Dallas morning news voter guide united states representative district 32 democrat

Age and contact information
Age: 34
 
United States Representative -
District 32
Select candidates from the list below to compare their answers to our questionnaire:
 Note: Based on your address of McKinney Springs or party selection, you’re not eligible to
vote in this race.
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
D

Address: P.O. Box 601631, Dallas , TX
Campaign or Work Phone Number: (469) 573-3916
Email address: info@colinallred.com
Web site: www.colinallred.com/
Age: 74
Address: 2318 Glenbrook Meadows Drive, Garland , TX
Email address: ronmarshallcampaign@gmail.com
Web site: www.ronmarshallcampaign.org/
Age: 42
Address: PO Box 741732, Dallas , TX
Email address: toddfortexas@gmail.com
Web site: www.toddfortexas.com
Age: 41
Email address: info@edfortexas.com
Web site: edfortexas.com/
Age: 49
Address: P.O. Box 802065, Dallas , TX
Email address: george@george4texas.com
Web site: george4texas.com/
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez

Age: 57
Email address: info@salernoforcongress.com
Web site: salernoforcongress.com/
Age: 59
Email address: outreach@shippforcongress.com
Web site: www.shippforcongress.com
Social media
Twitter: @ColinAllredTX
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ColinAllredTX/
Twitter: Answer not available
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RonMarshallForCongress/
Twitter: @ToddforTexas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/toddfortx/
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski

Twitter: @EdforTX
Facebook: www.facebook.com/edfortexas/
Twitter: @george4texas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/George4Texas/
Twitter: @Lillian_Salerno
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lilliansalernoforcongress/?ref=br_rs
Twitter: @brett_shipp
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShippforCongress/
Occupation/main source of income:
Civil rights attorney
Retired Aerospace Engineer
IRA's and Social Security
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski

Writer at Texas Instruments by day, dark fantasy author by night; also co-owner and manager of
Maternowski Brothers Piano and Organ Co.
Non-Pro t Executive
Immigration Attorney, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates
I am currently a full-time candidate. Until January of 2017, I was serving in the Obama
administration as a sub-cabinet of cial at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I am the sole
proprietor of LES Development, from which I receive income from rental properties in Lewisville,
TX.
I am a former investigative reporter with 35 years of combined experience in Dallas, Amarillo,
Lufkin, and Tulsa. After 22 years with the same local station in Dallas, I left the best reporting job in
TV news to become a full-time candidate for Congress.
Education (include all degrees):
Hillcrest High School, 2001
Baylor University, B.A. in History, 2005
University of California, Berkeley--School of Law, J.D., 2014
B. S. Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering University of Illinois
M. S. Mechanical Engineering University of Illinois
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall

Graduated from Cistercian Preparatory School in Irving, TX
Worked toward B.A. in Religion degree from University of Chicago
2004 – Juris Doctorate, The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
2000 – M.Phil. in Modern Middle Eastern Studies, Oxford University, Oxford, England
1998 – B.A. in International Affairs, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
B.A. Philosophy, University of Notre Dame
J.D., SMU Dedman School of Law
Harvard Kennedy School; Executive Education; Cambridge, MA; November 2015
Southern Methodist University School of Law; Dallas, TX; J.D., May 1991
University of North Texas; Sociology Criminal Justice; Denton, TX; M.A., May 1988
University of Texas; Latin American Studies and Spanish; Austin, TX; B.A., May 1983
Little Elm High School, Little Elm, TX
Holy Trinity Catholic School, Dallas, TX
Bachelor of Arts in Radio/TV Broadcasting from Stephen F. Austin State University (1983)
Diploma from Highland Park High School (1977)
Highlights of current civic involvement/accomplishment:
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred

I am proud to have worked with and promoted some of the most prominent forces for good in our
community. As a former NFL player and civil rights attorney, a DISD graduate, and as someone who
grew up with modest means and in a single parent household, I am often asked to speak to groups
of disadvantaged kids at organizations across North Texas. I have formed a close relationship with
Chad Houser and his kids at Cafe Momentum, where I have spoken to the kids on several occasions
and helped Mr. Houser raise funds for his critically important work. I was also honored to give the
keynote speech at the YMCA of Texas Youth and Government District Conference. I am a constant
presence, mentor, and speaker at my alma mater, Hillcrest High School. I have also taught classes or
delivered speeches to numerous camps, like the Community Youth Leadership Camp, and at
schools, like Greenhill School.
My wife and I are also active volunteers and have volunteered with Hunger Busters, a local
organization that provides meals to food insecure kids in DISD, Vogel Alcove, and at our church--
Greenland Hills United Methodist Church. In addition, I have been asked to help judge the
University of Texas at Dallas Big Idea Competition and to speak to a political science class at SMU.
Finally, in addition to being members at Greenland Hills, I am a member of the Dallas NAACP and
the JL Turner Legal Association.
Running for Congress to protect human rights and democracy.
As corny as it sounds, the civic accomplishment I am the most proud of is how my two young
children have turned out. A quick story: about 5 or so years ago, my 3 year old daughter was at a
birthday party with a number of children around her age. As kids do, they set up a game where they
ran away from the youngest child (who had just learned to walk, maybe a little more than a year
old), as the baby was 'the monster.' Of course, the youngest child didn't "know" she was the
monster, and was happy to just be playing with so many bigger kids.
Eventually (this is according to the dad of the Monster, who was watching all this unfold. I wished I
had witnessed it!), some of the older children stopped running, and started pointing and making fun
of the Monster. At this point my daughter, unprompted, physically stood between the large group
of kids and the 1 year old, admonishing them to play nice and treat the baby better.
My friend, the Monster's father, was impressed enough that he mentions this episode practically
every time I see him now. I'm glad he does, too: from the moment I knew I was having a baby, I've
wanted to build a better world for my kids, and for my kids to build a better world than I had.
I value this "civic accomplishment" far more than the usual sitting on some charitable board and
getting own to conferences where like-minded people spend tens of thousands of dollars lavishing
praise on themselves and the money they've raised. It doesn't look as good on a resume, but is
in nitely more valuable in terms of its real-world, practical impact.
Running for US Congressional Of ce in TX-32
Endorsed by Dallas AFL-CIO
Member, Royal Lane Baptist Church
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier

Over the past 25 years of continuously living in the District I have contributed to my community in
the following manner:
I am a volunteer with the City of Dallas’ Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs
Citizenship Workshop.
For the past 10 years I have served as a liaison between the Department of Homeland Security and
the American Immigration Lawyers Association. In my role I keep open communication between
ICE and private attorneys. I have been involved in resolving local issues and actively participated in
assisting in the resolution of the initial Trump travel ban at DFW.
I am a member of Bishop Burn’s Immigration Task Force where we have worked hard to provide
information, support, and expertise on the ongoing changes in immigration policy to the community
at large.
I am a member of the Prairieland Detention Center’s Community Advisory Board where we work
to create a model detention center for the nation, maintain and monitor detention standards, and
address issues raised by detainees and their legal counsel.
I have been an active member of the Board of Trustee of the National Hispanic Institute (NHI),
which is a Texas non-pro t organization dedicated to developing thought leadership for high school
and college students. I have also served with my wife as an Educational Director for their Youth
Legislative program in Austin for the past 10 years. Locally, I have served as a project administrator
for the NHI Great Debate Team representing Dallas area high school freshmen from DISD, charter
schools and private schools.
I serve my faith community as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Rita Catholic Church and as a parent
volunteer-coach for the 8th-grade volleyball team.
I am also a member of the Dallas Democratic Forum and the Garland Area Democratic Club.
I have the highest ranking in professionalism and ethics in the legal eld as an AV-Preeminent Rated
attorney.
Currently, I am dedicating myself full-time to my candidacy. However, I continue to serve three civic
organizations I’m deeply passionate about.
I am a founding board member of “Her Journey,” a non-pro t that provides short-term housing to
patients receiving cancer treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. I am a founding member of
the Texas Center for Local Food, which provides technical assistance and resources for market
development to family farms and ranches to enhance the vitality of our rural economy while
improving healthy food access for all Texans. While serving as Deputy Undersecretary for Rural
Development at the Department of Agriculture, I helped secure funding for the Texas Center for
Local Food, and then joined as a private citizen.
The keystone of my current civic involvement is serving as the Chairwoman of Family Farm Action,
a 501(C)(4) political advocacy organization dedicated to protect America’s family farms and rural
communities from multinational agribusiness monopolies.
Due to the growth of Big Ag over the last three decades, family-owned, independent farms have all
but disappeared. As Deputy Undersecretary of Rural Development in the Department of
Agriculture during the Obama Administration, I led a mission area with a budget of $100 million,
tasked with stimulating small and independent farming.
Despite the Administration’s charge to reinvigorate small, independent farming, the problem was
bigger than what any administration’s goals could achieve. Two companies control almost the
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno

