Darren Hamilton (Texas)

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Darren Hamilton
Image of Darren Hamilton
Elections and appointments
Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

John Foster Dulles High School

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Years of service

1984 - 1992

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Years of service

1984 - 1992

Personal
Birthplace
Spokane, Wash.
Religion
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Profession
Data analyst
Contact

Darren Hamilton (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 57. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Hamilton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Darren Hamilton was born in Spokane, Washington. Hamilton's professional experience includes working in data management. He has been an actor, radio personality, motivational speaker, and club DJ. Hamilton served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1984 to 1992.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 57

Incumbent Richard Hayes defeated Collin Johnson and Darren Hamilton in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 57 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Hayes
Richard Hayes (R)
 
58.3
 
51,865
Image of Collin Johnson
Collin Johnson (D) Candidate Connection
 
38.5
 
34,279
Image of Darren Hamilton
Darren Hamilton (L) Candidate Connection
 
3.2
 
2,870

Total votes: 89,014
Candidate Connection = 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 57

Collin Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 57 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Collin Johnson
Collin Johnson Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
4,421

Total votes: 4,421
Candidate Connection = 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 Texas House of Representatives District 57

Incumbent Richard Hayes advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 57 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Hayes
Richard Hayes
 
100.0
 
13,553

Total votes: 13,553
Candidate Connection = 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.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas House of Representatives District 57

Darren Hamilton advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas House of Representatives District 57 on March 16, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Darren Hamilton
Darren Hamilton (L) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = 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 finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Hamilton in this election.

Pledges

Hamilton signed the following pledges.

  • U.S. Term Limits

2022

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 57

Richard Hayes defeated Darren Hamilton in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 57 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Hayes
Richard Hayes (R)
 
65.3
 
39,924
Image of Darren Hamilton
Darren Hamilton (L) Candidate Connection
 
34.7
 
21,227

Total votes: 61,151
Candidate Connection = 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 Texas House of Representatives District 57

Richard Hayes defeated Matthew Poole and Matthew Haines in the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 57 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Hayes
Richard Hayes
 
57.5
 
7,151
Matthew Poole
 
28.7
 
3,565
Matthew Haines
 
13.8
 
1,721

Total votes: 12,437
Candidate Connection = 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.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas House of Representatives District 57

Darren Hamilton advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas House of Representatives District 57 on March 12, 2022.

Candidate
Image of Darren Hamilton
Darren Hamilton (L) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = 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 finance

Endorsements

To view Hamilton's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

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

General election for U.S. House Texas District 24

Beth Van Duyne defeated Candace Valenzuela, Darren Hamilton, Steve Kuzmich, and Mark Bauer in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 24 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Beth Van Duyne
Beth Van Duyne (R)
 
48.8
 
167,910
Image of Candace Valenzuela
Candace Valenzuela (D)
 
47.5
 
163,326
Image of Darren Hamilton
Darren Hamilton (L) Candidate Connection
 
1.6
 
5,647
Image of Steve Kuzmich
Steve Kuzmich (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
4,229
Image of Mark Bauer
Mark Bauer (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.8
 
2,909

Total votes: 344,021
Candidate Connection = 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.

Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Democratic primary runoff election

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
Image of Candace Valenzuela
Candace Valenzuela
 
60.4
 
20,003
Image of Kim Olson
Kim Olson Candidate Connection
 
39.6
 
13,131

Total votes: 33,134
Candidate Connection = 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 24

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kim Olson
Kim Olson Candidate Connection
 
41.0
 
24,442
Image of Candace Valenzuela
Candace Valenzuela
 
30.4
 
18,078
Image of Jan McDowell
Jan McDowell
 
10.0
 
5,965
Crystal Fletcher (Unofficially withdrew)
 
5.7
 
3,386
Image of Richard Fleming
Richard Fleming
 
5.1
 
3,010
Image of Sam Vega
Sam Vega Candidate Connection
 
4.5
 
2,677
Image of John Biggan
John Biggan Candidate Connection
 
3.4
 
1,996

Total votes: 59,554
Candidate Connection = 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

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
Image of Beth Van Duyne
Beth Van Duyne
 
