Here’s who’s running to represent Texas’ 26th Congressional District in the U.S. House

Texas’s 26th congressional district, which covers parts of Denton, Wise, Cooke and Tarrant counties, will have a new representative for the first time in two decades.

U.S. Rep. Dr. Michael Burgess announced he was calling in a career in November 2023 joining fellow North Texas Republican Rep. Kay Granger in retiring from congress.

Republican Brandon Gill beat out 10 other Republican candidates to earn his party’s nomination. He’s focused his campaign on border security, fiscal responsibility, and representing ‘America First’ values.

Earnest Lineberger, who ran unopposed in the Democratic Party primary, has focused on giving voters in the district a choice, arguing Republican candidates serving wealthy individuals and large companies.

Here are there responses to our survey.

Brandon Gill

Political Party: Republican

Did not respond

Ernest Lineberger III

Political Party: Democrat

Age: 66

Campaign website: linebergerforuscongress.com

Best way for voters to reach you: linebergerforuscongress.com

Occupation: Retired Naval Officer, Surface Warfare officer, Nuclear Power (1980 - 1995); Texas Instruments, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering (1996 - present)

Education: BS Aerospace Engineering, University or Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 1980, Dean’s List; MS Engineering Acoustics, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, 1988; MS Systems Technology (Antisubmarine Warfare), Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, 1988 (with distinction)

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years): Not since HIgh School

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism: Chairman, Moore Farm HOA, Architectural Controls CommitteePBS, KERA donorKIVA.org micro-loan financierLULAC memberNAACP memberLeague of Women Voters memberPreston Meadow Lutheran Church member, Green Team, lector, usher, Sunday School Leader, refugee apartment setupUnited Way donor – includes American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and others.Highlights of past civic involvement/accomplishment:Saint Paul Hospice VolunteerElementary School Reading MentorWheel Chair ramp building assistantCuster Road UMC; Choir memberCapes for Kids; sewing machine operatorTrinity Presbyterian Church; Choir member, youth camp adult advisorFoundation for CHOICE; High School mentorLamb of God Lutheran Church; Choir member, Sunday School Teacher, Lead in Easter play, Small Group Leader

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: No, except for serving jury duty

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: No, except for serving jury duty

Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Private Donors. One has contributed the maximum $3,300. A second has Contributed $3,000. A third has contributed $2,200. I did not know these people before starting my campaign. I have met one of them. I have also loaned money my campaign.

Why are you seeking this office?: To Give Voters a Better Choice and Hope for a Better Future!

To motivate participation by making voting a meaningful exercise with a real choice.

The priorities of the Republican party seem to serve big business and big money. From excessive Tax cuts to relaxing EPA controls. From failing to pass reasonable gun safety laws to undermining voter protections. This does not serve the American people.

As a naval officer, I took an Oath to support and defend the US constitution. This is the same oath taken by congressmen. I take it very seriously, but when I saw many Republican Senators acquit then President Trump on two separate and valid impeachments, I felt that they did not take their oath seriously. When I saw the US House delay funding to Ukraine while their soldiers died on the battlefield at the hands of invaders, I was ashamed.

When I learned that there was no Democratic Candidate to run to be my US House Representative, I decided that was my call to service once again.

What are your top 3 policy priorities?: The Foundation for a Future: Produce and approve a balanced budget with a sound tax strategy. Ensure climate change and worldwide international relations are managed for peace and trade.

The Freedom of the People: Protect the people’s rights and freedoms, including women’s right to freely choose her own health care options, serious upgrades to meaningful voting rights and representation standards, full equity for all citizens regardless of race, sex, orientation, etc., put responsibility back in to responsible gun ownership, and fully address immigration reform and border security.

Re-level the Economic Balance: Work a well-rounded economic agenda such that people and businesses can reach their full potential while supporting (not harming) the success of the other. Work to lower costs and improve wages such that all people working full time can earn a living wage and have a good quality of life.

How will you ensure the district doesn’t get left behind as a Freshman member of Congress?: I intend to put my shoe in the door for my district. The truth is that the needs of the people of District 26 have been going un-met for too long. We have had public hospitals close. Our major employer is a public school district threatened with under-funding. I plan to tap the knowledge of local officials and leaders to key in on the current and future issues we face. Then push toward real forward looking solutions. All of my policy priorities of the prior question will benefit CD26. Working to serve CD26 dove tails with serving all Americans. This will involve a lot of communication and compromise within congress and externally.

Would you support the bipartisan border security bill that failed in the current Congress? Why or why not? If not, what changes would need to be made to win your vote?: Yes, I would support this bill. Of course, it does not fix every flaw in our system, but it does a lot. It was worked and agreed in full bipartisanship.