entire market for milk in much of the nation. Four companies control 80 percent of the market for
beef. Our mission area gave out small grants and loans, but the issue is that distribution is so
controlled by monopolists that small, independent farmers can’t get enough market share to be
sustainable.
We saw that in order to change the system, family farmers and rural communities needed to come
together and ght back. I and several others formed Family Farm Action -- a coalition of family-
farmers and advocates building the "political muscle" to ght for farmers and rural communities.
Family Farm Action is a progressive voice ghting to protect America’s family farms and rural
communities from multinational agribusiness monopolies that are destroying rural economies and
way of life.
-MC and guest speaker for numerous charitable organizations, most notably The Well Community
which provides services to people living with mental illness
-Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas – Advisory Council
-Active member of the Kessler Park United Methodist Church
-I am the annual MC of the Merry Tuba Christmas at Thanksgiving Square
Highlights of past civic involvement/accomplishment:
Growing up here in Dallas I was an active volunteer and was named the Volunteer of the Year twice
at the Town North YMCA. I have personally registered dozens of voters in this area, including in
Dallas public schools, and worked with local groups to help them register hundreds more. I have
also been an active mentor of numerous kids and have been heavily involved in charitable activities
during my NFL career, ranging from the NFL’s Play 60 initiative to forming friendships with kids
ghting cancer.
Former Captain in the Civil Air Patrol, the volunteer auxiliary of the Air Force. Was the squadron
Aerospace Education Of cer for the cadet and senior squadrons. Was also in charge of the cadet
squadron. Was an observer on search missions.
See above. On a non-parenting note, I really enjoyed my role at Pegasus News, Dallas' hyperlocal
news and entertainment website, where for 8 years I worked to change the face of digital
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski

journalism with a laser-like focus on local events, news, and politics. The great hyperlocal
experiment was ended too soon, but in our short time we were told repeatedly by local restaurant
owners, club managers, and struggling local artists that we really did make a difference.
Big Thought, Interim Executive Director (2017)
Clinton-Kaine Transition Team, Co-Executive Director (2016)
Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign, Director of Policy Outreach (2015-2016)
Big Thought, Chief Operating Of cer (2012-2015)
U.S. Department of State, Senior Advisor and Presidential Appointee under President Obama
(2009-2012); Recipient of the Superior Honor Award (2012)
Dallas County Democratic Precinct Chair (2006-2009)
Of ce of State Representative Helen Giddings, Legislative Aide (2001)
Regina Montoya Congressional Campaign (2000)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas, Mentor
Leadership DISD, Fellow
I have served as a member of the National AILA ICE Liaison Committee where I worked as a liaison
between DHS of cials in DC and all of the members of AILA.
I have served as a member of the National AILA Unlawful Practice of Law Committee where I was
part of the effort to adopt and execute plans to stop consumer fraud against immigrant families.
Prior to my of cial roles with the National Hispanic Institute I volunteered as a mentor and
counselor for various programs over the past three decades. I began my volunteer work with NHI
when I was in high school. In fact, I met my wife while we were both in college volunteering for NHI
at a program in New Mexico.
English as Second Language Advisory Board 1993, Lewisville Independent School District
Lewisville, TX, 1993
My daughters, Hebe and Thalia, were born in Mexico and came to the United States at 8 and 11.
When I saw the hurdles that they and other non-native English speaking students faced in the
classroom, I was moved to do all I could to reduce the linguistic barriers that might otherwise
impede their progress.
Texas Legal Aid
Denton, TX, 2001-2002
Provided legal services pro-bono to low-income clients.
Advisory Board, George Washington University Center for African Health and Human Security
Washington, DC January 2005 –November 2010
I supported the George Washington University Center for African Health and Human Security in
their mission to strengthen African health systems, by implementing educational partnerships with
African institutions of higher learning, advancing global health education by improving health
policy development, and training policy makers in order to improve regulatory and enforcement
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno

systems. I also served as advisor on Avian and Pandemic Flu issues regarding responses for African
health systems.
Advocacy Director, Transparency and Competition in Healthcare Coalition
Washington DC March 2009 –April 2010
During the negotiations of the Affordable Care Act, I provided organizational leadership for
implementing sustainable policy direction for transparency in healthcare pricing for hospitals and
patients. This included providing cost data and working with economists using pricing models for
senior federal agency of cials and consumer advocacy groups regarding bending the cost curve,
increasing innovation, and developing small business job growth in the medical marketplace during
the healthcare reform process. I provided political guidance to groups advocating for enforcement
of FTC and antitrust laws in order to open up competition.
Our coalition engaged Administration of cials and congressional leadership regarding cost bene t
data. The coalition was comprised of women and minority-owned small businesses, consumer
groups, and labor unions including PSI, CNA, CFA, women’s organizations and other allies
representing more than 27 million people.
I am a member of the Human Rights Campaign, a lifetime member of the NAACP, and a member of
the Democratic Party.
My civic involvement has been centered on reporting that exposed malfeasance and corruption in
our government and the corporate world. As a journalist, I was limited in my ability to get involved
with political or issue based groups. I am proud of my record of service to the community through
my work which saved lives, forced corporations to x their dangerous mistakes, and ushered in
government reforms.
-Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award for excellence in Broadcast Journalism
(2009) for stories on a DISD grade changing scheme, and on the faulty gas line couplings
responsible for multiple explosions and deaths in DFW
-2 Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Silver Baton Awards for excellence in Broadcast
Journalism (2003, 2005) for my stories on the Dallas Police fake drug scandal and the Texas
Workmen’s Compensation Commission denying claims to enrich insurance companies, respectively
-3 Peabody Awards (2002, 2004, 2007) for stories on the DPD fake drug scandal, The TX
Workmen's Compensation Commission, faulty fas line couplings in DFW, and the unspeakable
treatment of children at immigration detention centers in Texas, respectively
-National Edward R. Murrow Award for investigating and exposing inhumane prison conditions in
Texas (2016)
Previous public offices sought or held:
Although I have never previously served in elected of ce, I served with Secretary Julián Castro in
the Obama Administration as Special Assistant in the Of ce of the General Counsel at the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred

None
None. This is my rst foray into politics of any kind.
None
I ran for DISD school board during the 1994 special election to ll the seat vacated by Trini Garza.
The election was won by Jose Plata.
I have never served in elected public of ce. I was appointed to serve as Deputy Undersecretary of
Rural Development in the Department of Agriculture during the Obama administration.
None.
How much funding have you raised for your campaign?
We have raised approximately $430,000 in our campaign. In the most recent quarter, we raised
over $160,000 largely from small-dollar donations, with nearly 90% of our contributions under
$100 and 50% under $20.
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred

I have spent about $4000 of my own money. So far outside contributions have been insigni cant.
However I expect this to change as the campaign becomes better known. I will probably spend
more of my own money on advertisements.
This is generally the rst and last question anyone cares about in politics, and that makes me sick.
I decided to run back in April 2017 speci cally to show that a campaign can be viable even without
the corrupting in uence of big donors. Call me quixotic, but I saw the way candidates misspent
billions in 2016, and how an insane amount of that funding was simply tossed in a trash can of fraud
and waste. Not surprisingly, I now see it rsthand in this race, as many of my opponents follow the
same spend-and-waste playbook that has driven American democracy into the ground.
Personally, I've raised just a fraction of a percentage of what my opponents have raised and spent:
I've raised enough to cover all of the expenses that I've incurred, and could obviously use more to
really reach out to voters in a very real way (yes, I see the irony there). We'll see on March 6th
whether money still rules the political process. I'm holding out hope that voters will want more out
of their candidates than the ability to beg for cash.
As of the latest ling deadline on Dec 31, 2017, my campaign had raised $801,000
I am very proud of our campaign’s grassroots community-based fundraising efforts. We have raised
over $100,000 with 95% contributed by my neighbors and fellow Texans. I am not beholden to
special interest groups and I am not beholden to DC politics. I am running a campaign that is about
serving my neighbors and my fellow Texans.
As of January 7, 2018, our campaign has raised over $310,000.
$60,000 since I started campaigning at the beginning of December.
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp

Who are your top three contributors?
I’m proud to have received a signi cant amount of grassroots support from individuals here in our
community. The majority of contributions to my campaign have come from Texans who are ready to
see new leadership and new ideas in our government. In compliance with federal contribution limits
we have accepted contributions of $2,700 from numerous individuals. All of these contributors can
be easily accessed at FEC.gov.
I am the only signi cant contributor to my campaign.
My dad, Russell, and two of my dearest friends, Jason Boyd and James Mauldin-Hopkins.
Regina Montoya
Morgan Cox
Christine Allison
Along with many small donations from my neighbors and fellow Texans, my top three contributors
are Mr. Todd Thorson, Ms. Hardeep Sehgal, and Mr. Calvin Colbert. Two of my top contributors live
in the District and the other one lives just north of the District.
We have had more than three individuals give max-out donations to our campaign. We do not
accept contributions from corporate PACs.
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno

Marquette Wolff, Don Williams, Paul Taylor
Have you ever been arrested or involved in any criminal
proceedings? If so, please explain:
No.
No
Yes, I was arrested twice in 2001 for not driving with insurance. I was a dance instructor making
$80 a week, and couldn't afford either the fees or the nes when I was pulled over (which happened
very frequently back then, as the back of my truck was covered in bumper stickers). As a result, my
tickets went to warrant and I was thrown in jail, twice. I've been a model citizen and insurance-
payer ever since.
No
No
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno

In 2008, HCA Health Services of Virginia brought a lawsuit against me for debt owed for health
care services, but the case was dismissed.
In college, I was arrested for disorderly conduct. The charge was dismissed.
Have you ever been involved in any civil lawsuits or
declared personal or professional bankruptcy? If so, please
explain:
No.
When my youngest son was ve years old he lost a nger due to the negligence of the day care
center he was at. We sued and the day care center pleaded no contest. This was about twenty nine
years ago.
No
No
No personal/professional bankruptcy
Civil lawsuit: Land & royalties dispute involving an investment in an oil well.
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez

