How would Bastrop County benefit from your election?
We asked each of the candidates who will appear in the May 24 runoffs this question. Here are the responses we’ve received.
Joe Jaworski for Texas Attorney General
Bastrop County would benefit from my election because as Texas Attorney General I will draw upon my experience as mayor of Galveston, Texas, to support local decision-making authority. The Texas GOP has essentially declared war on cities, counties, and school boards. I, on the other hand, will respect the lawful decisions of local leaders. That’s a big difference between me and Mr. Paxton, our indicted, multiple-investigated, and disgraced incumbent.
Also, I will hold property insurers to account, taking the side of the insured homeowner whenever there are disasters like wildfire/smoke claims, damage from frozen pipes or hail/windstorm damage claims. I am an expert mediator in these “first party” insurance claims matters, and as attorney general I will be fair and firm when dealing with insurance companies. They’ll know there’s a new sherriff in town. I will require them to follow the Texas Insurance Code and ensure that they timely and reasonably pay claims to the millions of homeowners through Texas, and specifically in Bastrop County.
Joe Jaworski for Texas Attorney General
Rochelle Mercedes Garza for Texas Attorney General
As Texas AG, I plan to represent the interests of Bastrop County by listening to your needs and protecting your interests. I will do this by standing up for your civil rights, holding corporations accountable, protecting workers from wage theft and misclassification of their employment status, and holding bad actors accountable for last year’s power grid failure that harmed so many.
As an attorney, I’ve worked in immigration, family, criminal defense, and constitutional law. My work has had broad impacts, like the “Garza Notice,” a notification requirement that teens in immigration detention have a constitutional right to access abortion care.
As a Latina from the border, I recognize that we have laws that are harmful to women, LGBTQ+, and rural communities because we don’t have representation that reflects us.
And as a new mom, the hope I have for my daughter, and your children, is that they grow up with the freedom to determine their own course in life, to marry whom they love, to decide if, when, or how to become a parent, and to live in a clean, safe environment.
We need an attorney general who fights for Texas families, reflects their lived experiences, and knows what’s at stake.
Rochelle Garza for Attorney General | Texas | Democrat (rochellegarzafortexas.com)
Angel Luis Vega for Texas Comptroller
I want to take this opportunity not to talk about me but about us. That is what this election is about. It’s about truth, unity, responsibility, values, and hope. I believe that we can do better that we need to fight the misinformation, hatred, and division that Republicans continue creating. You deserve a better Texas, one where, no matter your zip code, you will have access to health care, clean water, electricity, high-speed internet, an excellent education, and the resources to support your family. You deserve a Texas where you feel safe in our cities and towns, as well as in your own home. That Texas is possible, with new leadership.
I’m running for office because it’s time to bring this new vision to life. I have over 20 years in finance, accounting, operations, managing large budgets, innovation, revenue strategy, fixing inefficiencies, and building successful teams.
At the comptroller’s office, I will ensure the state’s fiscal stability to fund public safety & services. I will focus on transparency, accountability, and optimizing the office’s capabilities to improve the taxpayer’s experience and dollars. It’s time to bring Texas back to the people! Visit www.angelvega.com to learn more!
Janet Tycelia Dudding for Texas Comptroller
Janet Tycelia Dudding for Texas ComptrollerI am a certified public accountant, but not your typical CPA. My first job out of college was investigating allegations that elected officials had embezzled taxpayer money or taken kickbacks. I helped lay the groundwork for “Operation Pretense,” which put over 50 corrupt politicians in prison for procurement fraud. I’ve spent my career auditing, accounting for, and even investigating state and local governments and governmental officials. That’s the kind of CPA we need as our state accountant—one who looks out for us, everyday Texans, instead of pandering to special interests.
Our current comptroller likes to refer to himself as the CFO of the world’s ninth largest economy. Translating to American statistics, Texas has the second largest economy, yet ranks 42nd in healthcare, 43rd in public education, and 41st in water and air quality. We can do better and when elected, I pledge to do everything I can to provide services worthy of the nation’s second largest economy.
Janet Dudding, MBA, CPA for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (janetdudding4texas.com)
Sandragrace Martinez for Texas Land Commissioner
Sandragrace Martinez for Texas Land CommissionerBastrop County is an area with preeminent historical significance, and it continues to provide ecological prestige to the great state of Texas. I shall have a high priority in protecting Bastrop’s rich environmental history. I will implement a leadership position of stewardship to preserve the natural beauty and thriving ecosystem Bastrop endows for all Texans. It is important to note global warming will increase the number of natural disasters in our state, and the impact will have stronger devastating effects, so it is paramount to invest back into the citizens of Texas by doing our due diligence to prepare, mitigate, respond, and recover effectively for this increase. Priority shall be given to the Bastrop area for a General Land Office satellite office.
We will also embody that same commitment towards providing our veterans with a more efficient process for expediting our fulfillment to their care and access to benefits.
Home (sandragrace4texans.com)
Jay Kleberg for Texas Land Commissioner
Jay Kleberg for Texas Land CommissionerWhether it be my upbringing in the agricultural community surrounding Kingsville, my work conserving and managing wild lands in my role as associate director at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, or the time I spent covering the state building Explore Ranches to maintain rural working lands, I have spent my working life working with communities across the state—rural and urban and everything in between—and I will continue to do so if elected.
We’ve seen climate change impact us already—all across the state, including in Bastrop County. All that we love is at risk, but we have the opportunity and ability to do something about it before it’s too late. Texas is the top emitter of carbon dioxide in the country. We must take advantage of our state capacity to store carbon dioxide, invest in renewable energy, and partner with conservation organizations to ensure a future with clean air, clean water, and open spaces. The GLO has the ability to lead Texas toward a carbon neutral future by 2050. And if elected, I plan to work with local leaders across the state and here in Bastrop County to achieve that goal.
