Another important local election is coming up on March 3, 2020. It’s time to learn about your Republican candidates – what issues are important to them, how their faith has inspired them, and what they hope to accomplish in their new roles. Collectively, they hope to reverse the Blue Wave and bring Republican ideals to our community.

Johnny Teague for Congress

Johnny Teague is running to represent the 9th Congressional District. His values are informed by his strong Christian beliefs and experiences as a 20-year Pastor. After years of watching government detach from the people, he believes the nation has devolved to a ruling class. “In this time, our national debt has increased and our morality has decreased. We’ve seen marriage redefined, children devalued, and things once illegal made legal and even reclassified as rights and entitlements. John Adams said our form of government is only fit for a moral and religious nation, that it is inadequate for any other. I am running because I want to see us return to our Biblical values.”

While some candidates see education, income equality, and gun control as the answers to the nation’s ills, Teague believes the problems stem from the heart. “We will either be governed from the inside by our internal compass of faith or we will have to be governed from the outside with more laws and less freedom,” he said. “I am running because I want to see a government for the people, by the people, and of the people.  If public officials had to go back and live under the laws they pass, they would make better laws.”

Teague has a long list of accomplishments that he believes have prepared him for this position, including five college degrees and careers in the Oil and Gas industry for Shell Pipe Line Corporation, in the medical field for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and as a business owner. He is also a patented inventor and a published author. “In all these things, I have learned how to lead – by example as a servant. The Lord Jesus was the greatest leader ever and He washed the disciples’ feet. He loved and cared and He gave selflessly.  This is what is greatly lacking in our government and what is so needed.”

“I will try to motivate, influence, and impact our current officials to put the nation above party, and to do right even when it is against party platforms. I don’t seek to convert our leaders to the Lord nor require it in our nation, but what I long to do is to live for the Lord Jesus in such a meaningful way that it will cause others to want to know and follow Him.”

Teague is willing to take unpopular stands to do what he thinks is best for the country. He feels it is his duty to get back the nation our Founding Fathers envisioned and many fought for. “Our nation is messed up. We are squandering the freedoms that were purchased with blood and given by God. We must stand up and do something. The only way evil can succeed is for the good to do nothing. I choose to do something.”

Wesley Hunt for Congress

Wesley Hunt, West Point graduate and former Apache Helicopter Pilot with tours in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, now wants to serve his country as a Congressman. Running for office in the 7th District, Hunt plans to face our nation’s challenges head on.

“I take public service very seriously. After John Culberson lost last cycle, I started tracking our new representative and quickly realized that she wasn’t representing our district in Washington, but was instead voting along the Democratic Party line. Our values and our way of life are under attack from liberals in Washington. My wife, Emily, and I were blessed with our first daughter, Victoria, just 8 months ago. Unless we elect someone who will stand up for our values, they won’t exist for Victoria or future generations.  I want to make sure that the Houston I’ve known my entire life exists for her.”

Hunt grew up in a military family and personally flew 55 combat missions around Baghdad. He says his experience taught him that service, character, and leadership matter and that your word should be your bond. With those belief systems, he is set to tackle what he sees as our biggest local and national issues: keeping the oil and gas industry strong, investing in our infrastructure to prevent future flooding, providing aid to those still suffering from Hurricane Harvey, and securing our southern border to stop illegal immigration.

“Illegal immigration is an issue of national security, and it’s resulting in a humanitarian crisis. We are a generous country, but we also believe in the rule of law, securing our borders, and protecting American workers. Where it makes sense to build a wall, I believe we should do so. In other areas, I believe we should utilize technology such as drones to assist. The bottom line is that we need to send the funding requested by our border patrol to allow them to effectively enforce our borders.”

Locally, Hunt is concerned about the industry upon which Houston thrives. “The 7th District is the energy capital of America and thousands of people rely on the income and benefits provided by the oil and gas industry. One of my top priorities in Washington would be protecting those jobs from attacks by a Democratic party that is becoming more and more hostile to cities like Houston.”

Hunt added, “I believe in sacrificing to protect our city and our nation.  We need people who are willing to stand up and enter the arena.”

Wendy Duncan for Commissioner of Precinct 3

Wendy Duncan is hoping to unseat incumbent Commissioner Andy Myers in Precinct 3. After witnessing the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, she became actively engaged in promoting flood management solutions. As Assistant Vice President of Willow Fork Drainage District, a government office serving over 33,000 residents in the Cinco Ranch area of Katy in Fort Bend County, she has had the opportunity to learn the laws and regulations surrounding the operation of a government body. She sees this position as the perfect segue into the next level of government.