No.
In my 35 career as a reporter, I've been named in roughly 3 lawsuits brought against my former
employers relating to my stories and investigations. All suits have been dispensed with or
dismissed.
I have never been sued personally. I have never declared personal or professional bankruptcy.
What is an example of how you led a team or group
toward achieving an important goal?
In 2014 I was the Dallas/Fort Worth Voter Protection Director for the Wendy Davis campaign and
Battleground Texas. In that capacity I helped establish and build the rst ever statewide voter
protection program in Texas. As the Dallas/Fort Worth Director I oversaw the voter registration
efforts of hundreds of volunteers and staff members to make sure we were in compliance with
Texas’s dif cult to navigate registration laws. I also worked with local groups and volunteers to help
numerous voters obtain a photo ID in time to vote. As a result of our efforts we were able to
register thousands of new voters in North Texas and to help many others get the photo ID they
needed to vote.
In addition, I recruited and trained dozens of attorneys and law students to serve as poll watchers
and election observers to deal with the rst major election under Texas’s strict and discriminatory
voter ID law. That law, which has since been declared unconstitutional several times, was poorly
implemented and understood across North Texas. Poll workers, and even local of cials, were
deeply misinformed about the law’s vagaries, and this disenfranchised thousands of voters.
The goal of our poll watching program was simple and nonpartisan: every eligible Texas voter who
came to the polls should be allowed to vote. During early voting and on Election Day we were able
to identify dozens of issues at polling places across North Texas, to alert the affected county quickly
if there were any issues in a given jurisdiction, and to help form a detailed record of any violations
committed in the area. Even though I was working on behalf of a Democratic campaign, our goal
and approach was nonpartisan and in a year where voting was extremely dif cult to do in Texas we
helped more people vote in North Texas than would have otherwise been able to. Every vote that
was cast with our help was a victory, and I am proud of the work we did and that I led.
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall

When I was one of the structural engineers on the Very Large Array Radio Telescope I came up with
a way to remove excess weight from the parabolic re ector structure. Like an optical telescope'
structural de ection has to be minimized. It was important to reduce the amount the structure
sagged under its own weight. The Very Large Array was featured in the movies 2010 and Contact.
I once worked for a startup company that was in dire straights; my speci c job was to help our
clients with answering legal summons, arbitration hearings, and BBB complaints. When I was hired,
we were months behind, with literal mountains of paperwork piling up past the tops of entire rows
of empty, unoccupied cubicles. Clients were getting sued, and were suing us (and rightfully so). I
was hired to retain clients who were leaving.
I inherited a vast amount of clients who were in serious nancial trouble because of us. So what
could I do? I had to hit the problem at the source: the companies suing our clients. Within two
months, I had set up a system where I contacted the companies suing or taking our clients to
arbitration, solving their issues directly, quickly, and ef ciently. The system worked so well that I
was made supervisor, and after that things REALLY took off, to the point where we set and re-set
industry-wide records every month, and generally embarrassed the other, underperforming
departments in the company, by doing their jobs better than they were.
My secret was nothing earth-shattering. Just putting my employees in the best possible position to
succeed. Giving them a clear goal --even if it seemed "unattainable" at the time-- giving them the
tools to help them reach that goal, and celebrating them when they shattered that goal, month in
and month out. Giving my employees all the credit when things went right, and taking full
responsibility on myself when anything went wrong. That's really all it takes to overcome the
"impossible."
While serving as Senior Advisor in President Obama’s State Department, my primary responsibility
was managing the military-to-civilian transition in Iraq. As the Obama Administration ful lled the
commitment of withdrawing our troops from Iraq, my task was to make sure American diplomats
and aid workers remaining in Iraq would be safe and secure without the ongoing protection from
the U.S. military. In this role, I was responsible for ensuring a strong civilian-led operational
platform in Iraq that oversaw security, transportation, and medical care.
On ten separate trips to Iraq, I designed and led in-country consultations including transition drills
with the U.S. military leadership in Iraq, strategy sessions with the U.S. Ambassador, and bilateral
dialogue with Iraqi leaders. My work also included White House brie ngs and meetings in the
Situation Room with Vice President Biden and members of the National Security Council.
We were successful in achieving our mission of ensuring the safety of our diplomats and aid
workers following the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq. It was an incredible responsibility knowing
that the courageous American civilian women and men in Iraq were counting on our team to make
sure we had the resources and plan in place to protect them in a con ict zone. If elected to
Congress, I will bring the same focus, energy, and sense of responsibility from that experience to
Washington.
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier

As mentioned above, my civic and community involvement has been centered around creating
opportunity for kids in Dallas and throughout Texas. Most of my leadership has been about
assisting others to become productive leaders in whatever they do in life.
Each Spring I lead a group of high school students who mentor 30-40 freshmen through leadership
training using experiential learning. We do an annual fundraiser in which the students conduct a
12-hour livestream discussion of approximately 20 panels dealing with current issues. Last year the
student’s coordinated, produced and participated in the panels while raising over $17,000. Part of
the learning process also entails preparing the freshmen for a competition called The Great Debate
on the campus of Austin College.
In the Summer, my wife and I spend 10 days leading over 200 sophomores and juniors from
throughout the US in Austin providing them governance and leadership training. We use a group of
high school seniors and college students as our staff. We have daily learning objectives that have to
be met with a very young team that changes yearly.
My wife and I created our law rm together almost 23 years ago. Together we lead and manage the
rm. On a daily basis, I work with a team of legal assistants and associate attorneys to provide the
best possible legal representation for our clients. We divide our cases between myself and my wife
(law partner). The different legal tasks involved in the processing of a case will involve a team
consisting of a legal assistant, an associate attorney and a partner (either me or my wife).
In the early 1990s, I was working with a talented engineer whose close friend had been diagnosed
with HIV. At that time during the height of the AIDS crisis, being HIV-positive was effectively a
death sentence. We were desperate to provide some type of relief to those diagnosed with HIV and
AIDS. We reached out to the National Institute of Health to determine what engineering solutions
could be possible in this arena. Here, it was revealed that patients with HIV/AIDS weren’t getting
the treatment they needed because health care of cials didn’t have the tools they needed to care
for their patients safely. We began working with nurses at Parkland Hospital, who were scared to
care for HIV positive patients for fear of accidental needle sticks. These nurses and other
healthcare professionals provided recommendations for the ideal syringe.
From that, my business partner designed the world’s rst retractable syringe, eliminating the fear
of accidental needle sticks. This revolutionized care for patients diagnosed with HIV and AIDS, and
empowered health care workers to treat them safely without risking their own lives. However, our
company, Retractable Technologies, struggled to gain access to markets to sell our product because
of the monopolistic control over the syringe market by a company called Becton Dickinson (BD). So
began our David versus Goliath ght to gain access to markets to sell our product. After a
protracted battle of trying to gain relief from the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of
Justice and our congressional delegation, we ultimately pursued private litigation against BD and
won a settlement on the courthouse steps that allowed us to produce and sell our retractable
syringe. To this day, Retractable Technologies produces approximately 140 million syringes
annually, and our manufacturing facility in Little Elm, TX provides stable employment to nearly 130
workers. While other companies have since produced their own versions of the retractable syringe,
our product continues to be the standard-bearer for out tting healthcare workers with the tools
they need to provide high-quality care to patients and protections from infectious diseases.
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno

I was in charge of the Investigative Unit at my previous newsroom job. Leading a team was my
responsibility at the news station. Serving the people, the metroplex, the state, and the nation was
the motivation behind that service and leadership. Every story I ever covered as a member of the
investigative team was groundbreaking and led to changes in laws, safety standards, and corporate
operating procedures.
I led the team to solve problems with every story. It’s my ministry and my community service. I
could never let issues die and I always inspired my team to pursue them until the issues on the table
were xed for the betterment of the community. Under my leadership, and working together, the
investigative team made it's mark and even transformed whole governments.
Why are you running for this office?
This is my home, where I was born and raised by a single mother who was a teacher in Dallas public
schools. Growing up here, we struggled nancially and things were never easy, but I was able to
chase my dreams because of the incredible support I received from the people of this area. I went
to good Dallas public schools—graduating from Hillcrest High School—spent my evenings,
summers, and school breaks at great YMCA camps, and was helped by so many unsung heroes who
went above and beyond the call of duty to give a kid who didn’t know his father a chance to chase
his version of the American Dream. That support gave me the platform I needed to play in the NFL,
to become a civil rights attorney, and to work for the President of the United States.
Stories like mine shouldn’t be unique. If you have the drive, and put in the work, you should be able
to chase your dreams in North Texas. Increasingly, however, that is no longer the case and Pete
Sessions has for decades pursued policies that have made it harder for North Texas families to get
ahead. The people of North Texas deserve better, and I’m running for Congress to be their
champion and to restore the fundamental promise of the American Dream here in North Texas and
across this country.
I have been concerned for some time that a false de nition of freedom of speech has been used by
Republican Supreme Court Justices and other Republican politicians to move the country toward a
corporate dictatorship. Freedom of speech means “everyone has a right to be heard”. The
Republican version is that the wealthy have the right to have bull horns and shout down the rest of
us.
There are two kinds of political campaigns. In a political candidate campaign money is spent by the
candidate’s organization to get the candidate elected. In a political advocacy campaign money is
spent by a person in support of a person, a law, an idea, or some other concept of free speech. The
Money is Speech ruling says that an unlimited amount of money can be spent by a person in a
political advocacy campaign. For example if you are the Koch brothers you can spend hundreds of
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall

millions of dollars.
The problem is this ruling negates the “everyone has a right to be heard” concept.
Money is Speech gives the wealthy a bull horn to shout down the rest of and give ownership of the
government to the wealthy. If we want to maintain "everyone has the right to be heard" a limit
should be put on political advocacy money that at least fty percent of the electorate could afford.
The Citizens United ruling stated that corporations are “persons” with the political contribution
rights of actual human beings. This is pure ction since the word “corporation” does not appear in
the Constitution. In early 2010 we had a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress and the
Supreme Court Republicans created this ction to bring an end to the Democratic Party’s power.
Citizens United created a windfall of corporate money for the Republican Party and in the fall of
2010 the Republicans took the House of Representatives. Since then the Republican Party, with
corporate money, has taken the Senate and many governorships and state legislatures.
Citizens United has created a shadow government. Political candidates that talk like corporate
puppets are showered with corporate money. Political candidates that don’t talk like corporate
puppets are opposed by corporate money. The purpose of Citizens United is to change a democracy
into a corporate dictatorship. This is an act of treason.
This was my concern about the country becoming a corporate dictatorship before Donald Trump
was elected. I saw Donald Trump as someone who would move us closer to a corporate
dictatorship. When Donald Trump was elected I decided to run for Congress to oppose the country
becoming a corporate dictatorship.
I'd been apolitical for the last twenty years, after doing volunteer work for Dick Armey when I was
in high school. But watching the events of 2016 unfold as they did pulled me off the sidelines and
into the fray: the effect of big money in politics had resulted in a system where the two candidates
for the highest of ce in the land were perhaps two of the worst possible choices in a country of 330
million. Money corrupts processes, and I wanted to do my part to stem that disease in my home
district of TX-32.
The morning after the election of Donald Trump, my then eight-year old daughter Penelope said,
“Daddy, I thought bullies never win. Is Donald Trump really going to do all the mean things he said
he would do?” After seeing President Trump’s actions in the rst week of his Administration, it was
clear that he intended to implement his dangerous agenda and we had to ght back.
I was raised the son of two medical missionaries—my father was a pediatric surgeon and my mom
was an operating room nurse. As a child, I traveled with my family from Dallas to Nigeria so that my
parents could provide quality health care to those in need. My father always promised to care for
each patient as if she or he was his own child or grandchild. My parents taught me to treat every
person with dignity and respect no matter their background. We are at a moment in time when we
must ght for these values more than ever.
Serving the Dallas community has been a passion of mine for nearly two decades. After graduating
from Oxford University in 2000, I came home to Dallas to work on Regina Montoya’s campaign for
Congress against Pete Sessions. At the time, Sessions was a junior Congressman – but today, he
leads the powerful Rules Committee where every single day he uses his position to advance
President Trump’s agenda in Congress. At a town hall meeting in March 2017, he actually scolded
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier

his constituents, saying “You don’t know how to listen.” We need and deserve a representative who
is listening to the people of this district and spending every day working to deliver results for
families in North Texas.
Running for Congress, or any public of ce, should not be a calculation. It should be a calling. I’m
running in the 32nd Congressional District because this is my home, and people in my community
deserve someone who listens to them and ghts for their needs. I’m running because it’s time this
district had a representative committed to true public service. And I’m running to stand up to
Trump.
Like many Americans, I think it is time we turned the page on corporate, big money politicians. I was
blessed with parents who instilled in me the importance of living life with purpose and with a faith
that leads me to serve. I live in this community and I know this community. I am running for of ce
because I am appalled by what is going on with our country. The current state of affairs is a result of
big money, corporate politicians getting elected and in turn the American people are left by the
wayside. I have always dreamed of being able to serve my country and my community as a public
servant. I have spent my legal career providing immigrant families with the opportunity to live
legally in our country and to enjoy the freedoms of our democracy. I have spent my spare time
mentoring and developing youth in my community. I have spent my time as a father raising children
who care and serve others. I am running because of my faith in our country and because I feel it is
important to have real people who are connected to the community represent us in DC.
I'm running because I know how hard it is to ght for every opportunity when the cards are stacked
against you, and I believe the people of TX-32 deserve a leader who will ght for them.
I know the struggles working families face. I come from a family of eight brothers and sisters, with
not many resources, where every day we had to struggle to make ends meet. My grandfather
immigrated to this country and settled here in Dallas. My grandfather had a shoe store for fty
years in downtown Dallas, located where is now the Adolphus Hotel’s parking lot.
We lived on Swiss Avenue, before it became ‘Swiss Avenue’ and grew too expensive for us. My
father was a salesman, and my mom worked for a period as a phone operator. My siblings and I
started working when we were very young. We held what seemed to be a continuous lemonade
stand in the summer, and sold mistletoe on Beacon Street in the winter. We shared a paper route
for the Dallas Morning News. That’s how it was growing up -- we worked hard, my parents did the
best they could, and our community took care of us.
I believe that’s what a lot of families in Dallas and North Texas do -- they do the best they can to
provide a better future for their families. But it shouldn’t be so hard. Every day, folks have to ght to
build a future for themselves and their families, working harder and harder for less and less.
The system is not working for working families. While the stock market soars and unemployment
numbers sink, there’s a different reality facing most Texans: stagnant wages and less opportunity.
Our young people are graduating from our community colleges or universities with the skills and
knowledge to build prosperity for our families and our nation, yet they are burdened with such debt
that they may never get above water. Those who have the innovative ideas and hard work to create
new businesses and jobs are being shut out by the handful of big corporations who have a
stranglehold on the market. Our infrastructure is in desperate need of repair, while millions are out
of work.
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno

Instead of building an agenda that expands opportunity for the families that need it most, the
Trump Administration and the unrecognizable Republican Party controlling Congress are at work
eroding the middle class, infringing upon the rights of vulnerable communities, and continuing their
assault on women’s lives and their bodies. From attempting to throw 22 million people off of their
healthcare; to the massive tax giveaway to corporations and billionaires at the expense of our
children and grandchildren; to the betrayal of our DREAMers; to the attempted defunding of
Planned Parenthood, Pete Sessions is not representing the people of North Texas.
We need a leader with a proven track record of standing up for women and working people. As an
attorney, I defended women, Hispanics, low-income workers, and other vulnerable communities. As
a small business woman, I fought for nurses who lacked the proper tools to treat patients without
risking their own lives. I took on big medical corporations that were putting pro ts over safety, and
won. As the Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development in the Obama Administration, I worked
to bring economic opportunity to rural communities, like connecting local farmers here in Texas and
ensuring access to clean drinking water in Alaska.
My whole career, I’ve fought to create opportunity. With this Administration, I worry that every
day, opportunity grows further out of reach. I entered this race after the Republicans’ attempted
repeal of Obamacare last summer, which put millions of families at risk. Without women like
Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, and advocates like Planned Parenthood and the
multitudes of women organizing here in Texas, they would have gotten away with it. And I knew I
couldn’t stand by and watch.
I’m running for Congress to represent the 32nd Congressional District of Texas because this
community deserves a leader who will ght for them. We need a leader who will create economic
opportunity for working families, invest in our communities and defend against the assault on
women. I’m running to take on the system and stand up for the people — for my children and all
Texans who want a better future for the next generation.
I am seriously in fear for the future of our democracy based on the dangerous conduct and
performance of the President and the unwillingness of elected of cials to counter the detrimental
affects of his administration. As a member of the 4th estate, whose profession was dependent on
the protections of the rst amendment, I cannot abide the Administration's unhinged, direct
attacks on our media and on Americans' right to accurate information about their government. I
see a need for trustworthy, accountable representatives who put the best interests of constituents
and our democracy above all else. I'm running because Texans are yearning for quality healthcare
they can afford, good jobs that pay more than a poverty wage, sound education for their children,
and proactive protection of their civil rights. They deserve a representative who will ght for
progress on these issues and uncover who, why, and how their concerns are currently being ignored
by those in power. I'm running to give Congress the injection of true accountability to and tenacity
on behalf of the people it desperately needs.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
Brett Shipp

