Darren Hamilton
Darren Hamilton (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 24th Congressional District. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Due to nationwide changes in election administration in 2020, Ballotpedia is exercising increased caution before projecting elections winners. Click here to read our new election calling policy and vote total update schedule.
Hamilton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
In 2020, Hamilton participated in a Candidate Conversation hosted by Ballotpedia and EnCiv. Click here to view the recording.
Contents
Biography
Hamilton served in the United States Marine Corps from 1984 to 1992. His professional experience includes working in information technology, specifically in analytics and statistical reporting, and broadcasting.[1]
2020 battleground election
Candace Valenzuela (D), Beth Van Duyne (R), and three other candidates ran in the general election for Texas' 24th Congressional District on November 3, 2020. Incumbent Rep. Kenny Marchant (R), who was first elected in 2004, did not run for re-election.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) targeted Texas’ 24th in 2020.[2] Both the DCCC and the National Republican Congressional Committee offered support to their respective candidates.[3][4]
In 2016 and 2018, Marchant defeated challenger Jan McDowell (D) 56% to 39% and 51% to 48%, respectively. The district was last represented by a Democrat in 2005. Beto O'Rourke (D) won the district in the 2018 Texas Senate election with 51% of the vote to Ted Cruz’s (R) 48%. Cruz won the statewide election.[5]
Donald Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election 51% to 45%. In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won the district with 60% of the vote to Barack Obama’s (D) 38%.
Third party, independent, and write-in candidates included Darren Hamilton (L), Mark Bauer (I), and Stephen Kuzmich (I).
The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. All 435 seats in the House were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232 to 198 majority over Republicans. The Libertarian Party had one seat. Four seats were vacant. Democrats defended 30 districts Donald Trump (R) won in 2016. Republicans defended five districts Hillary Clinton (D) won in 2016.
Elections
2020
See also: Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2020
Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)
Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)
General election for U.S. House Texas District 24
Candace Valenzuela, Beth Van Duyne, Darren Hamilton, Mark Bauer, and Steve Kuzmich are running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 24 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
|
|
Candace Valenzuela (D) |
47.5
|
162,749 | |
|
|
Beth Van Duyne (R) |
48.8
|
167,374 | |
|
|
Darren Hamilton (L) |
1.6
|
5,630 | |
|
|
Mark Bauer (Independent) |
0.8
|
2,903 | |
|
|
Steve Kuzmich (Independent) |
1.2
|
4,218 | |
|
Vote totals may be incomplete for this race. |
||||
|
|
Total votes: 342,874 | |||
Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 24
Candace Valenzuela defeated Kim Olson in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 24 on July 14, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Candace Valenzuela |
60.4
|
19,950 |
|
|
Kim Olson |
39.6
|
13,079 | |
|
|
Total votes: 33,029 |
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 24
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Kim Olson |
41.0
|
24,442 |
| ✔ |
|
Candace Valenzuela |
30.4
|
18,078 |
|
|
Jan McDowell |
10.0
|
5,965 | |
|
|
Crystal Fletcher (Unofficially withdrew) |
5.7
|
3,386 | |
|
|
Richard Fleming |
5.1
|
3,010 | |
|
|
Sam Vega |
4.5
|
2,677 | |
|
|
John Biggan |
3.4
|
1,996 | |
|
|
Total votes: 59,554 |
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 24
Beth Van Duyne defeated David Fegan, Desi Maes, Sunny Chaparala, and Jeron Liverman in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Beth Van Duyne |
64.3
|
32,067 |
|
|
David Fegan |
20.7
|
10,295 | |
|
|
Desi Maes |
5.8
|
2,867 | |
|
|
Sunny Chaparala |
5.6
|
2,808 | |
|
|
Jeron Liverman |
3.6
|
1,809 | |
|
|
Total votes: 49,846 |
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 24
Darren Hamilton advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 21, 2020.
Candidate |
||
| ✔ |
|
Darren Hamilton (L) |
|
|
Candidate profile
Darren Hamilton submitted the biography and key messages below to Ballotpedia ahead of the 2020 election.
Party: Libertarian Party
Incumbent: No
American politics is dominated by two political parties - the old parties - which seems stupid because no developed country in the world is limited to two political parties. And over the past few decades, the old parties have become increasingly distant in their respective ideological entrenchment leaving no middle ground upon which they agree. Libertarians, as a centrist party, are well aware of this "political no-mans-land" because, despite their zealous devotion to their respective ideologies, the old parties agree that no one else is allowed to "play on their field", and any attempts to bridge the gap between them are summarily attacked from both sides.
