05/22/2025
I am officially withdrawing my candidacy for Texas House District 99. It was an honor to appear on the ballot as the Republican challenger in the 2024 primary. But continuing is no longer realistic. Our elections have become a pay-to-play oligarchy. With few exceptions, only those who can afford to buy a seat have a real shot at winning one—and I simply do not have the money to carry this forward on my own.
I’m deeply grateful to the grassroots patriots of Tarrant County who stood with me—true warriors in a rigged fight. Special thanks to Caleb Beckholm, Matt Forbes, Larry Carpenter, Aaron James, and all those who supported my candidacy. There are many more I could name, but for brevity’s sake, I’ll single out those few. Your support moved me deeply. It’s because of you this decision was so hard. I hope you understand why I believe stepping aside is in my best interest.
Others, however, were snakes—encouraging me to run, then vanishing without explanation. Some in our own party build candidates up only to tear them down for sport. When the former state GOP chair publicly dismissed my campaign and called Geren’s seat “safe,” I got the message. Our Tarrant GOP chair suggested he was aware of two “serious” challengers, but I didn’t make his list either. Neither of them ever bothered to have a conversation with me. With Republicans like these, who needs RINOs or Democrats?
Most of you don’t know much about me. I was born into poverty in Brownwood, Texas—the second youngest of five boys raised by a teen mom. I’ve been homeless, evicted, had my car repossessed. I was honorably discharged from the Army—twice, but I was a broken man, inside and out, until I met my wife. I never knew angels existed, and I still don’t know what I did to deserve her love.
The same year we married, I started college. I earned my bachelor’s at 42, worked full-time as a high school math teacher while earning a master’s in economics and a doctorate in education. I came by my passion for education honestly—it changed my life. But some in the grassroots are so blinded by their obsession with school choice, they’ve missed the broader collapse happening all around them.
The Texas GOP is its own worst enemy. While Burrows, Geren, and the RINO caucus mock the party and its base, too many grassroots leaders keep chasing single-issue distractions. Want to know why our government is broken? Look in the mirror.
I know people still trapped in the struggle I lived through for years, and vestiges of that struggle will always be with me. For those still struggling, I wanted to be their voice in Austin. But the gatekeepers don’t let people like us in. Unless something changes—and soon—the working poor will never have a seat at the table in Texas politics.
As for me, I’m stepping back to focus on what matters most: my faith and my family.
God bless you. God bless Tarrant County. We’re going to need it.
