Q&A: Texas primary candidates for Texas Senate

I decided to run for the Texas Senate because I have lived in Texas for almost 13 years, and in that time, I have seen Texas do the following:

– Bottom 10% in public education
– Top 5% in property tax burden
– Dead last in the number of Texans that are covered under health insurance

It is time for change in Texas and electing officials, both in the Texas House and Senate, that are willing to make it a priority to reverse these trends and introduce and pass legislation that benefits Texans is long overdue. I want to get rid of the “my way or the highway” mentality and I am willing to work out differences and compromise to ensure that the legislation that passes benefits the majority of Texans and not big business and special interests. I also feel that my military experience as a submarine warfare officer brings a good perspective as I lead a diverse group of people from all walks of life and my goal was to improve the quality of life of every person that was under my command.

One of my biggest inspirations is my grandmother. She came to America as an immigrant with my father from Germany when she was 25. Her and my grandfather worked hard and built a great middle class living both working in factories for over 30 years. She truly made the American dream come true for her and our family and I want to ensure that those opportunities can still be achieved long after I am gone.

I voted for the first time following my military service. I went into the military when I was 18 and served until I was 33. I made a conscience decision to not vote when I was in the military because I was not going to politicize my job as an officer in the military. I was always very engaged in politics, but not an active voter until I was no longer in the military. For me, I was excited to vote for the first time following my service. I think that everyone should be engaged in our political process and do your research on candidates running for positions and choose the best candidate for each position. It is empowering to me to cast my vote in every election. The outcome may not be what I always want, but I know that I did my part in the process and I truly wish more people felt the same way.

I want to represent the people that live in the district that I am running for and am willing to listen to all sides of an argument and establish the facts of a decision one way or the other, and communicate those facts to the people. I want what is best for the majority of people and know that sometimes what is best is not always popular, but I will never hide from anyone the reasons that I would take a position on an issue.

We all want to live our lives, provide for our families and have every opportunity to excel in life. I am no different and I want that for every person. I also know that our politics today is polarizing, and it has lost the ability to use the word “compromise.” I want to ensure that “compromise” is not a dirty word and there are ways to fix may of our issues we deal with today, but in order to do so, we must have people in elected positions that are not afraid to compromise.

We can fix our broken healthcare system. We can fix the outrageous costs of higher education. We can fix our local issues of high property taxes, underfunded public education and flooding. But in order to do all of these things, we cannot be afraid of compromise. These issues are not Democrat or Republican issues, they are life issues and they need to be solved and have elected officials with the political fortitude to do what is right, that is why college students who care about these issues should vote for me.

I enlisted in the Navy when I was 18, worked hard to earn an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated and earned my commission in 1998. I served as a submarine warfare officer and am an Iraq War veteran. I left active duty in 2006 and moved to Texas in 2007 and currently work as a Project Manager in the Oil and Gas Industry and consult owner/operators of oil, gas and petrochemical facilities on OHSA, EPA and Department of Homeland Security regulatory compliance.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Oceanography, a master’s degree in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University and am a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). I am always open to questions and comments and you can learn more at www.jaystittleburg.com and follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I want to pass laws to create a more just society. The Senate and House belong to the people not just the privileged.

In response as to why I decided to run for the Texas Senate District 11, I can tell you that I have been observing for a long time, how in the Texas Senate composed of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats, our communities are not represented due to the gerrymandering maps which were passed by the Texas Legislature many years ago.

To compound this problem, our communities which are heterogeneous in nature, are also not being represented. Out of the 12 Democrats, Senator [Carol] Alvarado was elected in 2016 and she is the only minority female representation in the Texas Senate. There are no Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Puerto Ricans and the Senate is composed of mostly male Anglo’s: not representative of our communities and our values.

We need a seat at the table to represent our communities and our values. Mr. [Larry] Taylor, the present Republican holding this office, is the Chair of the Education Committee. His efforts to improve teacher working conditions and salaries and student educational environment and funding is not satisfactory, in my judgment, to address our present educational needs, for our students to compete in our present international markets.

The Honorable Barbara Jordan. Barbara Jordan lived her oath to protect, preserve and defend the Constitution every day that she served. She represented all of the people, not just the privileged. And her ethics were impeccable.