64.3
 
32,067
Image of David Fegan
David Fegan Candidate Connection
 
20.7
 
10,295
Image of Desi Maes
Desi Maes Candidate Connection
 
5.8
 
2,867
Image of Sunny Chaparala
Sunny Chaparala Candidate Connection
 
5.6
 
2,808
Image of Jeron Liverman
Jeron Liverman Candidate Connection
 
3.6
 
1,809

Total votes: 49,846
Candidate Connection = 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Libertarian convention

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
Image of Darren Hamilton
Darren Hamilton (L) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = 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

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Darren Hamilton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hamilton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

First, let me be very clear about this: I am many things, but one thing I am NOT is a politician. By profession, I am a data analyst, statistician, and database engineer. I am a Marine, a husband, father, and grandfather. I am an autistic and a video gamer. I am a polymath and an autodidact.

Let me assure you that I am not blinded by naivete, or by wearing rose-colored lenses. Being a candidate from an alternative political party, it's not the high probability of losing this election that bothers me. It's the idea that no one else has even suited up for the fight. As Texans, we deserve better than to be represented in our halls of government by ONLY two wildly divergent political ideologies. If there is one thing that I learned from my time in the Marines, it's that we fight for a cause that we hold sacred. We don't just fight the battles that we know we can win; we fight the battles that NEED fighting regardless of the circumstances.

I believe that people should decide the laws, not government agents or political parties. I believe that if people are not harming others, they should be free to live their own lives and pursue their own interests free from intrusion or interference by the government into their personal lives, family lives, and business decisions. I am running for House District 57 because I believe that it is long past time for there to be a consistent voice for liberty and accountability in Austin.
  • Immigration - What we really should be discussing is "comprehensive immigration reform".

    If Americans want immigrants to enter the United States through legal channels, then immigration laws should address making those legal channels fair, reasonable, and more accessible to potential immigrants. The point that I am trying to make here is that we should be talking to each other about how to accomplish this.

    Libertarians like me believe that most American families came to the United States from somewhere else, whether long ago or relatively recently, and as long as they have no credible plan for, a history of, or perform acts of violence within our country, they should be welcome to immigrate to the United States.
  • Repeal of Prohibition Laws - Prohibition is the act of forbidding something, especially by law. It's basically the government telling people what they cannot do and claiming that these laws are in place "for the public good", but they're not. Laws covering censorship, abortion elimination, and recreational cannabis are just a few existing prohibitions that should be heavily scrutinized and repealed. We should not be trying to control anyone else's personal choices or decisions, especially through law
  • Education and School Choice - Education is one of the most expensive government services and should be expected to provide some of the best returns on our investment. Unfortunately, the discussions on improving education typically revolve around throwing more money at a system that was designed well before the current information age. Parents, teachers, AND students should be able to determine for themselves the best course for their education, not the government.
I am personally passionate about returning a sense of personal responsibility and accountability to public offices.

I believe that each person is unique - an individual with individual thoughts and dreams, and individual needs. As such, I believe that each person is best suited to decide for themselves what to do for themselves and their families, not big government. As long as they are not hurting anyone else, my job as a Texas Representative is to remove the obstacles that have been put in the way of Texas's citizens living and working in a way that best achieves their hopes and dreams. Nothing will change unless someone stands up and says something.
In my opinion, personal integrity and personal accountability. After all, whether in business or in the halls of government, but especially as a person who represents other people, being honest with your word to your family, to your friends, or in your career really means very little if you are not honest with yourself. Personal integrity implies trustworthiness and holding yourself to the same (or higher) standard to which you hold others.

As a leader, personal accountability is one of the most important traits to possess. It allows you to take responsibility for your own actions and decisions, and it builds trust with the people around you. Having personal accountability allows you to focus on your goals rather than spending time trying to defend yourself. Being able to "lead by example" is an aspect of personal accountability. It allows you to remain consistent with your personal values and guides you when making difficult decisions.

