Texas voters, just give Trump and the GOP more time to fix things | Opinion
Stay the course
Independent voters: Please do not go back. If the Democrats take back the House and Senate in the midterm elections, they will allow biological boys in girls’ sports. They will increase gas prices in the name of an expensive climate agenda. They will bring back mandatory vaccines — even firing civilians and dishonorably discharging our military for non-compliance.
They will reopen our borders to dangerous illegal immigration. They will ruin our military and law enforcement. We will not be respected by our allies nor feared by our adversaries. Instead of legislating, they will simply target President Donald Trump for impeachment. Please give Trump and the GOP a few more years to fix our country.
- Jason Goldman, Arlington
Reform now
In an undeniable shift, 45% of Americans identify as political independents. This marks a pivotal moment in our political landscape, as the Republican and Democratic parties stand equal at 27%. These compelling statistics from a January 2026 Gallup poll emphasize the growing trend of independence in American politics.
Both major U.S. parties employ unethical political practices. These include partisan gerrymandering, manipulation of voter access, strategic rule changes, distortion of information and donor-driven policymaking. Such tactics serve to entrench power rather than promote democratic participation. They diminish voter choice, undermine institutional legitimacy and distort public understanding.
It is time for a nonpartisan reform agenda focused on restoring fairness, transparency and accountability in local, state and national governments.
The idea that most Americans identify as Independents suggests a strong appetite for a nonpartisan reform agenda that transcends traditional party lines. Let’s begin now.
- Leslie J. Smith, Grapevine
Educate all
It has been many years since I taught school, but once you have observed the light of understanding shining in the eyes of a student who has struggled, you cannot help but continue, even in the most dire of circumstances.
Texas owes its children a good public education. Parents should be able to observe their student’s learning experience. This is a shared responsibility between home and school, and everyone benefits.
Public education is the bedrock of our democratic governance. Our forefathers recognized it as such. We must do likewise.
- Mary E. Vitell, Richmond
Pay attention
I am a lifelong conservative, evangelical Christian, sixth-generation Texan raising four seventh-generation Texans. Public education was never supposed to be the issue that changed how I vote.
My husband and I did what we were told would build a good life. We worked hard. We bought a home in a community we loved. We invested in our neighborhood school. We volunteered, fundraised and attended programs.
Then the Grapevine-Colleyville school board voted to close our school. It was not failing or underperforming. It was a thriving arts-integrated school with growing enrollment and deep community support, and the second highest-rated campus in our district.
I still believe in stewardship, local control and strong communities. That is exactly why I believe Texas must do better by its public schools. Parents like me are paying attention. And for many of us, education has become the critical issue we can no longer ignore.
- Ashleigh Johnson, Colleyville