She also brings a skillset that has prepared her for the demands of the position. “Leadership, speaking, education and management are the skills that God has blessed me with. My responsibility is to use those gifts for His glory and to care for others. With a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University, I received a broad and enriched education. This foundation of knowing a little bit about a lot of things has given me the opportunity to easily assimilate new information into my existing knowledge.”

Duncan taught for six years, earned a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from the University of Houston, and served as Assistant Principal for two years. She believes that management principals are universal, and she therefore knows how to lead an organization effectively and efficiently. Additionally, “After the birth of my first child, I started my own business acquiring and managing a collection of rental properties I own with my husband. The knowledge and skills of analyzing real estate markets and what makes communities successful will serve me well in the position of Commissioner.”

As a current public servant, Duncan strives to provide the best quality of service to her community through quick responses to issues, accessibility, and promoting the wonderful community in which we live. Communication, accountability, integrity and inclusion of constituents in decision-making processes are essential pillars of her leadership style. She plans to apply these components to addressing the pressing issues in Fort Bend County.

“The recent floods on Memorial Day 2015, Tax Day 2016 and Hurricane Harvey in 2019 have highlighted the need for Fort Bend County to focus on local and regional flood management solutions. Through my work with Barker Flood Prevention, I have been meeting with residents, government officials, and engineers to identify viable solutions for Fort Bend County Precinct 3 that will provide better protection along Jones Creek, Bessie’s Creek, Buffalo Bayou, Brazos River and Barker Reservoir. Our road projects are behind schedule, over budget and inadequate to meet the population demand, causing major delays and unnecessary time spent sitting in traffic. Grand Parkway, Cane Island Parkway, the Westpark Tollway, the Texas Heritage Parkway and other roadways must be our focus to decrease commute times and allow people to spend more time with their family at home.  Short-term and long range planning for these objectives must be implemented with community input, coordination with all government entities and agencies, excellent communication and efficient execution of projects.”

Duncan is ready to take on the incumbent in this race, noting the need for change. “Einstein is credited with saying the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. After 24 years of doing the same thing, it is time for change. Your vote is your voice, and our collective voice is powerful! Be the change we need, and let’s start shaping our future together!”

Commission Andy Meyers for Re-Election

Commissioner Andy Meyers is running for re-election in Precinct 3, where he has served since 1997. At that time, he ran on a platform of reducing the tax rate and controlling government spending. Since that time, the county has cut its tax rate by over 30% which has resulted in a $1 billion savings for taxpayers.

“I’m proud to be the Taxpayers’ Best Friend because it’s the fulfillment of a campaign promise that I’ve made in every election. I have a background as a CPA and small business owner that I’ve used to fulfill my promise of cutting government spending, cutting tax rates, and building new infrastructure projects without using property taxes. After all, it’s not my money – it’s the taxpayers’. That’s why I’ve fought so hard to keep our taxes working for the citizens. That’s why I’ve introduced state legislation to keep the City of Houston and Mayor Sylvester Turner from taking millions of our sales tax dollars out of the community without providing any services in return. I’ve had one singular and overriding focus that qualifies every race I’ve run, and that’s protecting the taxpayers.”

The strategy – and the results – have won Meyers a long stint as Commissioner, but his work is not done. Precinct 3 is high growth and unincorporated, with 90 percent of its residents living outside the city limits. The population is roughly the same size as Lubbock or Corpus Christi and requires constant mobility projects, law enforcement, and regional coordination of infrastructure and drainage. “I’ve had a long history of working with our partners in local special districts, as well as the State Legislature and federal government, in getting these projects done. We’ve worked with TXDOT to accelerate the construction of FM 1093 / Westpark Tollway, as well as the construction of more main lanes on 99 / Grand Parkway. We’ve partnered with our local ESD 100 to provide funding for flyover direct connects between the Westpark Tollway and the Grand Parkway, without using property taxes. I pushed hard to work with my fellow Commissioners to present a comprehensive drainage bond to voters on the November 2019 ballot, and it was overwhelmingly approved. This will allow Fort Bend County to leverage upwards of $264 million in funds with the help of the State of Texas and federal government to protect our communities with new flood infrastructure.”

Myers joins his fellow Republicans in encouraging voters to fight the Blue Wave that hit Fort Bend County in the 2018 elections. “Now is the time for Republicans to come together and unite for victory in 2020. I’ve been in the grassroots, I’ve served as a national Republican delegate, and I’ve worked hard for Republican victory every cycle, whether or not I’m on the ballot.  Precinct 3 is the heart of the GOP in Fort Bend County and we must work together now to keep Fort Bend as a great place to live, work, start a business and raise a family. With the good Lord’s help, we’ll keep up our success!”