Maybe I'm just being naive, but it seems to me that if our elected officials exhibited more personal integrity and personal accountability, there might not be as much generalized mistrust of our government and its officials.
There is only one core responsibility in being elected to this (or any) office: represent the people of my district in the state legislature. Anything else is inconsequential. As a Libertarian, one of my guiding principles, especially as it realtes to laws and government, is "liberty"; it's in the name. As a representative, my sole purpose is to uncover any nuance of present or future state law that seeks to limit the freedom or liberty of my constituents and ensure that their voices are heard over the din of partisan bickering. In this office, my responsibility is to serve ALL of the people, not just the ideals of any one political party.

The motto of most police forces is "to serve and protect". The intent of the phrase refers to serving the physical needs of the people and protecting them from physical harm. The primary difference here is that officials at the state representative level are intended to serve and protect the people from laws that restrict, infringe, or cause harm.

If you want your representative to promote a specific ideology regardless of its cost to others who do not share that ideology, you should probably vote for someone else.
Asking a bibliophile to choose a favorite book is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. There is never a single one, and all of them have their own individual appeal. As an autistic, I find immense satisfaction in re-reading the collective works of multiple authors. A short list of these authors includes Piers Anthony (primarily the "Xanth" and "Incarnations" series), Orson Scott Card (the Ender's and Mither Mages series, and "Pastwatch"), David Eddings (the "Belgariad" and "Mallorean"), C.S. Lewis ("Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters", Anne McCaffery ("Dragonriders"), Neil Peart (if you know, you understand why), Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling (never underestimate the quality of teenage literature), J.R.R. Tolkein ("Lord of the Rings" and associated works), and Mark Twain (as a satirist, his work is unparallelled).
Many years ago (as an adult), I received an official diagnosis of having Asperger's Syndrome (abbreviated to "AS" when that was still an official diagnosis; now it's simply defined as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder). The biggest disadvantage that comes with this form of autism (at least for me) has been my inability to recognize common social cues that most neurotypical people seem to take for granted.

I think it's important for people to understand AS (and autism in general). Even though the DSM no longer includes AS as a separate diagnosis, it's still a useful way to identify people with low social skills but generally higher intelligence - along with higher than normal rates of manic-depression and suicide. Unfortunately, most non-autistic people tend to perceive most things in a strictly binary context making it difficult to understand something in shades of gray - especially something as complex as autism.

When it was first suggested to me that I had AS, I went to the library to look up the diagnosis. I furiously wrote down, word for word, all of the diagnostic markers - one of which is writing down information for later use - in an effort to present evidence that I did not, in fact, have AS, all the while not realizing that by doing this, I was actually proving her point.

It's easy to see that a person in a wheelchair has a physical impairment and may require help and support. As a neurological condition, the indictors of autism are generally behavioral in nature, and so are often invisible to the rest of the world. We are not stupid, 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 concerned that we are not taken advantage of for our 'gifts'.
Compromise is absolutely necessary for policymaking, and anyone who believes otherwise probably has a pretty craven way of looking at politics. It is the epitome of foolishness to believe that a individual person, or political party, has all of the answers necessary for every political issue that comes down the line.

While virtually all Americans agree that destructive partisan divisiveness is a huge problem (according to a 2021 poll), an overwhelming majority (71%, from that same poll) agree that there is more common ground among the American people than is commonly acknowledged by either of the major political parties or by the media.

Compromise, as a general idea, allows people like me, who see compromise as beneficial, to take the best parts of each partisan solution and compile something that will work for everyone. The reality of partisan politics is that everybody talks AT each other, but few actually say anything substantial, and still nothing ever seems to get done.

I believe that if the citizens of Texas really want to get anything done, then they deserve a representative who is not going to get stuck in the stalemate of partisan politics.
A hunter is quietly going through the woods when he surprises a bear. The bear takes a swipe at him sending the hunter's rifle spinning away to be lost in the woods, and sending the hunter into a tree which knocks him out for a few moments. The hunter comes to his senses just in time to see the bear lumbering over to place one of his huge paws on the man's chest, holding him in place on the ground. Figuring that he doesn't have much time, the man closes his yes and silently prays, "Dear God, I know I haven't been a very good man, but please make this bear a Christian!" The next moment, the man feels the bear's paw lift from his chest. Opening his eyes, he sees the bear place his two front paws together in a prayerful motion and say, "for what we are about to receive..."
The first bill I would introduce into the Texas legislature is a bill intended to alter the allocation of Electoral College votes in Texas from the current "winner-take-all" system to a more fair and balanced system that shows that Texas does NOT belong to any single political faction, but is also willing (like Maine and Nebraska) to show the rest of the nation that ALL voices matter in the selection process of our President.

