Democrats vying for Texas House District 97

Elizabeth Tarrant and Andrew T. McKernon have one thing in common: They say it’s time Texas House District 97 is represented by a Democrat again.

The last time a Democrat was elected there was around eight years ago, when Dan Barrett won a special election to replace the retiring Anna Mowery, a Republican.

Since then, Republicans have represented the district — and state Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, has held the post since 2013.

“I decided to run for a public office because often seats are left to the Republican due to no opposing Democrat,” said Tarrant, 24, an operator at Texas Crude Energy Llc. “This election, Democrats across Dallas-Fort Worth will have plenty of candidates to vote for to get their voice heard in Texas.”

McKernon, a 31-year-old executive at Business Development and Healthcare Technology, said he jumped into the race because he feels a sense of duty to step up.

“Politics has become so overwhelmingly polarized in our country and in Texas that the majority of the constituency is no longer represented,” he said. “Democracy requires that citizens stand up and give the electorate the ability to choose new representation. When no one stands up, ... the democratic process fails its citizens.”

The two face off in the March 1 Democratic primary to determine who will represent the district, which includes Benbrook and Fort Worth neighborhoods such as the South Hulen corridor, Wedgwood and Candleridge.

At stake is a two-year term that pays $7,200 a year. Early voting runs Feb. 16-26.

The winner faces Goldman in November.

Tarrant

Tarrant, who also owns Liz’s Arts and Crafts, said she’s in the race because she wants to help her community and she believes running for public office is the best way to do that.

The political novice, who held student government leadership positions at Tarleton State University, said she sees problems such as children who no longer can receive hot breakfasts because of budget cuts.

“I find it quite difficult to sit idly by and let our children suffer,” she said. “We need someone that will think about all the consequences that come with budget cuts and prevents further damage to institutions like Texas public schools.”

She opposes open carry, a new law passed by the Texas Legislature last year that allows licensed Texans to openly carry holstered handguns across the state. And she wants to work on creating “common-sense ideas” to keep everyone safe.

“While some people carrying guns will be law abiding, some may not be law abiding, and it is not possible to distinguish between the two,” said Tarrant, a gun owner who supports the Second Amendment. “The fact that the possibility for gun-slinging fights in public has now been legalized presents a severe threat to public safety.”

If elected to office, she said her top priorities would include getting more funding for education, making public spaces safer, particularly from open carry, and making birth control free to Texas women.

She reported receiving $865 in campaign finance donations for the last six months of 2015 and, as of Jan. 15, having $27.69 in cash on hand, according to records from the Texas Ethics Commission.

McKernon

McKernon said he’s making his first bid for public office to give Texans who see themselves as neither conservative nor liberal an option.

“I am running to represent that majority of Texans: pragmatic, rational, hardworking citizens,” he said, adding that his candidacy isn’t “bankrolled by any special interests.”

Top issues in this race, he said, are immigration, education and building a strong middle class.

He said the state must work to boost existing immigration laws without hurting businesses that rely on “low-skill labor.” And lawmakers must invest in education to ensure that business leaders pick Texas as the site to locate their businesses. And he said the state must boost the middle class “so that they are more secure and more prosperous, ensuring the Texas economy continues to grow.”

If elected, he says he would focus on overhauling how voting districts are drawn, reforming campaign finance procedures and boosting voter access by proposing to let all voters cast ballots by mail.

But “the biggest challenge will be working across the aisle in a predominantly Republican Legislature,” he said. “Given my background in business, negotiating contracts that affect millions of lives and tens of millions of dollars, I feel well suited to bringing those across the aisle together to common goals that the electorate truly cares about.”

He reported receiving $50 in campaign finance donations for the last six months of 2015 and, taking out a $200 loan. As of Jan. 15, he reporting having $200 in cash on hand, according to records from the Texas Ethics Commission.

This story was originally published January 30, 2016 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Democrats vying for Texas House District 97."