Seven years ago, I ran for a seat in the Texas House because I was tired of do-nothing politicians in Austin who were failing to protect our freedoms, our property, our values, and our tax dollars. Since then, we have fought to move the conservative agenda forward, and we have delivered one victory after another for the families of rural Texas.

As proud as I am of the things we have achieved in Austin, when I look at the Washington swamp, I see a political class of insiders in both parties who are failing the people they are elected to represent. They have failed to secure our border in spite of Republican majorities. They have piled trillions of dollars of debt on the shoulders of the next generation, and now we learn they are secretly using tax dollars to settle sexual harassment claims against members of Congress. Yet they still can’t find the funds to properly care for our military veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. This is simply immoral, and I feel called to do something about it.

My wife and I are expecting our first child in February, and I am fearful of the world he will inherit from us. Will it be a world of moral relativity, where there is no clear right and wrong, and where we devalue the things that made me the man that I am today? Or will it be a world that cherishes our culture and traditional values, a sense of right and wrong, and a dedication to country, state, community, and family?

If we are to win this war in Washington, then we need a new Congressman of East Texas, by East Texas and for East Texas who understands the traditional values that we share, and who knows that our churches and our schools and our shops on Main Street are the lifeblood of our communities. Our way of life is sacred, and it is worth fighting to protect and defend for our children and our children’s children.

Make no mistake, the Washington establishment will not go quietly. They have lined up behind their hand-picked candidates in this race, most of whom do not even live in our district and who couldn’t find Alto or Elmo on a map if their lives depended on it.

We cannot let them succeed. With your support and your prayers, I am ready to go to Washington and do the same thing that I did in Austin – roll up my sleeves, fight for you, and win for you.

God bless,