If, like me, you have long experienced the "battle fatigue" of old party candidates whose ONLY goal seems to be to "beat the other guy by whatever means necessary", then perhaps it's time to look farther afield. I firmly believe that the residents of north Texas deserve a congressional representative who understands their needs, who lives in their area and shares their lives, and is willing to fight for the ideals that mean the most to all of us regardless of extreme ideology."
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2020: General election polls | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date |  Valenzuela
|
 Van Duyne
|
Other | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor |
| Victoria Research & Consulting | July 31-August 2, 2020 | 48% | 41% | 10% | ±4.9 | 400 | House Majority PAC |
| RMG Research | July 27-August 2, 2020 | 36% | 36% | 27% | ±4.5 | 500 | U.S. Term Limits |
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Kuzmich | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available |
| Candace Valenzuela | Democratic Party | $4,070,283 | $3,715,979 | $354,304 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Beth Van Duyne | Republican Party | $2,853,070 | $2,483,020 | $370,050 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Mark Bauer | Independent | $22,651 | $26,242 | $-3,591 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Darren Hamilton | Libertarian Party | $570 | $212 | $358 | As of October 14, 2020 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," .
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[6]
- Tossup ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[7][8][9]
| Race ratings: Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Lean Democratic | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Tilt Democratic | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes links to endorsement lists published on campaign websites, if available. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.
| Noteworthy endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Valenzuela (D) | Van Duyne (R) | ||||
| Newspapers and editorials | ||||||
| The Dallas Morning News[10] | ✔ | |||||
| Fort Worth Star-Telegram[11] | ✔ | |||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| Senator Kamala Harris (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| President Donald Trump (R)[13] | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Former President Barack Obama (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
Campaign themes
2020
Candidate Conversations
Candidate Conversations is a virtual debate format that allows voters to easily get to know their candidates through a short video Q&A.
Click below to watch the conversation for this race.
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Darren Hamilton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hamilton's responses.
Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
I am an information technologies manager for a small company. Statistics and analysis are my stock in trade. I am also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps having served in that body for 8 years including in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. One thing Marines know how to do well is fight for a cause that we hold sacred. American politics is dominated by two political parties - the old parties - which seems stupid because no developed country in the world is limited to two political parties. And over the past few decades, the old parties have become increasingly distant in their respective ideological entrenchment leaving no middle ground upon which they agree. Libertarians, as a centrist party, are well aware of this "political no-mans-land" because, despite their zealous devotion to their respective ideologies, the old parties agree that no one else is allowed to "play on their field", and any attempts to bridge the gap between them are summarily attacked from both sides. If, like me, you have long experienced the "battle fatigue" of old party candidates whose ONLY goal seems to be to "beat the other guy by whatever means necessary", then perhaps it's time to look farther afield. I firmly believe that the residents of north Texas deserve a congressional representative who understands their needs, who lives in their area and shares their lives, and is willing to fight for the ideals that mean the most to all of us regardless of extreme ideology.
Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am primarily passionate about is returning a sense of personal responsibilty to the public. Like most Libertarians, I believe that each person is unique - an individual with individual needs, thoughts and dreams, and individual responsibilities. As such, we believe that YOU are the best person to decide what to do for you and your family, not big government. Beside this are a host of additional policy areas that are of interest to me, such as immigration, healthcare, education, gun control/gun violence, climate change, and the opioid crisis. Let me assure you that I am not blinded by naivete or by wearing rose-colored lenses. Being a Libertarian candidate, it is fairly obvious that I face a nearly overwhelming challenge simply to establish myself as a serious candidate or to mount an effective campaign. I will agree that the track record of Libertarians being elected to ANY office is less than stellar, but that's not a very good reason to avoid the fight completely. In the words of a favorite author, "It's a Cinderella story on a tumble of the dice." As a Marine, it's not the losing that bothers me; it's the idea that no one is even willing to gear up for the fight that needs fightng. It's not about making no mistakes. It's about making the sincere attempt; the intention to do something without regard to the often stultifying consequences associated with making the initial attempt. Nothing changes unless someone says something.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
I am a big fan of James Madison because he was a big believer in personal liberties. Before the Revolution, he believed that an established religion was detrimental not only for restricting freedom of religion, but also that it encouraged closed-mindedness and unquestioning obedience to the authority of the state. His stance was that people should be free to consider the possibilities and continually question whether the existing system was working for the people. During his tenure with the Second Continental Congress, he worked to make himself an expert on financial issues, becoming a master of parliamentary coalition building. He was instrumental in creating the Virginia Plan which became the outline for the Constitution. He was also highly instrumental in arguing (through what became known as "The Federalist Papers") for the ratification of the Constitution by the states. The primary reason that I would like to follow his example is that through all of his public life, he saw the issues that existed, and through coalition building and cooperation, he was able to arrive at solutions that made the country a better place.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
Unfortunately, there is no single work that has been instrumental in shaping my political philosophy, but a partial list of works that I would cite include The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, and the collective writings of Neil Peart.
