Candidates for Fort Worth area Texas Senate District 9 on Nov. 8 ballot
Kelly Hancock
Incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Hancock did not provide answers to the Star-Telegram’s candidate questionnaire.
Gwenn Burud
Political party: Democratic
Age: 54
Occupation: Retired Teacher of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Education: Texas Woman’s University, Denton Texas: Master of Science & Bachelor of Science , Tarrant County College: Associate of Applied Science & Associate of Arts
Have you run for elected office before?
Yes - I ran for Senate District 9 back in 2018. We were able to bring the district from a 30-point Republican win in 2014 to within an 8-point margin.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement.
Tarrant Together - Founding Board Member, Babies Day Out - Planning Committee, Tarrant County Auditory Services Collaborative
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Uwe Pontius, Ellen Vlassis, and Jeromey Sims
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent?
I believe in bodily autonomy and personal liberty as a value. My opponent believes it is appropriate to deny women in Texas the right to choose.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?
Revamping the public school funding formula to quickly provide property tax relief for working families and small businesses.
Building a stronger economy through a healthier population by expanding access to affordable healthcare and insuring over 1 million low-income Texans through the Medicaid expansion
Restoring individual liberty and Abortion Rights for women in Texas—I believe in working to promote adoption, family planning, maternal healthcare and assistance - but ultimately, decisions about pregnancy should be made between a woman and her healthcare provider; It is a deeply personal decision.
Would you support a state ban on transgender treatments for those younger than 18? Which medical procedures or treatments and why? How should a ban be enforced?
No - I would not support a policy that will harm young people and interfere with the right to bodily autonomy, personal liberty, parental rights. A value that I believe in very strongly is personal liberty. Therefore, I stand with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Texas Pediatric Society’s recommendations on gender affirming care. I’m not in the business of coming between a family and medical professionals.
Should Texas change its abortion law to make exceptions for rape and/or incest? At what point in a pregnancy should abortion be barred, if at all?
Ultimately, the decisions regarding pregnancy and maternity are best - and should - be left between a woman, her family, and her physician.
Huge numbers of Texas schoolchildren are lagging behind grade level in reading, math and other basic skills. What can the state do about that? What specific policies do you support to improve achievement in as many Texas schools as possible?
We have continued to fall behind in core subject material. Particularly in light of the challenges caused by the Coronavirus pandemic and setbacks from remote learning, a significant investment is needed in not only professional resources, but also for families. The state must provide equitable access to all schoolchildren in Texas regardless of their zip code or family financial situation. Regarding specific policies, I would propose a funding formula that is not as heavily reliant upon local property taxes. We cannot ask more from our educators if we are not willing to pay them what they are worth.
The state has a huge budget surplus in the coming years. How should that be used? How much would you allocate to property tax cuts, bolstering education and improving pay and benefits for teachers? What other priorities should the Legislature should consider?
My priorities are:
1. The State can immediately allocate funds to provide immediate assistance using an expedited authorization system.
2. Property Tax Relief directly provided by disbursement from the State, or through local authorities, to ease the burden of the tax increases. It would be ideal to provide as much relief as possible, however guaranteeing a specific percentage of the budget would be fiscally irresponsible.
3. Rethink our budgetary process to incorporate revenue and expenditure changes which would drastically create opportunities by expanding Medicaid and by incorporating projections for sales and use tax provided that the State legalizes the sale of cannabis to adults.
4. Immediate funding assistance to provide resources for mental health facilities and hospitals
Do you support Medicaid expansion? If not, what changes would you like to see in the health care system to make care more affordable and accessible?
Yes. Texas has the distinction of being the most uninsured state in the nation. Medicaid expansion would not only insure more low income Texans, it will reduce costs associated with uncompensated care and contribute to economic growth.
Should Texas declare an invasion and attempt to enforce federal immigration law?
The State of Texas is not in charge of Federal immigration policy. Only the United States Congress has the constitutional authority to declare a state of invasion or war. We can address the issue of border security while simultaneously coordinating with federal and local officials to improve public safety for everyone.
What gun policy changes would you vote for, and/or how should Texas continue its efforts to make schools safer?
I believe keeping our schools safe must be a priority. We can balance rights afforded by the 2nd Amendment with common-sense reforms that have support of the majority of Texans, such as universal background checks, red-flag laws, limiting the availability of weapons designed for use on the battlefield, regulating the availability of high capacity magazines, increased training and resources for first responders, and supporting safe storage measures to help prevent accidental death in homes of gun-owners.
Most importantly, we must address the root causes of violence and mass shootings, and I support increasing funding for better access to mental health services, and training resources to enable local authorities to respond appropriately in the unfortunate event that tactical intervention is required.