My own preference is to allocate Electoral College votes based on the majority of votes within each of Texas's 38 congressional districts (Maine and Nebraska do this) leaving the final two electoral votes to be cast for the candidate who achieves a statewide majority. The intent of this bill is to allow Texas's disenfranchised voters to have a voice in electing the President regardless of the majority view.

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.

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia
Released May 31, 2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Darren Hamilton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hamilton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

First, let me be very clear about this: I am many things, but one thing I am NOT is a politician. By profession, I am a data analyst, statistician, and database engineer. I am a Marine, a husband, father, and grandfather. I am an autistic and a video gamer. I am a polymath and an autodidact.

Let me assure you that I am not blinded by naivete, or by wearing rose-colored lenses. Being a candidate from an alternative political party, it's not the high probability of losing this election that bothers me. It's the idea that no one else has even suited up for the fight. As Texans, we deserve better than to be represented in our halls of government by ONLY two wildly divergent political ideologies. If there is one thing that I learned from my time in the Marines, it's that we fight for a cause that we hold sacred. We don't just fight the battles that we know we can win; we fight the battles that NEED fighting regardless of the circumstances.

I believe that people should decide the laws, not government agents or political parties. I believe that if people are not harming others, they should be free to live their own lives and pursue their own interests free from intrusion or interference by the government into their personal lives, family lives, and business decisions. I am running for House District 57 because I believe that it is long past time for there to be a consistent voice for liberty and accountability in Austin.
  • Immigration - What we really should be discussing is "comprehensive immigration reform".

    If Americans want immigrants to enter the United States through legal channels, then immigration laws should address making those legal channels fair, reasonable, and more accessible to potential immigrants. The point that I am trying to make here is that we should be talking to each other about how to accomplish this.

    Libertarians like me believe that most American families came to the United States from somewhere else, whether long ago or relatively recently, and as long as they have no credible plan for, a history of, or perform acts of violence within our country, they should be welcome to immigrate to the United States.
  • Repeal of Prohibition Laws - Prohibition is the act of forbidding something, especially by law. It's basically the government telling people what they cannot do and claiming that these laws are in place "for the public good", but they're not. Laws covering censorship, abortion elimination, and recreational cannabis are just a few existing prohibitions that should be heavily scrutinized and repealed. We should not be trying to control anyone else's personal choices or decisions, especially through law
  • Education and School Choice - Education is one of the most expensive government services and should be expected to provide some of the best returns on our investment. Unfortunately, the discussions on improving education typically revolve around throwing more money at a system that was designed well before the current information age. Parents, teachers, AND students should be able to determine for themselves the best course for their education, not the government.
I am personally passionate about returning a sense of personal responsibility and accountability to public offices.

I believe that each person is unique - an individual with individual thoughts and dreams, and individual needs. As such, I believe that each person is best suited to decide for themselves what to do for themselves and their families, not big government. As long as they are not hurting anyone else, my job as a Texas Representative is to remove the obstacles that have been put in the way of Texas's citizens living and working in a way that best achieves their hopes and dreams. Nothing will change unless someone stands up and says something.
In my opinion, personal integrity and personal accountability. After all, whether in business or in the halls of government, but especially as a person who represents other people, being honest with your word to your family, to your friends, or in your career really means very little if you are not honest with yourself. Personal integrity implies trustworthiness and holding yourself to the same (or higher) standard to which you hold others.

As a leader, personal accountability is one of the most important traits to possess. It allows you to take responsibility for your own actions and decisions, and it builds trust with the people around you. Having personal accountability allows you to focus on your goals rather than spending time trying to defend yourself. Being able to "lead by example" is an aspect of personal accountability. It allows you to remain consistent with your personal values and guides you when making difficult decisions.