In my view, we apprehend most illegal border crossers. The processing of the cases is where we need the most help. If we could expand the capacity of the asylum courts to meet the need promptly, we could end catch and release. We could more quickly send back those who do not qualify. And we could help those that do qualify move on with their new life. This bill does some of this. We need to put it in place and make further adjustments based on the result. Doing nothing, does nothing.

Do you support extending provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire in 2025? Why/why not?: No. The 2017 Tax Cuts have significantly reduced tax revenue, but our spending cannot be cut to match. This has increased the deficit and in turn the national debt, now about $35T. We need to face the situation with reality. First, establish the real budgetary needs based on the needs of the nation. Once the costs are set, establish the tax policy to pay for it, including interest and some debt principle. By today’s standards, since we have been taxing to only three-fourths of our spending, this is going to hurt a little bit. As a Boy Scout, I was taught that a scout pays his own way. We cannot just let the debt build for our Posterity to be blessed with.

Would you support a Federal ban on abortion? Why/why not?: No. I have seen the Sidney Poitier movie, “In the heat of the night”, where a black detective is sent to a Southern city to investigate a death of a young white woman. After the racial issues and multiple suspects, it resolves that the woman actually died from a failed backroom abortion. We don’t need to go back to any of that.

Just recently in Texas, a young woman died from a complication that doctors would not promptly treat due to fear of the law.

Why are we talking about abortion in our politics? Because Republicans needed votes and Big business / money only has so many votes. This is a method to trick voters to care so much about controlling the lives of others that they ignore their own needs when they vote.

Well, it has gone too far. The government does not belong in the doctors office with a woman and her doctor in this matter. I believe in restoring the features of Roe vs. Wade nationally that served us well for a very long time.

What role should the Federal government play in addressing the affordable housing crisis?: Similar to the role it should play in many high cost issues. The thought that business will self regulate or the good of the people is false. This is especially true when we have such a diversity of wealth in this nation. Rich and not so rich people shopping for the same products - housing, food, healthcare, medication, education. The price will climb above what many can afford.

Government needs to remove exacerbating factors like housing being taking off of the market for whatever reason. Then work to increase supply of affordable housing ensuring the standards of safety and more are met.

Normally, you wouldn’t think this area would require the federal government. However, it seems to have gotten to the point where attention and assistance is needed.

Will you accept the results of your election regardless of the outcome?: Yes. I trust the system. There are checks to make it secure.

As a caveat, I entered this race as an extreme underdog. The best a Democrat has done in CD26 in the last 40 years was 39%. However, many things have changed, including myself as a candidate in an open seat race against a polarizing opponent. So, I expect to win, but am prepared to accept the outcome regardless.

The answer to this question would be incomplete if I did not mention that much much more could and should be done to make voting easier for the general population while keeping it safe and secure. Voter registration improvements, vote centers on election day, cleaner re-districting and more would make voting and representing the district better overall.

What’s a Federal policy impacting Texas that’s important to you, but not necessarily as high profile? Why do you think it’s important?: This is a great question, but the answers that come to mind first are more the failure of Texas representatives to make the best use of federal policies.

Texas has built toll roads, owned by an overseas company, rather than make use of federal programs. Now, we pay tolls to overseas companies and likely always will.

Texas has failed to take advantage of expanding Medicaid at the detriment of people’s health and hospitals / health care providers ability to stay financially stable.

One nice to change federal policy is changing clocks for daylight saving time and back twice a year. This is low profile, except in the Spring when many grumpy people complain about the loss of sleep. If we could get congress back to working for the people, maybe we could get far enough down the list to eliminate this annoyance.

Why should voters choose you over your opponent?: Once you get to know me, you can tell that I am a servant leader. My motivation to serve is for the good of the nation and my community. My time as a naval officer was years of service to the country. Long hours, few personal comforts, hard work requiring dedication. At Texas Instruments, I worked the business of manufacturing semiconductors to keep high paying jobs in a critical industry here in America. My faith developed as I grew up listening to my father’s sermons. He was a navy chaplain and Lutheran minister. We moved a lot, lived many places and interacted with a wide variety of people. It boils down to ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘We are all neighbors’.

I have the experience, intelligence, tenacity and servant heart that make believe that I offer voters the Better Choice and Hope for a Better Future.

This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 4:25 PM.

Harrison Mantas

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

817-390-7040

Harrison Mantas has covered Fort Worth city government, agencies and people since September 2021. He likes to live tweet city hall meetings, and help his fellow Fort Worthians figure out what’s going on.