AlyssaResearching the 2020 Primary Runoff Election reminds me of studying for a test in school, except there are no Spark Notes readily available or guides created by the teacher.
Early voting will run from June 29 through July 10, and the official election day will be July 14. You can find your poll location here. These elections will decide which Democratic and Republican primary candidates will be on the ballot for the November general election.
Both the Democratic and Republican ballots will be broken up into three categories — Federal, State, and County. Below I have researched the candidates for U.S. Senator, Railroad Commissioner, and the State Board of Education. If you want to know exactly who will be on your ballot based on your address, click here.
Federal // Candidates for U.S. Senator
Whoever is elected will run a six-year term and represent one of two members of the U.S. Senate from Texas.
Watch the two candidates – West and Hegar – debate here!
Royce West // Democrat
Royce Barry West serves as a member of the Texas Senate, representing the Dallas-based 23rd District. Senator West is also the managing partner in the law firm of West & Associates, L.L.P.
West’s key initiatives include healthcare as a basic human right, increasing the accessibility of higher education, as well as investing in K-12 education, and women’s rights.
Read about where West stands on all important issues here and follow him on Twitter here.
Mary “MJ” Hegar // Democrat
Mary Jennings Hegar is an Air Force veteran, businesswoman, and teacher who published a memoir, Shoot Like a Girl, which describes her service in Afghanistan.
Hegar’s key initiatives include ending family separation at the border, fighting climate change, and affordable healthcare. Read more about Hegar here and follow her on Twitter here.
State // Candidates for Railroad Commissioner
Okay first, what is a railroad commissioner? According to Wikipedia, “The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining. Despite its name, it ceased regulating railroads in 2005.”
Chrysta Castañeda // Democrat
Chrysta Castañeda is a founding partner of her law firm in Dallas and has more than two decades of experience litigating energy and oil and gas matters, as well as a degree in engineering.
Castañeda’s campaign is centered on the issue of flaring or the burning of natural gas that companies do not move to market.
“The Railroad Commission’s number one job is to protect our natural resources and prevent the waste of oil and gas, but in its current configuration, it has abandoned that duty,” Castañeda has said.
Read more about where Castañeda stands on issues including clean air and water, climate change, and pipelines here and follow her on Twitter here.
Roberto R. “Beto” Alonzo // Democrat
Alonzo is a former Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 104th District from 1993 to 2019. He is also the principal attorney at Alonzo Law Firm, P.C. Alonzo has served on many committees and community affairs in Dallas, however, it doesn’t seem like he has any experience in the oil industry.
“Throughout his career and tenure in office, his leadership and advocacy have distinguished him among his peers as a trailblazer and leader for Texas. He has been an advocate for quality public education, a strong economy, increased services to veterans, access to health care including the expansion of Medicaid for seniors, and the expansion of women’s health care.” Quote from alonzo4txrrcommissioner.com
Read more about Alonzo and where he stands on issues here and follow him on Twitter here.
State // Candidates for State Board of Education
Four-year term. The fifteen-member board decides curriculum, standards, student testing, special education programs, and textbooks for Texas public schools.
Robert Morrow // Republican
Well, as soon as I Googled Robert Morrow, I saw this from the Texas Tribune:
“Morrow, who has a history of making racist, sexist and profanity-laced statements, finished first in the three-way primary last week to fill the seat of retiring member Ken Mercer. Popp, a Northside ISD speech language pathologist, came in second, getting 34% of the vote to 40% for Morrow.”
TPR went on to say, “Leaders of his own party may disavow him, but more than 54,000 central Texas Republican voters embraced Robert Morrow on Tuesday, sending the man with a profanity-laced record of sexist, racist and conspiracy-laden tweets into a runoff for a seat on the body that decides what Texas children are taught in the classroom.
He had no money, no endorsements, and no campaign to speak of. What press attention he received would usually be considered fatal for a political candidate. Yet Morrow won around 40% of the vote for the District 5 seat on the State Board of Education, which stretches between San Antonio and Austin. He will face Lani Popp, a Northside ISD speech-language pathologist, in a May 26 runoff.”
Morrow is the former chairman of the Republican Party of Travis County, and clearly should not be teaching children anything.
Lani Popp // Republican
Popp is a speech-language pathologist and has spent 16 years working in public schools and 11 years in private school. Currently, Popp works with students with disabilities in Northside Independent School District.
Popp’s priorities include reforming the standardized testing system and ensure historically + scientifically accurate, age-appropriate curriculum standards. You can read more about Popp here.
While this post covers some of the major candidates on the ballots, there will be more candidates on your ballot specific to your district whose names you need to know. If you want to know exactly who will be on your ballot based on your address, click here. We’ve compiled a list below as well, but please remember your ballot is based on your district.
A friendly reminder that IF you are in good health, please find the available polling location closest to you here. Also, please wear your mask, gloves (or carry hand sanitizer), bring your own pen, and practice social distancing.
State // State Senator, District 19
Roland Gutierrez
Xochil Peña Rodriguez
State // State Representative, District 119
Jennifer Ramos
Elizabeth “Liz” Campo
County // County Commissioner, Precinct No. 1
Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez
Rebeca “Becky” Clay-Flores
County // Constable, Precinct No. 2
Ino Badillo
Leticia R. Vazquez
County // Constable, Precinct No. 4
Kathryn Brown
Mike “Chief” Ramirez
County // County Chair
Monica Alcántara
Grace Rose Gonzales
County // Precinct Chair, Precinct No. 1003
Roberta Nina Hassele
Juan Diego Medina
County // Precinct Chair, Precinct No. 1021
Rosa Vasquez Sanchez
Elizabeth F. Limon
County // Precinct Chair, Precinct No. 1087
Diana Espinoza
Esmeralda Rodriguez
County // Precinct Chair, Precinct No. 2029
Rocky Aranda
Stephanie A. Perez