Maybe I'm just being naive, but it seems to me that if our elected officials exhibited more personal integrity and personal accountability, there might not be as much generalized mistrust of our government and its officials.
There is only one core responsibility in being elected to this (or any) office: represent the people of my district in the state legislature. Anything else is inconsequential. As a Libertarian, one of my guiding principles, especially as it realtes to laws and government, is "liberty"; it's in the name. As a representative, my sole purpose is to uncover any nuance of present or future state law that seeks to limit the freedom or liberty of my constituents and ensure that their voices are heard over the din of partisan bickering. In this office, my responsibility is to serve ALL of the people, not just the ideals of any one political party.

The motto of most police forces is "to serve and protect". The intent of the phrase refers to serving the physical needs of the people and protecting them from physical harm. The primary difference here is that officials at the state representative level are intended to serve and protect the people from laws that restrict, infringe, or cause harm.

If you want your representative to promote a specific ideology regardless of its cost to others who do not share that ideology, you should probably vote for someone else.
Asking a bibliophile to choose a favorite book is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. There is never a single one, and all of them have their own individual appeal. As an autistic, I find immense satisfaction in re-reading the collective works of multiple authors. A short list of these authors includes Piers Anthony (primarily the "Xanth" and "Incarnations" series), Orson Scott Card (the Ender's and Mither Mages series, and "Pastwatch"), David Eddings (the "Belgariad" and "Mallorean"), C.S. Lewis ("Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters", Anne McCaffery ("Dragonriders"), Neil Peart (if you know, you understand why), Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling (never underestimate the quality of teenage literature), J.R.R. Tolkein ("Lord of the Rings" and associated works), and Mark Twain (as a satirist, his work is unparallelled).
Many years ago (as an adult), I received an official diagnosis of having Asperger's Syndrome (abbreviated to "AS" when that was still an official diagnosis; now it's simply defined as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder). The biggest disadvantage that comes with this form of autism (at least for me) has been my inability to recognize common social cues that most neurotypical people seem to take for granted.

I think it's important for people to understand AS (and autism in general). Even though the DSM no longer includes AS as a separate diagnosis, it's still a useful way to identify people with low social skills but generally higher intelligence - along with higher than normal rates of manic-depression and suicide. Unfortunately, most non-autistic people tend to perceive most things in a strictly binary context making it difficult to understand something in shades of gray - especially something as complex as autism.

When it was first suggested to me that I had AS, I went to the library to look up the diagnosis. I furiously wrote down, word for word, all of the diagnostic markers - one of which is writing down information for later use - in an effort to present evidence that I did not, in fact, have AS, all the while not realizing that by doing this, I was actually proving her point.

It's easy to see that a person in a wheelchair has a physical impairment and may require help and support. As a neurological condition, the indictors of autism are generally behavioral in nature, and so are often invisible to the rest of the world. We are not stupid, 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 concerned that we are not taken advantage of for our 'gifts'.
Compromise is absolutely necessary for policymaking, and anyone who believes otherwise probably has a pretty craven way of looking at politics. It is the epitome of foolishness to believe that a individual person, or political party, has all of the answers necessary for every political issue that comes down the line.

While virtually all Americans agree that destructive partisan divisiveness is a huge problem (according to a 2021 poll), an overwhelming majority (71%, from that same poll) agree that there is more common ground among the American people than is commonly acknowledged by either of the major political parties or by the media.

Compromise, as a general idea, allows people like me, who see compromise as beneficial, to take the best parts of each partisan solution and compile something that will work for everyone. The reality of partisan politics is that everybody talks AT each other, but few actually say anything substantial, and still nothing ever seems to get done.

