Beth Van Duyne

Brief biography

• Regional Administrator for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2017 - present)

• Mayor of Irving, Texas (2011-2017)

• Irving City Council Member (2004-2010)

• B.A. in city and regional planning and government and law from Cornell University.

Main platform

• lower the cost of healthcare 

• stop the drug cartels and human traffickers from harming more of our citizens

• pass an infrastructure bill

• expand growth so our hard-working families have more job opportunities and higher wages

Healthcare

• allow Associated Health Care plans (individuals and small businesses banding together in order to have equal purchasing power as corporations and labor unions)

• Expand the use of health savings accounts

• allow people to purchase insurance across state lines

• make healthcare plans portable so they follow the individual.

Criminal Justice

• Advocates for increased punishment of crimes of a “violent nature or crimes against others” to prevent criminals “released back into our neighborhoods where they commit further crimes.”

• Calls for convictions to be registered with the National Instant Criminal Background Check system (NICS) to prevent violent offenders from being able to lawfully purchase firearms

Immigration

• Believes in a pathway to legal status

• Advocates for building more border wall and hiring more border agents to gain operational control  

• Supports the “Remain in Mexico” policy

• Wants to increase ICE agents and local law enforcement officers

Gun Reform

• Believes violent criminals should be prevented from making a legal gun purchase

• Believes gun laws should concentrate on criminals who commit violent crimes

Environmental Protection

• Wants our country to continue making advances in technology that reduce emissions, have a smaller footprint for energy energy generation, and contribute to cleaner air, water, and soil

• Is interested in next generation nuclear reactors

Candace Valenzuela

Brief Biography

• First Latina and first African-American woman to serve on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board, serving since 2017.

• Graduated from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, on a full scholarship

• A mother of two, an educator, and a lifelong Texan.

Main Platform

• Raise the minimum wage to $15/hour 

• provide student loan debt relief

• make healthcare affordable by providing public option to buy into Medicare

• expand affordable housing and provide protections against housing discrimination

Healthcare

• protect and expand the Affordable Care Act

• lower the cost of prescription drugs

• implement a public health care option

• crack down on surprise medical billing

• oppose all cuts to seniors’ Medicare and Social Security benefits and privatization of either program

Criminal Justice

• Supports Campaign Zero, an advocacy group committed to ending excessive use of force by police 

• establish a national database to track misconduct and the use of force across police departments

• Would fight to end the use of no-knock warrants;

• end qualified immunity, a civil liability shield for police officers that allows them to act with near impunity.

• Eliminating cash bail system and private prisons

Immigration

• Believes in a pathway to citizenship

• Wants to ensure that those crossing our border to seek asylum are treated fairly and humanely

• Would stand up against immigration enforcement raids and make sure that local and state police do not have the authority that Federal immigration agents have

Gun Reform

• Will fight to end the gun show loophole (when buying from a private seller, background checks are not required)

• Would vote to pass red flag laws and universal background checks

• Would support a ban on assault weapons

• Will work to make substantive investments in green infrastructure, creating thousands of jobs for TX-24 in the proces. 

• Wants to significantly cut carbon emissions in the next decade 

• Believes in providing strong incentives for businesses to help combat climate change