roller did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Jan Patterson
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Ms. Patterson did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Jim Branton
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Branton responded to our judicial
candidate questionnaire. His responses do not indicate much about
his views, but do indicate a basic ignorance of firearms issues.
He honestly notes that he does not know the answer to question #1,
and does not recall the media coverage of the "assault rifle"
ban (question #5). He was
not raised in a home where firearms were present. On the positive
side, he has had formal firearms training in the Air Force, and,
to our question #7, he answers,
"Probably not very effective." We think that Mr. Branton
is simply one of the many that is not concerned about firearms
freedoms, but is not anti-gun either.
Susan Larsen
Occupation: Justice, Eighth Court
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: ms. Larsen did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Don Burgess
Occupation: Judge
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Mr. Burgess did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Katherine Logue O'Herren
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Ms. O'Herren did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Randy Wilson
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Wilson did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Linda Reyna Yanez
Occupation: Justice, 13th Court of Appeals
Incumbent? Y
Analysis: Ms. Yanez did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.
Geoffrey "Jeff" Hutson
Occupation: Attorney
Incumbent? N
Analysis: Mr. Hutson did not respond
to our judicial candidate questionnaire. We do not recommend voting
for people who refuse to share information about themselves.