My biggest inspirations come from four individuals who molded my values. I want to invited you to read more about them on my website www.margaritaruizjohnson.com. The first person is my mother who was a community organizer for Mr. Chuck Shummer in New York when we migrated to the US in the 60s. I attended many of these meetings with my mother and learned about community responsibility, and love of country.

My second inspiration came from a national tragedy, the killing of our President Kennedy. After his killing in Dallas, the same year that we migrated to the U.S., I began to read about his life and what he meant to the nation to understand why he was killed. I was never able to find why Mr. Kennedy was killed, but I found his deep love of country, the poor and the disadvantage.

Pope Francis, who also dedicates his life to those less fortunate and the poor is my spiritual mentor. Finally, when President Obama worked tirelesly to improve our society and to move us forward toward a “more perfect union” I was moved by his deep commitment and love for our nation. He encouraged all his followers, when he left office, to stay engaged within our communities and try to make a difference for the benefit of all citizens.

I grew up in a family where voting is considered a duty of citizenship. I remember these big machines with curtains for privacy.

I entered the U.S. Army at the age of 17 to serve my nation in finance and accounting. The first time I voted, I was a soldier in the military at the age of 18. I recall the lines of soldiers waiting quietly to vote. It felt like I was in church!


I believe the Texas Legislature has not been living up to its constitutional mandate to adequately fund public education. That is priority one per the Texas Constitution. Secondary education has to be affordable to be truly accessible. I am passionately committed to justice for all, protecting our coast and environment, criminal justice reform, common sense gun laws and access to healthcare for all.

As to why college students should vote for me. Of all the candidates running, I am trained for this position: U.S. Army Finance; UT, in languages, masters from UHCL in the behavioral sciences; thesis in “Determinants of Social Need and Use;” 20 years experience in human resources, 10 years in health care and 45 hours above the masters in leadership, management and administration.

I live within the community I want to represent, and have been a resident since 1975. I will represent the students and my community with integrity and will respect their goals, their values and their dreams.

I have served 15 years as a district judge. My website is www.susancrissforsenate.com

We are better when we work together to serve our community and our nation. The primary election for the Texas Senate District 11 is March 3, 2020. All citizens must register and vote in this most consequential election in the history of our nation.

I believe that citizens should be active in their communities in some way. A few years ago I read a book, “Bowling Alone,” about declining citizen engagement, and I think that trend is a potential disaster. As a family doctor and public health specialist, I need to consider not just the patient in my exam room, but also the larger context that the person lives and works in.

These days I’m inspired a lot by both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. As a strong environmentalist, I’m super impressed by how young people are “stepping up to the plate” in a big way with regard to the climate catastrophe.

It was the 1976 election (Carter vs. Ford), and I was a student at Indiana University. I had started reading about current events in high school, and have always found politics both interesting and imperative – if we don’t get involved than someone else whose ideas we don’t like will get involved for us. So I tried to get informed and was fired up to vote as soon as I could.

Oddly enough, I want to start with a reason why they shouldn’t vote for me – I am an older white male. I will be the first one to say we don’t need more people who look like me in office. If that is your only issue, then you know what to do. On the other hand, I think most college students lean in a progressive direction and my platform positions (AndrewsTexasSenate.com) will likely resonate with them. The Texas Legislature currently has seven medical doctors in it, and they are all Republicans. I think when we consider expanding Medicaid and other things affecting public health, there should be at least one (or more) progressive Democrats engaging in the deliberations. I am not Hispanic but I do speak Spanish fluently and have taken care of Latino/a/x patients my whole career, starting with uninsured migrant farmworkers.

I want voters to know exactly where I stand on issues, even if I think they won’t agree. As a doctor I have always worked with uninsured/underinsured patients, so I really want to work on helping resolve that problem. I think our extreme and worsening income disparities harm individuals, families, and society as a whole. I will push for legalization of recreational marijuana and for removing felony penalties for simple drug use and possession – our conservative neighbor Oklahoma stopped imprisoning drug users in 2017. But the way, the medical and public health literature supports these moves also, so it is not just a “political” position. I think people who make more money (like doctors) should pay higher taxes, because we have a lot of work to do, and that requires resources. We should stop coddling polluting industries, and provide incentives (or penalties) for business to move to more sustainable practices, as quickly as possible.