I believe that if the citizens of Texas really want to get anything done, then they deserve a representative who is not going to get stuck in the stalemate of partisan politics.
A hunter is quietly going through the woods when he surprises a bear. The bear takes a swipe at him sending the hunter's rifle spinning away to be lost in the woods, and sending the hunter into a tree which knocks him out for a few moments. The hunter comes to his senses just in time to see the bear lumbering over to place one of his huge paws on the man's chest, holding him in place on the ground. Figuring that he doesn't have much time, the man closes his yes and silently prays, "Dear God, I know I haven't been a very good man, but please make this bear a Christian!" The next moment, the man feels the bear's paw lift from his chest. Opening his eyes, he sees the bear place his two front paws together in a prayerful motion and say, "for what we are about to receive..."
The first bill I would introduce into the Texas legislature is a bill intended to alter the allocation of Electoral College votes in Texas from the current "winner-take-all" system to a more fair and balanced system that shows that Texas does NOT belong to any single political faction, but is also willing (like Maine and Nebraska) to show the rest of the nation that ALL voices matter in the selection process of our President.

My own preference is to allocate Electoral College votes based on the majority of votes within each of Texas's 38 congressional districts (Maine and Nebraska do this) leaving the final two electoral votes to be cast for the candidate who achieves a statewide majority. The intent of this bill is to allow Texas's disenfranchised voters to have a voice in electing the President regardless of the majority view.

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.

2022

Candidate Connection

Darren Hamilton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hamilton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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My name is Darren Hamilton and I am running to represent central Denton County in the Texas House of Representatives. I am primarily driven my a sense of service to my family, my country, and my community, and I am committed to taking that dedication to Austin. I moved to Houston with my family at the age of 14. It was there that I learned the value of service, a consistent work ethic, and respect for others , but most of all for liberty. These are all principles that I still carry with me today. Like many others from Texas throughout the years, I chose to serve in the armed forces and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at 19. After concluding eight years of active duty service with the Marines, I eventually returned to Texas. I believe that people should decide the laws, not government agents or political parties. I believe that, as long as people are not harming others, they should be free to live their own lives and pursue their own interests free from intrusion or interference by the government. I am running for House District 57 because I believe that it is long past time for there to be a consistent voice for liberty and accountability in Austin.
  • Immigration - What we really should be discussing is "comprehensive immigration reform". If Americans want immigrants to enter the United States through legal channels, then the immigration laws (and their reforms) should address making those legal channels fair, reasonable, and more accessible to potential immigrants. The point that I am trying to make here is that we should be talking to each other about how to accomplish this. Libertarians like me believe that most American families came to the United States from somewhere else, whether long ago or relatively recently, and as long as they have no credible plan for, a history of, or perform acts of violence within our country, they should be welcome to immigrate to the United States.
  • Repeal of Prohibition Laws - Prohibition is the act of forbidding something, especially by law. It's basically the government telling people what they cannot do and claiming that these laws are in place "for the public good", but they're not. Laws covering censorship, abortion elimination, and recreational cannabis are just a few existing prohibitions that should be heavily scrutinized. We should not be trying to control someone else's personal choices or decisions, especially through law.
  • Education and School Choice - Education is one of the most expensive government services and should be expected to provide some of the best returns on our investment. Unfortunately, the discussions on improving education typically revolve around throwing more money at a system that was designed well before the current information age. Parents, teachers, AND students should be able to determine for themselves the best course for their education, not the government.
I am passionate about returning a sense of personal responsibility and accountability to public offices. I believe that each person is unique - an individual with individual thoughts and dreams, and individual needs. As such, I believe that each person is best suited to decide for themselves what to do for themselves and their families, not big government. As long as they are not hurting anyone else, my job as a Texas Representative is to remove the obstacles that have been put in the way of Texas's citizens living and working in a way that best achieves their hopes and dreams. Nothing will change unless someone stands up and says something.
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 throughout 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.
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, "A Book of Five Rings" by Myamoto Musashi, and the collective writings of Neil Peart.
Asking a bibliophile to choose a favorite book is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child; there is never a single one, and all of them have their own individual appeal. As an autistic, I find immense satisfaction in re-reading the collective works of multiple authors. A short list of these authors include Piers Anthony (primarily the "Xanth" and "Incarnations" series), Orson Scott Card (the Ender's and Mither Mages series, and "Pastwatch"), David Eddings (primarily "The Belgariad" and "The Mallorean"), CS Lewis (primarily "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters"), Anne McCaffrey ("The Dragonriders" collective), Neil Peart (if you know, you also understand why), Rick Riordan and JK Rowling (never underestimate the quality of teenage literature), JRR Tolkein ("The Lord of the Rings" and associated works), and Mark Twain (as a satirist, his work is unparalleled).
Some 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) has been my inability - or ambivalence - to pick up on social cues that most neurotypical people seem to take for granted. One humorous anecdote about this is that when it was first suggested to me (by someone very close) that I had Asperger's Syndrome, like a true autistic, I went to the library to look up the official diagnosis. I furiously wrote down, word for word, all of the diagnostic markers - one of which is writing down information for later use - in an effort to present evidence that I did not, in fact, have Asperger's Syndrome, not realizing that by doing this, I was actually proving her point.