What legacy would you like to leave?
Quite simply, I would like my legacy to be that I left whatever I was doing in a better state than it was when I started it.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The first truly historical moment that I can remember was watching was the successful return of Apollo 13 on April 17, 1970. I remember seeing the live televised coverage of the capsule spashdown and crew extraction, and recall my teacher talking about how fortunate it was that these men were returned to Earth safely. I was 5 years old at the time.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Most recently, I would probably cite "Call Sign Chaos" by James Mattis. Reflecting on a military career of over 40 years, Mattis consistently developed methods and tactics, some of which were unorthodox, that "got the job done" regardless of how simple or complex the task at hand happened to be.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Several years ago, I received an official diagnosis of having Asperger's Syndrome. The biggest disadvantage that comes with this form of autism (at least for me) is my inability - or ambivalence - to pick up on social cues that most 'normal' people seem to take for granted. One humorous anecdote about this is that when it was first suggested to me (by someone very close) to me that I had Asperger's Syndrome, like a true autistic, I went to the library to look up the diagnosis. I furiously wrote down all of the diagnostic markers - one of which is writing down information for later use - in an effort to present evidence that I didn't have Asperger's Syndrome, not realizing that by doing this, I was actually proving her point. I still have the notebook. I think it's important for people to understand Asperger's (and Autism in general). Even though the D.S.M. no longer includes Asperger's as a separate diagnosis, it's still a useful way to identify people with low social skills but a generally high IQ - along with higher than normal rates of manic-depression and suicide. Unfortunately, most non-autistic people tend perceive most things in a strictly binary context making it difficult to understand something in shades of gray - especially something as complex as autism. It's easy to see that a person in a wheelchair has a physical impairment and may require some help or support. As a neurological condition, the influence of conditions like Asperger's Syndrome are often invisible to the rest of the world. We are not stupid - most of us have higher levels of intelligence than most people who are neuro-typical - but because we don't always "fit in" socially, we are often teased, bullied, or otherwise vilified for our behaviors. We don't often have many friends even though we want to, and those who care about us - family, and those we consider 'family' - are often very concerned that we are not taken advantage of for our 'gifts'.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
Domestically, I think that the greatest challenge to the United States is the wide ideological entrenchment of the old parties and the influence that they have had - and continue to have - on popular rhetoric, not just in politics, but in all forms of popular communication. Unless we can re-learn civility and allow each other to have our own opinions, the viturpation that we presently see within public discourse will only worsen. Internationally, I think that the greatest challenge to the United States will be an acceptance of the need to walk back from an empire-building, Cold War footing where we have military bases in countries around the world. and arrogantly attempt to impose our cultural ideology on nations who have no interest in adopting it. Frankly, if we would find it difficult to accept an Iranian military base in Arizona, or a Russian military base in Texas, why should we continue to have a military presence in global nations in which Americans are no longer welcome?
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
I think two years is an adequate term length for representatives, but I disagree with the absence of term limits for Congress. Personally, I believe that the longer a representative is in office, the more distant and out of touch they become from their constituency making it difficult for them to effectively "represent" the people in their district.
What are your thoughts on term limits?
Briefly, I support the idea of term limits, especially for members Congress. I would suggest (and have suggested) limits of two terms for Senators, and five terms for Representatives. These could be served consecutively or non-consecutively. I figure that if term limits were required for the Executive, why not for Congress?
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
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 24, 2020
- ↑ DCCC, "DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos Adds Six Candidates to DCCC ‘Red To Blue’ Program," July 16, 2020
- ↑ NRCC, "McCarthy Announces Seven “Young Guns” in Final Phase of Young Guns Program," April 14, 2020
- ↑ DCCC, "DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos Adds Six Candidates to DCCC ‘Red To Blue’ Program," July 16, 2020
- ↑ Business Insider, "Everything you need to know about Texas' 24th Congressional District House race between Beth Van Duyne and Candace Valenzuela," August 28, 2020
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "We recommend: A list of all our candidate recommendations for the general election," October 9, 2020
- ↑ Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Our recommendation for suburban Fort Worth voters in hottest Texas congressional race," October 16, 2020
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Candace Valenzuela's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 1, 2020
- ↑ Beth Van Duyne's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 1, 2020
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