Anthony Cristo
Anthony Cristo (Libertarian Party) (also known as Ant) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 34th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Cristo also ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 15th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Elections
2020
See also: Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2020
Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)
Texas' 34th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 34
Incumbent Filemon Vela defeated Rey Gonzalez Jr., Anthony Cristo, and Chris Royal in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 34 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Filemon Vela (D) | 55.4 | 111,439 |
 | Rey Gonzalez Jr. (R)  | 41.8 | 84,119 | |
 | Anthony Cristo (L) | 1.6 | 3,222 | |
 | Chris Royal (Independent) | 1.1 | 2,247 | |
| Total votes: 201,027 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34
Incumbent Filemon Vela defeated Diego Zavala and Osbert Rodriguez Haro III in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Filemon Vela | 75.1 | 39,484 |
 | Diego Zavala | 18.5 | 9,707 | |
| Osbert Rodriguez Haro III | 6.5 | 3,413 | ||
| Total votes: 52,604 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34
Rey Gonzalez Jr. defeated Rod Lingsch in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rey Gonzalez Jr. | 56.3 | 10,665 |
 | Rod Lingsch | 43.7 | 8,271 | |
| Total votes: 18,936 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 34
Anthony Cristo advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 34 on March 21, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Anthony Cristo (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 15
Incumbent Vicente Gonzalez Jr. defeated Tim Westley and Anthony Cristo in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 15 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Vicente Gonzalez Jr. (D) | 59.7 | 98,333 |
 | Tim Westley (R) | 38.8 | 63,862 | |
| Anthony Cristo (L) | 1.6 | 2,607 | |
| Total votes: 164,802 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 15
Incumbent Vicente Gonzalez Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 15 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vicente Gonzalez Jr. | 100.0 | 33,549 |
| Total votes: 33,549 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 15
Tim Westley advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 15 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tim Westley | 100.0 | 14,794 |
| Total votes: 14,794 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Anthony Cristo did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Anthony Cristo completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cristo's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Enacting a Balanced Budge Amendment Immigration Reform Ending the War on Drugs
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
As a veteran who sat countless hours on suicide watch with men who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan in pieces, ending our military involvement abroad and supporting our veterans is something personal to me.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
I look up to Frederick Douglass. He said , "I will work with anyone to do what is right, and with no one to do what is wrong." That is how you get things done politically.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
V for Vendetta
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Protecting people's rights and putting an end to victimless crimes.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I am not a career politician nor do I intend to become one. I am a regular person who faces the same trials and tribulations of living in this country as everyone else. I do not come from money and I know what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck. I know what it is like to force yourself to go to work when you are sick because that one day lost of work will mean the difference between paying your bills and having food on the table for your family.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Protecting the people of this country from having their rights taken away from them. When you start allowing the government to take away your rights in order to help some people feel safe or comfortable, then you are no longer free.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I want to be the known as the start of the movement to take our government back from the politicians and into the hands of the citizens. People should not be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
I remember watching the Saigon airlift as a kid. Afterwards, I noticed how Vietnam Veterans were spat upon (literally and emotionally) by the citizens of this country. As I grew older, I recognized that it is okay to hate the war, but it is never okay to hate the soldiers. That was why I waived my right to be a communications / public affairs officer and enlisted at the age of 36 to become a Corpsman for the Navy / Marine Corps. I wanted to do more than put a bumper sticker on my car to support our troops. I intend to extend that commitment as a Congressman.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
As a kid, my parents volunteered to clean our church, Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church, in Kirby, Texas. When I was around 8 years old, I was tasked with helping them clean the church. We would go every weekend and scrub the toilets, sweep and mom the floors, clean the windows, and do the occasional waxing and polishing. Though it was unpaid, it taught me the value of working hard for the sake of doing good. I continued doing this into my late teens while working paying jobs.
What happened on your most awkward date?
I was driving home from a first date and accidentally ran over a cat. She was a huge cat lover so we did not have a 2nd date even though the accident was unavoidable.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
My favorite holiday is Christmas. People seem to be a little nicer and it usually brings out the best in people. You see more volunteers at non-profit centers helping others and it is a beautiful feeling to know that others are doing for others and asking for nothing in return.
What is your favorite book? Why?
My favorite book is "The Tao of Pooh", by Benjamin Hoff. I like it because it clearly explains the principles of Taoism through the actions and thought process of Winnie the Pooh.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
If I could be any fictional character, I would want to be Wolverine, because of how fast he heals.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
I really do not have a favorite "thing" for the simple fact that they are things. I do, however, love my dog, Biscuit. He is a chihuahua and Yorkie mix who stole my heart from the moment I saw him as a puppy. My wife fell in love with him as well.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
I do not recall the last song stuck in my head, but now that I was asked this, I have "Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth stuck in my head.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Like most people, the constant struggle to make ends meet has been the biggest struggle in my life.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
My current district (district 15) is over 250 miles long. I guarantee you that the needs of the people in the far north are different than the people in the far south near the border. Districts should be drawn within a specific area that does not dilute voter needs. Another fix to this would be to add more congressional seats so that there is a representative for every 220,000 to 250,000 people and not the current 700,000 people.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
The U.S. House of Representatives is unique in that it represents a specific group of people that share commonalities in Congress. Unfortunately, the group gets more and more diluted with the increasing population and the fact that Representatives are not added when the population increases. It remains at 435 total. When the number 435 was decided, it meant that a representative was there for every 220,000 citizens. With the population growth, that same representative accounts for 700,000 citizens. By allowing the House to grow with the population of the country, you allow more voices to be heard.
Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
One thing history has shown us is that no one needs experience in politics to hold office. If you have an educated understanding of how politics work and a passion to make change, you CAN make a difference.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
The $21 trillion deficit incurred after generations of voting for the lesser of two evils is the biggest concern over the next decade. Eliminating wasteful government programs is paramount to paying this off. Once we pay this debt off, we can then focus on eliminating taxes that cripple most families and hinder their ability to simply survive and not flourish.
If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
As a veteran and a 2nd generation Mexican American, I would want to be a part of the VA and Defense committee and the Immigration Reform committee.
If you are a current representative, why did you join your current committees?
NA
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
The length of the term is not a problem. The lack of limits to how many terms a Representative can run is a problem. Term limits for Congress is long overdue. Like I said before, there should be no such thing as a "career politician."
What are your thoughts on term limits?
In elaboration to my previous answer, I feel that no more than 4 term as a Representative (8 years) and 2 terms as a Senator (12 years) should be established. This will allow for fresh ideas to come into our government and will prevent corruption as Representatives will no longer become entrenched in specific committees which could tempt bribery.
If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?
Currently, the Libertarian Party has no members in Congress. However, more and more people are starting to take the Libertarian Party more seriously because it is getting near impossible to take the other two parties seriously anymore so I see that changing. That being said, I would work with anyone to do what is right and no one to do what is wrong.
Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
Every politician has their pros and cons. There has not been any politician that I could say that I agree with 100%. I intend to be my own candidate. A representative that did what he felt was best regardless of whether it was popular or not.
Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
As a veteran, I have heard from numerous disabled vets who use marijuana to deal with PTSD, pain management, and seizures from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI's). The VA knows that there are veterans using marijuana for this very reason. However, even in states where it is legal, if a veteran is drug tested at work, they can and WILL lose their job because marijuana is legal on a federal level. I owe it to my fellow veterans to legalize marijuana federally so that they can use what they feel works best for them without the fear of losing their livelihood.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