Joe Walz for Congress

Joe Walz made the decision to run for Congress to protect liberty, freedom, and opportunities for his three daughters.  As he said, “The threat of socialism, and the removal of God from our schools, businesses, and social atmosphere, have created a generation of people who don’t get it. They have been lied to about religion and the government’s role(s).  I want to restore God and The U.S. Constitution to the preeminent place they should have in our country.”

In the unique position of being the husband of a soldier, he has a very personal perspective on making decisions for our servicemen and women in Congress. “The love of my life will fight when we send people to fight – so rest assured I will use discretion on where our troops end up and whether it is necessary.”

Walz was raised in Fort Bend, in a home where the family often went without necessities. “Luckily, we had family to assist in those troubled times. We had churches. We had good neighbors. We learned to persevere. I know there are constituents living the same life I did, and I understand their struggle. I could have easily fallen victim to democrat principals.  But my parents raised me on Texas values like working for what you desire in life.”

After 9/11, Walz enlisted in the army at age 19 and served for 11 years in aviation. He learned teamwork as he worked side-by-side with people who didn’t look like him or come from his background. As he said, all that mattered was staying alive. He went on to supervise large units in combat operations all over the world, study criminal justice and aeronautical technology, receive his helicopter pilot ratings, and return home to his wife and children in Fort Bend. There, he started a business that showed him the impact the global and American economies can have on businesses and families. Writing manuals and earning FAA Certification gave him unique federal policy experience he feels will serve him well in this position.

The issues of utmost importance to him include the federal debt, the federal budget, term limits, and immigration reform, for which he says, “We must support the requests and needs of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.  Without strong border security, the country we have will one day not even be worth immigrating to. We have to protect it for the citizens and LEGAL immigrants who are here already.”

Walz prides himself on being a regular guy, but like the members of the Second Continental Congress, someone who can enact great change. “We need a loud, conservative, active, and energetic voice to stand up to the left and stand up for conservative values and I am uniquely the man for this job. I have a proven track record of persevering through adversity. I will never quit fighting for the constituents of CD22.”

Angelica Garcia for State Representative

Angelica Garcia is running for State Representative of House District 132. She lists her top priorities as strengthening our community to create jobs, alleviating the tax burden on homeowners, protecting our border, defending life, bringing family-first values back to government, and defending the 2nd amendment.

“I stepped into this opportunity because I want to be there for the residents in District 132. I understand the importance of being heard, I know my community, I know the conservative values we stand for, and I want to be a strong representative for them. We have many new people moving into our district and so a pressing issue is to maintain and grow a thriving economy for our residents and our businesses. Another pressing issue is the border. My business is highly affected by it and I have witnessed firsthand the disparity it causes when there is a lack of control. Something needs to get done. As a whole, I am a family-first candidate and want to develop a community with strong values that improve the quality of life for the families that live here.”

An entrepreneur who launched AIM Global Logistics, a transportation company, Garcia has developed a thorough understanding of the border crisis. “This career has also equipped me with additional knowledge on the job market and local economy which is increasingly important to our district with a continued increase in population.”

Garcia has also put her entrepreneurial spirit and resources to good use by lending a hand to those in need. “Understanding the importance of service and using your abilities to aide and equip others is something I strongly value in leadership. When Hurricane Harvey hit, I used what resources I had and deployed my trucks to deliver donations to those in need. In order to serve others that God has put on my heart, I founded AIM Family Ministries – a nonprofit to combat human trafficking, infant mortality, and generational poverty. Through my professional endeavors, and my mission and service work, I have seen and faced various struggles. All of this has developed my ability to problem solve, my knowledge of the issues my community, my state, and my country face, and has even more deeply increased my desire to serve and give back.”

Growing up surrounded by a large family and attending church regularly, Garcia says her life was centered on God, family, and food. “The fondest memories were at the dinner table where we were taught things such as the Golden Rule, ‘Treat others as you want to be treated.’ I want to set the example to the best of my ability prioritizing God, family, and others in my leadership. And listening to the people of my community and treating them with the upmost respect in the way I represent them. I want to find the best ways to bring families ahead and to support our conservative values. It takes a village and a community to raise a family, to support a business, and we need each other. You saw that in Harvey. Disaster is never good, but we all came together.”

Recently, Governor Abbott endorsed Garcia, saying, “I am proud to endorse Angelica Garcia for State Representative, and I am certain that she will be a fearless advocate for the people of House District 132 as we build on the Texas economic miracle and expand educational opportunities for our children. Angelica’s business-minded leadership and conservative values will serve as invaluable assets to the Texas House, and I look forward to working with her as we build a stronger future for the state of Texas.”