The state of our politics and the dysfunction we see in our federal government has proven that we
need a new generation of leadership to come forward that seeks public of ce as a form of public
service. I am running to return this seat to the people of this area who have for too long been
forgotten by Pete Sessions and a Congress that has lost its way. I believe in the people of North
Texas. More than any of my opponents in the Democratic Primary I have relied on North Texans’
generosity and open mindedness to make my way from Hillcrest High School, to the NFL, to the
White House. Now, I want to serve the people of this area who have given me so much, and put the
work ethic and determination that it took for me to make it to work for them.
The people of North Texas need a champion with a proven record of ghting for them and people
like them. That is what I have done as a civil rights attorney. In 2014, I was the Dallas/Fort Worth
Voter Protection Director for the Wendy Davis campaign. In that role, I oversaw the voter
registration efforts of hundreds of volunteers and a comprehensive poll watcher program that
helped thousands of North Texans vote who might not have been able to otherwise. As a voting
rights litigator, I have been a part of lawsuits that have challenged restrictions to the right to vote
across this country. As an appointee in the Obama Administration at the Department of Housing
and Urban Development, I helped protect and expand critical programs like FHA backed mortgage
assistance and Section 8 vouchers, and efforts to end housing discrimination against the formerly
incarcerated. My training and experience will allow me to go to work on day one ghting for the
issues that matter to North Texans. That is also why I have earned the endorsements and support of
Secretary Julián Castro and Wendy Davis, because they have seen me work and know what I will
bring to the table.
Further, in order to change North Texas and restore opportunity, we will need to do more than just
put forward generic Democratic candidates and policies. We are a non-voting state, ranking 49th in
the country in voter turnout. In order to reach the communities that have felt left out of our
politics, we as Democrats must have a candidate that these potential voters can identify with. I
have the blood of slaves and the blood of a former Governor of Texas owing in my veins, and I
believe that I have a story to tell about who we are here in North Texas and what we can do when
we work together—one that will allow me to appeal to a wide range of North Texans. The dozens of
volunteers who have gotten involved in our campaign look like this district, and many have never
done anything in politics before. That grassroots support is what makes me the best candidate to
take on Pete Sessions and the best candidate to return this seat to the people of this district.
I am the candidate most willing to oppose a corporate dictatorship. I am way ahead of the other
candidates in my ability to deal with science and engineering issues such as man-made global
warming, new energy technology, military technology, and space exploration. I stand for human
rights and social and economic progress. I oppose discrimination based on sexual orientation. I
believe everyone has the right to join a union. I see universal health care as a right. I am against
income inequality. I am against trade agreements that undercut our workforce and give up our
sovereign rights to corporate tribunals. I support immigration reform that will bring legal status to
the millions of illegal immigrants who have built a life here and not engaged in criminal activity. I
think we must make sure all the new wealth created by technological advances is reasonably
distributed. As a society we must constantly take on new tasks so that everyone has a means to
earn a living, utilize their skills, and develop new skills.
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall

Things are not going to get better until the electorate starts voting against candidates with the
most corporate money instead of for them.
We need to send someone to Washington who will oppose the corporate dictatorship and give
Donald Trump the thrashing he deserves.
My opponents are all highly quali ed in their own ways, but as candidates they are fairly
indistinguishable, which leads me to suspect that they, too, have been whitewashed and branded
and focus-grouped into the typical stuffed-shirt politician's 'box.' I pay very close attention to every
minor detail of their campaigns, of course, and have met all but one. All solid people, but all, again,
people who appear willing to sacri ce their individuality and personality in order to meet some
unwritten, narrow expectation of what a candidate "should" be.
The result: boring! And frankly, a little disappointing. When people give up on themselves so easily
in order to 'get the job'... what kind of things will they give up when they accumulate power?
I may not have the DC connections or the big East Coast donors on speed-dial, but I do have a
mission, a purpose beyond "just getting elected." Unlike them, I'm not doing this as a stepping stone
to bigger and more "important" political of ces, or to make money by joining in on the lucrative
Congress-to-lobbyist pipeline. I'm doing this for the same reason I've done anything: to get results.
This was the best way for me to do the most amount of good for the most amount of people.
I’ve dedicated my life to public service. Whether leading an education non-pro t in Dallas,
managing the military-to-civilian transition in Iraq at the State Department, or drafting legislation
to help Dallas County citizens as an aide in the Texas Legislature, I have always tried to bring a
creative problem-solving approach to serving others. The election of Donald Trump has become a
call to action for lifelong public servants who are tested and ready to truly serve their communities
and change the culture of Washington.
After serving my country as a Senior Advisor in President Obama’s State Department, I returned
home to Dallas to help run a local education nonpro t, Big Thought, which works with over
100,000 kids in Dallas to close the education gap. I was honored when Secretary Clinton asked me
to join her campaign policy team in New York and eventually lead her transition team in D.C., which
focused on how we would implement our campaign’s promises. After the 2016 election, I returned
once again to my home of Dallas to serve as a leader at Big Thought.
We talk a lot about values in this race. I believe it’s important to talk about values, but I also think
it’s just as important to talk about what comes next. How do we turn those values into actions?
What’s our plan to change lives, make a difference, and get results once we’re in Washington? How
do we provide constituents the opportunity to better their lives? We need a representative who
can go beyond just talking about change – who knows how to shape and pass laws that will make
lives better. I am the best candidate in this race because I am a committed public servant who has a
long and proven track record of getting results.
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez

I believe this district is ready to turn the page and that I t the pro le of the type of servant-leader
this district has been longing to have for several years. We need to change the discourse and
rede ne the narrative for American politics. I am the only candidate with unique attributes and
credentials to win the general election. I am a candidate who understands small businesses and
their needs because I have built and maintained a business with my wife. I have been in this
community for my entire life and working to create opportunities for youth and families. I am not
beholden to big money or “soft money” or special interests. I am a community person who has been
present in this community with knowledge and experiences that are unique to the modern day
career politician.
Voters in TX-32 should choose me as their candidate for three reasons: I am the most viable
candidate to take on Pete Sessions; I will bring real leadership to Congress, not simply another ‘yes’
vote; and we need to elect more women to public of ce.
First: viability. I am best equipped to take on Pete Sessions because I have a story and message that
uniquely resonates with voters of this district across the political spectrum.
As a small-business woman and job creator, I understand what it takes to grow the economy,
nurture entrepreneurship, and make payroll. I’ve spent my career as a business leader and then as a
public servant dedicated to creating economic opportunity, and can speak to these issues in ways
my opponents cannot.
As a woman, I can speak to the outrage that women across party lines feel right now. From
repeated attacks on women’s health and reproductive rights, to ever-growing sexual assault
scandals, to the disproportionately negative impact the recent tax reform will have on women and
families, Republican and Independent women are disgusted with the constant assault on women
and want to vote a woman into of ce.
My story is also the American story. I grew up with few resources. I am a rst-generation college
graduate, and paid for my tuition at UT-Austin through Pell grants and by waiting tables. I started
my rst business at the age of twenty- ve, earned my law degree from SMU, ultimately entered
public service, and raised three kids (a son and two adopted daughters) as a single mom. I was able
to create the life I have now because I had economic opportunity, and because of people who
believed in me and invested in me. My story is one that voters in this district can relate to -- every
person deserves a fair shot to build a life for themselves.
Second: Leadership. We need someone who has a proven track record of getting things done, and
who will challenge the power structure of Washington DC. I have witnessed rsthand the paralysis
created by the stranglehold of special corporate interests and hyper-partisanship in our legislative
process. This paralysis puts our families at risk. Whether it’s Congress’s inability to protect our
DREAMers, provide healthcare to the most vulnerable, or pass an appropriations bill, our
legislative process is not working.
This district deserves an experienced ghter who has drafted and passed bipartisan legislation,
testi ed on congressional budgets, and provided leadership to thousands of federal employees.
After leading a federal agency, operating a small business, and raising three kids as a single mom, I
will be ready to lead on day one in of ce.
We need a leader who will stand up to the vested, special interests that control Washington and
return power to those Congress is intended to serve -- its constituents. I will do that because I’ve
stood up to bullies my whole life. I stood up to special corporate interests to get my company’s
product on the market. I stood up to Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to protect nurses and
patients. I stood up to leaders of the Democratic Party when lobbying on behalf of women and
minority entrepreneurs, consumer groups and unions during negotiations on the Affordable Care
Lillian Salerno

Act in order to bring down health care costs and increase transparency. That’s the type of leader I
will be when elected -- someone who stands up for what’s right.
Third: Female representation. Of the 38 people we send to Congress to represent Texas, only three
of them are women. Texas has not sent a new woman to Congress in over twenty years. This has to
change. Over the course of my career in both the private and public sectors, I have seen time and
time again that you get better outcomes when you have a diversity of voices collaborating on a
decision. We need to elect leaders who re ect the diversity and lived experiences of the individuals
they purport to represent.
I have a proven record of forging change by shining a ashlight of truth and accountability across all
levels of government, society, and the corporate world over my 35 year career. As a reporter, I have
produced tangible results via my stories that have directly bene tted the people of District 32 on
the issues they care most about, like healthcare, workers comp. insurance, public education, the
rights and treatment of immigrants, and sound management of public tax dollars. I found the
problems affecting and sometimes harming the community and forced the appropriate authorities
to act to x them. I know the people here. I have worked to serve them my entire career. My
personal intercession has led to new regulations, forced corrupt individuals to resign, and literally
saved lives. I am the only candidate in this race with the track record of positive results for the
people of this district and the tenacity to take on the entrenched incumbent politician who has held
this seat without any respect for his constituents in the general election.
Length of residency in Texas and, if applicable, your
district:
I was born and raised in this district and have considered it to be my home all of my life. My family
has lived in North Dallas for decades, and I am a fourth generation Texan. My roots in this district
could not be deeper and when I have not been in school, the NFL, and doing civil rights or
government work elsewhere, I have always returned to Texas, and this district.
In Texas and the Dallas area 45 years. In the district 2 years.
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski

I've lived in Texas since 1986 (minus some college years in Chicago), and have lived in TX-32 (and its
predecessor) since 1998.
I was born at Presbyterian Hospital, and as a child, my family moved back and forth between
Nigeria and what is now the 32nd Congressional District in Dallas. After law school at UT Austin,
my wife and I started our family in Dallas. We have lived here and proudly sent our kids to Dallas
ISD public schools over the years. I served as precinct chair for three years and helped elect
Democrats across the county during the 2006 blue wave. We spent three years in public service in
Washington, DC when I served as a Senior Advisor at the State Department, then returned home to
Dallas for three years before moving away again for a year and a half to work on Hillary Clinton’s
campaign for President. We returned home following the election and live in the M Streets
neighborhood in Dallas.
I was born and raised in Dallas. I went away for college and spent a year studying in Italy, but Dallas
has always been home since my parents settled here prior to my birth. My wife and I bought our
rst home in Oak Cliff; later we moved to the District and then moved to Lewisville until we settled
in the District again almost a decade ago.
I was born in Dallas, and I’ve lived in Texas my entire life. While serving in the Obama
administration, I maintained my home here in Texas and have most recently moved into a home in
my district.
I have lived in Texas for 54 years. I grew up in Highland Park and have lived in my current Dallas
home for over 20 years. I lived in District 32 for about 10 years until I was gerrymandered out.
What political leader do you most admire and why?
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred

I admire and would seek to emulate President Barack Obama in both tone and substance as a
political leader. In my time working in the Obama Administration, in the Of ce of White House
Counsel, the Department of Justice, and as an appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban
Development I saw rst hand that his leadership inspired everyone serving in his administration to
put their personal egos and agendas aside to do the hard work of serving the American people.
President Obama’s instinct was to seek the middle ground without sacri cing his principles, to
gather bipartisan support where he could, and to appeal to the better angels in our politics-even if
his calls were too often ignored. He inspired a new generation of Americans to serve their country,
and through us, his in uence will reach far into our future.
Both President Obama and Secretary Julián Castro, who I also greatly admire, saw themselves as
not just of ce holders, but custodians of our democracy and the ideals underpinning it. Their model
of servant leadership is one I will seek to emulate in Congress and their commitment to our shared
American values is one I will seek to protect for future generations.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was an advocate for social justice that led us through the
Depression and World War II.
Abraham Lincoln. I recently read Team of Rivals, and was overjoyed --OVERJOYED!!-- to nd out
that Lincoln shared my own unwavering compassion for his fellow man. I've often been told that I
am "too nice," and that constantly putting my own neck out to help people would get me "burned."
And yes, while this has happened, I've always told people that I'd happily get "burned" by ve
people taking full advantage of me if it meant I could genuinely help 95 others in need who
otherwise wouldn't get anything. That's a great ratio!
And when I read about Lincoln's amazing generosity of spirit toward his rivals, toward his enemies
in the Confederacy, and even toward deserting Union soldiers, I had a sort of "YES!" st-pumping
moment that I really never expected from a book on history.
President Harry Truman kept a sign on his desk during his presidency that read “The Buck Stops
Here.” Truman made clear that even though he was faced with many imperfect decisions, he would
stand up and be accountable for the tough decisions he made. In Donald Trump, we currently have a
President who refuses to take any responsibility for governing. When things don’t go his way –
which is often – he never fails to pass the buck. And what’s worse, is he is aided and abetted every
day by Congressional Republicans, who have continually failed to nd even a shred of courage to
challenge the President on his dangerous and divisive policies. At the moment, Washington appears
totally unwilling and unable to grapple with big problems and work together to solve problems.
Washington could learn a lot from Truman. He was a common person and self-taught leader who
had strong values (for his time) on civil rights, expanding health care, and the power of economic
assistance to build peaceful alliances in Europe after World War II. He was also someone who knew
how to translate his values into action and get results – and even when his decisions weren’t
popular, he owned them, and stood up for what he believed was right.
Ron Marshall
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier

I have always admired President Truman’s values, courage, and willingness to take responsibility
during a challenging time in our nation’s history. As a college student, I was honored to be selected
as the Texas recipient of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a national award for college students
committed to careers in public service. And as we tackle the biggest challenges that our country
faces today, I’m proud to be part of a group of Truman Scholar alumni around the country
committed to stepping up and standing for the values we believe in and working together to solve
some of the biggest challenges facing our country.
There are several political leaders who I admire for different reasons, but the one I admire the most
is Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln led our country through its most divisive period and his leadership
began the healing process to bring our country together. More importantly, Lincoln understood
what the Constitution truly meant by “all men are created equal”. Not only did he end slavery, but
his leadership established a new and powerful narrative for our nation. Lincoln was willing to make
the hard decisions and was willing to make great sacri ces for our nation. He suffered tremendous
loss in his personal life and he never placed himself or his self-interest above that of the nation.
I deeply admire Lyndon B. Johnson. He transformed the domestic political and economic landscape
with the simple notion that we as a nation are better off when we create economic opportunity,
invest in our communities, and ensure and protect the dignity of all citizens. He was effective in
ensuring that elected of cials did the right thing, even when not easy or politically expedient.
President Johnson succeeded in passing the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in part
because was the right messenger, and embraced his identity as a Southerner and a Christian in
order to appeal to Southern legislators to take the collective action that was so desperately needed
to move our country forward.
Without question, Barack Obama. He will go down as one the most important and greatest
Presidents in American history. His unique vision for a truly united American and his ability to
connect with people and galvanize the country towards almost a decade of progress, change, and
prosperity was awe inspiring. When his detractors spewed vitriol towards him, he moved past it
calmly and with grace. He steered the country out of the Great Recession with a wisdom, dexterity
and determination that's rarely exhibited by any leader. He gained global respect for the United
States and, throughout his entire presidency, the entire nation could sense that his leadership was
the turning point towards a more inclusive society and a new, more aspirational era.
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp

What do you make of President Donald Trump's style and
agenda? Do you view him as an ally, a breath of fresh air in
a capital that needs to be shaken up? Or as volatile,
dangerous and out of his depth? Or something in
between? What would your role be in working with or
against him?
President Trump began his campaign by declaring Mexican immigrants to be rapists and criminals
and continued to run a xenophobic, racist, and hateful campaign that opened wounds that were
never fully healed. His appeal to the worst side of our nature as Americans and to the dark side of
our politics is diametrically opposed to everything that I believe in. As president, he has continued
down this dark path of pitting Americans against one another, seeking to ban an entire religion
from entering this country, demonizing immigrants, and undermining a free press. For these
reasons and many more I view him as one of the most divisive and dangerous forces to ever rise to
power in this country. He is entirely out of his depth in handling the enormous responsibilities of
the presidency and he may very well lead this nation into catastrophe.
However, I am not running for Congress against Donald Trump and I am not running to explicitly
oppose him as a member of Congress. I am running to restore opportunity to the people of this
area. We have enormous problems that need to be tackled now, some of which I believe this
administration will support. We have nearly 100,000 people a year moving to North Texas, and we
need to invest heavily in our infrastructure. We have a shortage of skilled labor that needs to be
addressed by increased vocational training in our high schools and greater investment in technical
schools and apprenticeship programs. And, we must do more to make it easier to start and grow a
new business here in North Texas. All of these policies have been supported by this administration
at one time or another, and I would be willing to work towards solutions on each of these issues and
others.
What I will not do, however, is betray my values and principles just for the sake of a deal. Nor will I
be intimidated by the President’s penchant for bullying. NFL linebackers are not known for backing
down from a challenge and as a civil rights attorney I have taken on powerful of ces and interests
when they have run afoul of our Constitution. In Congress, I will stand up to President Trump when
I believe it is necessary and will hold his administration accountable to the American people.
I think Donald Trump is trying to create a corporate dictatorship.
The laws of physics are not optional and the laws of physics tell us man-made global warming is real
and it is going to get worse if we keep adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Denial is all
about protecting fossil fuel company pro ts. The Trump administration is giving us fake science.
The Trump administration has placed corporate lap dogs in all the corporate watch dog positions.
The Trump administration is out to destroy the natural world taking away legal protections of
wildlife, by cutting back the size of national monuments, allowing fossil fuel development in
national parks, wildlife refuges, and other places that will cause harm to wildlife.
Regulations are being rolled back so we will have more air, water, and ground pollution.
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall

We have had fake health care. We have had fake tax reform which is nothing more than tax cuts for
the rich. More of our taxes will go to pay interest on the debt. We have created a fake austerity so
less money will be spent helping ordinary people.
We have fear mongering against Muslims and illegal immigrants to justify a police state.
Trump has shown himself to be a bigot by his opposition to transgender people in the military, by his
support of Charlottesville, Virginia white supremacists, his support of Confederacy monuments,
and his opposition to the right of NFL players to protest.
His fondness for Vladimir Putin is a national security liability.
The killing of Net Neutrality is for the purpose of taking away our right of free speech on the
internet through corporate censorship and creating a corporate dictatorship.
Trump likes to rave about the joys of deregulation. The Great Recession was caused by banking
deregulation. The Trump administration wants to remove the bank regulations put in place after
the Great Recession to prevent a recurrence of this kind of disaster.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created to prevent nancial institutions from
ripping off consumers. Trump wants to destroy the bureau.
Just about everything the Trump administration does is the same action that a corporate
dictatorship would take.
While I dislike his (ever shifting) agenda and his methods, I will say that Trump, involuntarily, has
been the catalyst in a resurgence of political and community activism across the country. Thanks to
Trump and his antics, people who would normally never pay attention to the political process are
now heavily involved, organizing, debating, participating... even running for of ce. And while he,
personally, is a threat to American ideals such as individual liberty and social responsibility, his rst
year in of ce has shown that our institutions are stronger than any one man.
It's hard to say whether I'd work with or against him because his policy views change 180 degrees
every 15 minutes. Obviously I'd like to get concrete, results-oriented legislation done when I am
representing our district; but I would just as obviously resist the President if he tried to institute
harmful or divisive policy.
This is not a tough question. Donald Trump lacks the temperament, knowledge, and skills to
effectively lead our country. His complete lack of understanding of foreign policy presents a
constant danger to the United States and the world. His lack of concern for everyday Americans,
the people he was elected to serve, has led to a widening in the gap between rich and poor by
enriching corporate titans and the wealthiest among us. My role in Congress would be to protect
the people of Dallas and the United States against Donald Trump’s dangerous and divisive ideas and
policies.
I do agree with the statement that Pres. Trump is volatile, dangerous and out of his depth. However,
my campaign is about what I can accomplish for Texans and it is not a campaign against Pres. Trump.
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez

Where there is common ground and agreement, I would be happy to work with him. Where there is
disagreement, I would have to oppose any policy or action that is against the values that I stand for
and represent in my district. My role, above all else, is to demonstrate leadership in the US
Congress and to move forward with policy that will help Americans.
When I am elected to Congress, I will work everyday to create economic opportunity for working
families, defend the rights and personal freedoms of all Americans, and restore a working
democracy that upholds the voice of the American people. Every day, President Trump and his
Administration further erodes our progress on each of those fronts. Be it the GOP tax scam, the
Muslim Ban, the failure to protect our DREAMers, or the continued assault on women, our country
is at risk. We need new leadership in Congress that holds this administration accountable and
reaf rms our commitment to building an economy that works for everyone, restoring our
democracy, and protecting the rights of all people.
He is an imminent threat to our democracy and to global stability. He is the perfect de nition of
“un t for of ce” and has upset the global diplomatic balance with his reckless behavior, rhetoric,
and absence of decorum. He has assaulted the 1st Amendment, which I nd particularly troubling
as a former member of the 4th estate. He nds sympathy with hate groups at home and agitates
adversaries abroad while consorting with foreign governments to enrich and empower himself. I
am already on record saying that I would be in favor of Trump's impeachment. It is the duty of
Congressmen to work towards legislation that bene ts their constituents and protects them from
Trump’s attacks on their pocketbooks, their health, and their personal security.
The gap between the rich and the poor in America is
widening. Is this a problem for the country, and if so what
should Congress do about it? What action should
Congress take, if any?
We are more unequal now, in terms of wealth inequality, than we have ever been. The recovery
from the Great Recession has not been shared equally, and average American household wealth
has still not fully recovered. What is more, this inequality is even worse when race is taken into
consideration. This widening inequality is not just a problem—it is in many ways the most important
issue facing this country today.
Wealth inequality and the lack of opportunity plaguing our economy isn’t just an abstract policy
issue to me, it’s personal. Growing up here my mother and I struggled nancially, despite her best
Lillian Salerno
Brett Shipp
Colin Allred

efforts. I know what it is to wonder how you will pay an unexpected bill or keep up with the nancial
demands of raising a child in America. I was fortunate enough to earn a scholarship to Baylor
University or I would have been forced to fund my college education entirely through loans. In
short, I know what many North Texas families are facing in this economy and I am running for
Congress to be a voice for them.
We can address wealth inequality and restore the American Dream by addressing the drivers of
inequality: affordable healthcare, access to a quality education, and a job that pays a decent, livable
wage. That’s why in Congress I will ght for:
*Universal access to affordable health care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than
one quarter of American adults have dif culty paying their medical bills. This includes people with
insurance, and in 2017 medical debt was still the number one source of personal bankruptcy.
*Increased investments in our education system, because there is no more powerful engine to
economic equality than a good education. I support providing universal access to Pre-K; recruiting,
training, and retaining the best teacher workforce in the world; rebuilding the decaying
infrastructure of our public school system; and strengthening apprenticeship and job training
programs. Moreover, we should work toward debt-free college and we must bolster our community
college system.
*Revising the GOP’s recent tax bill to provide real tax relief for Middle Class families, while
simultaneously rolling back the bill’s giveaways to big corporations and the wealthy. Our tax code
should not privilege those at the top, but should instead clear away obstacles to people climbing the
economic ladder.
*Boosting spending on infrastructure, which will raise the overall output potential of our economy
while providing good jobs for middle class families.
*Advocating for raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, in graduated steps, and indexing it to
in ation—because if you work a full week’s work in this country you should be able to take care of
your family.
*Protecting Social Security, Medicare, and other earned bene ts, and also nding ways to expand
the reach of these programs. I will always support a robust safety net to prevent anyone from being
crushed by circumstances outside their control and to retire with dignity.
*Supporting the introduction of a national paid family leave program, so that no American has to
risk losing their job to take care of a sick loved-one.
What unites all these disparate proposals is opportunity. We cannot guarantee equality of
outcomes, but we can work to guarantee equality of opportunity. If we do these things, we can build
an economy where everyone shares in mass prosperity, and raise children knowing that their lives
will be better than their parents.
According to Oxfam International just eight individuals have as much wealth as the bottom 3.6
billion people of the human race. This situation is simply not moral. According to an Economic
Policy Institute study almost all of the new wealth generated in the United States since 1980 has
been going to the top ten percent. Nevertheless things are getting worse. The further you go up the
wealth ladder the faster the wealth grows so when you get to the top .01%, according to some, the
growth rate becomes exponential. The tax cuts for the wealthy law just passed only makes things
worse.
Ron Marshall

There are ways this problem can be solved. There is such a thing as rich enough. We don’t have to
support the idea of in nite personal wealth. The highest personal tax rate was 94.0% in 1944,
91.0% in 1963, and 70.0% before Ronald Reagan was elected. I am not seeing why anyone needs
more wealth than between 1000 to 5,000 times that of people of ordinary income. We should raise
the tax rate as high as necessary to keep personal wealth within reasonable bounds.
We need do get rid of laws like Money is Speech and Citizens United that allow the wealthy to buy
the government and hold down unions and the minimum wage.
We should end so called “Right to Work” laws which are actually “Right to Work for Less” or “Right
to Work for Peanuts” laws. These laws ban the union shop and take away the right to join a union.
We should raise the minimum wage. We should end trade agreements that allow American workers
to be undercut by cheap foreign labor.
We, as a country, should constantly take on new tasks so that we have full employment; everyone
has an opportunity to earn a decent living, utilize their skills and develop new skills.
We should elect reform minded Democrats to public of ce.
When you have a problem, the rst thing you should do is stop making it worse! The recent tax bill
is an example of what not to do: giving large handouts to the rich (those that need it the least) that
are paid for by adding trillions to the de cit. The Republicans who voted for it knew exactly who it
was for (their big donors) and what would happen if they did what was right and voted against it (no
more big checks). And they did it anyways, because without those huge checks, they know they
have no chance at re-election anyways.
It's the vicious cycle of spiritual poverty that has turned Congress from the most democratic branch
of government into just another tool of the wealthiest to wield against the rest of us. The
Republicans saw a bill that would hurt the vast majority of their constituents, and turned against
them for a fat paycheck, taking the gamble that in 11 months we'd forget what they did. They'll see
how long our memories are in November.
The widening gap between the rich and the poor in America is one of the de ning problems
affecting our society. While the rich get richer, especially under Donald Trump’s corporate
giveaway of a tax plan, poor and working-class Americans struggle to afford basic necessities.
Congress should have passed a tax plan that prioritized the needs of working and middle-class
families, rather than corporations and millionaires.
Congress ought to pass laws that help more people move up the economic ladder. We should
bolster skills building programs that train workers for the jobs of tomorrow and pass a jobs and
infrastructure bill to provide more solid jobs now. With that in mind, Congress should support
programs that help more people enter and stay in the workforce while supporting American
families. A good place to start is providing more affordable childcare options. This could be
accomplished through a combination of universal Pre-K, expanding Head Start, subsidizing daycare
centers, and providing paid family leave to new parents so they don’t have to choose between
having a family and having a job. Another key way to help people get ahead is by providing more
affordable and integrated housing. This can be accomplished by increasing resources for the
Community Development Block Grant and rental assistance programs administered by the
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier

Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as ensuring that fair housing rules are
properly enforced.
Finally, Congress must protect the social safety net programs that everyday American families rely
on to make ends meet in an era of stagnating wages. Speci cally, Congress should preserve and
improve vital programs including Medicaid, SNAP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Social
Security, and Social Security Disability Insurance. And of course, Congress should ensure that
American families can afford quality healthcare by protecting the Affordable Care Act and its cost-
sharing payments.
Yes! Americans just want a fair shot. We need to create public policy based on achieving economic
fairness that will once again give the average person a chance to achieve the American Dream. We
have to strengthen and expand the middle by taking the following steps:
First, the current tax reform will only work to widen that gap at the expense of the middle class and
the aspiring middle class. We need tax reform with long-term investment in mind. We need to close
the tax loopholes on America’s wealthiest. We need large corporations to pay their fair share of
taxes, and we need to level the playing eld for small businesses.
Second, we need to build up the middle class and the working poor by providing affordable
healthcare for all Americans. We can do this by xing and expanding the ACA. We can also reduce
the cost of healthcare by providing preventative healthcare in the poorest neighborhoods. We can
rely on examples set by our own Parkland Hospital and Christus Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi.
Third, we can increase the minimum wage over the next 7 years to a $15/hour wage with regional
adjustments. We can also include indexing and parity for tipped workers. We should also sunset
subminimum wages for workers with disabilities employed in sheltered workshops and those under
the age of 20. I also support tax incentives to companies who provide retraining for employees. We
should also help college graduates by providing companies the ability to pay employees’ student
loans tax-free to both the employer and employee.
Fourth, I believe that equal pay for equal work is a principal that needs legal protection by
strengthening the Equal Pay Act and providing a legal remedy for victims.
Finally, there are a number of other steps that should be taken such as protecting consumers and
small businesses from monopolies, protecting the Bacon-Davis Act, and restoring overtime
protections.
To improve the lives of Texans and American families we must concurrently tackle the big issues of
our time: inequality and concentration of power, while also building a strong, resilient economy that
works for everyone.
In Texas and across the nation, inequality is decidedly out of control, with economic (and therefore
also political) power becoming ever more concentrated among the wealthiest individuals and
corporations. As a rst step, we must repeal the new Republican tax law, which intends to create a
permanent plutocracy, shunting even more wealth to the top 1 percent of earners and largest
corporations, under the bogus theory that trickle-down economics is responsible for broad-based
economic growth. We have only to look at our neighbors in Kansas and Oklahoma to know we can
not tax-cut our way to prosperity.
But we must do much more than return our tax policy to what it was if we are to ensure our nation’s
economy is strong, resilient, and growing with the purpose of putting millions of families on rm
George Rodriguez
Lillian Salerno

economic footing.
For generations, American families improved their lives through entrepreneurship, but this is no
longer a common avenue for family wealth creation. Today big businesses and international
corporations dominate the marketplace, making it hard for small businesses to succeed. I strongly
believe that we must rmly enforce existing antitrust and anti-monopoly laws if we are to bring
entrepreneurship rates up from their current 40 year low and ensure that the principle of
competition is at the heart of our economic system. We must ensure consumers aren’t gouged and
cheated by faraway corporations in everything from healthcare to telecommunications; distribute
more power back to workers and unions; and truly support the independent businesses that are
drivers of job creation and community vibrancy. Confronting the incredible power today’s
monopolies have amassed is also important to achieving critical working and middle class victories
including living wages, safer working conditions, the right to collective bargaining, and family-
friendly policies like affordable child care and paid leave, among many others.
Both our economy and moral standing as a nation will be stronger when we reduce barriers that
keep so many Americans from the opportunity to reach their full potential. Unleashing the full
talent of all Americans will require investing in people. For example, we must ensure equal pay for
equal work, make quality education accessible to all, invest in job training and apprenticeship
programs, and secure full political inclusion.
To build a strong, resilient economy we must also invest in our physical infrastructure while making
prudent use of our natural resources to ensure they remain ongoing sources of wealth for decades
to come. From transportation and broadband to water and clean energy systems, investments in
21st century infrastructure can create job opportunities for American families and raise wages,
while fueling economic growth for decades to come. I would support a jobs bill focused on
infrastructure and clean energy investments to spur job creation and economic development
across all sectors, that maintains public control of public infrastructure and prioritizes investment
in the places that need it most.
If elected, I will be a leading voice for tackling inequality, reducing the level of corporate monopoly
control over our economy, our communities, and families, while also ghting for more immediate
policies that ensure our economic growth is rooted in helping to open up opportunity for all.
Yes, it is a problem. Congress exacerbates the problem by passing corporate tax giveaways while
setting aside token crumbs for the middle and low income families who need assistance the most.
As Americans are expected to work and produce more, their wages, adjusted for in ation have only
grown at a rate of 0.2% per year since the mid-seventies. Wage stagnation is a huge issue that must
be addressed, in part, by raising the Federal Minimum Wage. Let's raise the minimum wage
immediately to $10/hour and then to $15/hour over 5 years.
We know that good education builds a foundation for a more ful lling and prosperous life. We
know that people with higher educational attainment are less likely to be nancially insecure.
Politicians are fond of "helping people help themselves" but, if we're serious about it, we must
invest in public education. We need to provide students with the skills, knowledge, and drive to
meet the 21st century head-on. We must make higher education more affordable, work to reduce
student debt to encourage college matriculation, support job training programs, and strongly
support public education by properly supplementing funding for our local schools with Federal
money.
Brett Shipp

What is the greatest threat to American security, and how
should America respond? What specifically should
Congress do to help?
The greatest threat to our national security is the combined challenge of the North Korean nuclear
program, and nuclear proliferation more generally. If North Korea’s weapons program is not halted,
they will soon have the capability of launching a nuclear strike on an American city via an
intercontinental ballistic missile. It may trigger a nuclear arms race in East Asia as other nations
respond by building their own atomic arsenals. And this crisis points out how urgently we must act
to prevent the world’s most dangerous regimes and non-state actors from acquiring these terrible
weapons.
Congress must do everything it can to tighten sanctions on North Korea to pressure North Korea
to negotiate an end to its nuclear weapons and missile program. It must also ensure that our
military has what it needs to defend our allies and our bases in East Asia from North Korean attack
—a strong deterrent will make it less likely that North Korea will make further aggressive moves in
the region.
More broadly, Congress should support and fully fund capacity building programs that assist other
countries in adopting and enforcing effective non-proliferation controls (such as export controls of
nuclear technology and anti-smuggling programs). Congress should also support and fully fund US-
Russian nuclear cooperation projects that have been suspended; despite current tensions between
the two countries, these two nuclear giants must work together to prevent Russia’s nuclear
materials from falling into the wrong hands.
But because much of the ability to act in this area lies with the executive branch, Congress must
fully exercise its oversight and budget powers over the administration in this area. The President’s
bellicose and dangerous rhetoric threatening North Korea with nuclear war is making the North
Korean crisis more dangerous. Further, his remarks expressing support for more nations to acquire
nuclear weapons—and his comments suggesting that the US will abandon defense commitments to
its allies--undermine global non-proliferation efforts and regional stability. Congress must speak
out against these efforts, and curb the President’s ability to act unilaterally without congressional
consultation. Finally, I will oppose any efforts to undermine the Iran nuclear deal, because any
efforts to unravel that agreement make it less likely that North Korea will ever negotiate an end to
its nuclear program. After all, the point of imposing sanctions is to force negotiations. The ability to
negotiate such a deal with North Korea would be critically undermined if we show that we are not
willing to abide by a similar agreement that we just made with Iran.
The greatest threat to American security is nuclear war. It has been this way for a long time. North
Korea is one of the world’s worst dictatorships, led by a leader who is trying to use the threat of
nuclear war to get his way. We need to make sure he understands the consequences of reckless or
aggressive actions.
However, bombastic or reckless rhetoric from our side is a bad idea. Refusing to negotiate is also a
bad idea.
More anti-ballistic missile technology would help, but it is hard to prevent bombs from being
smuggled into a country.
Colin Allred
Ron Marshall

We must try to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We must try our best to prevent Iran
from becoming a nuclear power.
The United States should form a military and economic alliance of only the democracies that
protect human rights. It could be called Nations for the Protection of Human Rights.
When the Founding Fathers convened to write the Constitution, they were beset by a host of
potentially lethal problems for a brand-new country; trade, disagreements between the states, and
the ever-looming presence of Great Britain and France, who could bully and/or invade us at any
time with their superior repower and resources.
But all of that paled to the one issue the Founding Fathers considered most pressing of all:
corruption from within.
Our greatest American thinkers, from Ben Franklin to Lincoln to King, have all said the same thing:
our nation can withstand any and all external threats, but no nation can withstand the spreading
decay of corruption. Sadly, we are seeing that right here and right now, in the esh, in 2017, both on
a national scale and here in our very own district. When our politicians are more interested in
enriching themselves at the expense of the public good, the country starts to fall apart at the seams.
The corrupting in uence of big money in politics is a far greater threat to the U.S. than any crackpot
dictator on the other side of the world. Strong-willed lawmakers can deal with external threats.
Weak-willed lawmakers concerned with personal gain cannot.
What can Congress do? The rst step is on us: voting the corruption out, and replacing the decay
with fresh, new voices that have the country's best interests in mind. Will that happen? We'll nd
out on March 6th!
The greatest immediate threat to American security is North Korea’s development of
intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. Congress should continue to authorize new
sanctions to tighten the economic pressure and impose costs on the North Korean regime.
Congress should also examine measures to hold accountable other countries that continue to
engage and do business with North Korea. Congress should conduct vigorous oversight to ensure
that President Trump does not blunder us into a potentially devastating war by miscalculation,
mistake, or mis-Tweet.
The greatest long-term threat to America’s security is Vladimir Putin, who will continue to
undermine our democracy and threaten our allies to serve Russia’s interest. Donald Trump has
proven time and again that he cannot be trusted to protect our nation against Russia. As such,
Congress should take a primary role in hardening our defenses and deterring Russia from future
intrusions.
The biggest threat to American security is our inconsistent messages to the world regarding our
foreign policy. We seek to resolve threats posed by N. Korea, Iran, and the Middle East while our
President is in aming his feud with Kim Jong-Un and destabilizing our leadership in other areas.
Another dangerous inconsistency is our rhetoric toward our international allies. We need to secure
Todd Maternowski
Ed Meier
George Rodriguez

Dallas morning news voter guide united states representative district 32 democrat

Dallas morning news voter guide united states representative district 32 democrat

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