I think it's important for people to understand Asperger's (and autism in general). Even though the DSM 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 intelligence - along with higher than normal rates of manic-depression and suicide. Unfortunately, most non-autistic people tend to perceive 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 help and support. As a neurological condition, the indicators of autism are generally behavioral in nature, and so are often invisible to the rest of the world. We are not stupid - most of us have higher levels of intelligence than most neurotypical people - 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 concerned that we are not taken advantage of for our 'gifts'.
As a statistician and analyst, I work with computer systems and computer security on a regular basis and, without hesitation, I believe that the most pernicious threat to American interests is cyber-warfare. The sheer volume of information available for anyone (especially foreign agents) with the skills to get them makes this a paramount domestic policy issue. In Texas, the Legislature should ensure that funding for cyber-security projects is not starved, and should encourage the expansion of more advanced cyber-security systems including research into and development of quantum computing and of limited artificial intelligence. The advancement of these projects will, I believe, do more to address additional domestic threats, such as human slavery and sex trafficking, than any increase in enforcement could hope to accomplish.

Energy independence without the reliance on fossil fuels is also a worthy goal for Texas, and the advancements of energy technologies over the past 150 years has been nothing short of remarkable. But I believe that the time has come to bring nuclear fusion technology to Texas. This process requires no fossil fuels, leaves behind no radioactive waste, and is a far safer alternative than the more common nuclear fission reactors. It is also capable of generating more power than wind, solar, and geothermal combined. While there is still a great deal of research needed to produce a longer sustaining fusion reaction, researchers are getting closer to sustainably harnessing the sun's power for the energy needs of the 21st century (and beyond).
I favor an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission. I have always opposed the idea of partisan agents proposing or enacting the establishment of district boundaries, whether at the state or national level. With the political landscape of Texas, and indeed the rest of the country, shifting toward voters who (at about 42% nationally) do not identify with either of the "Old Parties", the process of drawing political boundaries should be placed in the hands of those who view the voters as real people with real concerns, and not as pawns in an obscure political game.
Compromise is absolutely necessary for policymaking, and anyone who believes otherwise probably has a pretty craven way of looking at politics. It is the epitome of foolishness to believe that a single person, or political party, has all of the answers necessary for every political issue that comes down the line. While virtually all Americans agree that destructive partisan divisiveness is a huge problem (according to a 2021 poll), an overwhelming majority (71%, from the same poll) agree that there is more common ground among the American people than is commonly acknowledged by either of the "Old Parties" or by the media. Compromise, as a general idea, allows people like me, who view compromise as beneficial, to take the best parts of each partisan solution and put together something that will work for everyone. The reality of partisan politics is that everybody talks but few actually say anything substantial, and still nothing ever seems to get done. I believe that if the citizens of Texas really want to get anything done, then they deserve a representative who is not going to get stuck in the stalemate of partisan politics.

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.

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.

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. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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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.
  • Immigration - If Americans want immigrants to enter the United States through legal channels, they need to make those channels fair, reasonable, and more accessible to immigrants.
  • Education - Parents, teachers, and the students themselves should be able to determine for themselves the best course for their education, not the government.
  • Healthcare - People want access to quality healthcare at a reasonable cost. The best possible way to ensure this is to remove government interference in the healthcare industry.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'.
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?
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.
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.

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Darren Hamilton campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Texas House of Representatives District 57Lost general$400 $139
2022Texas House of Representatives District 57Lost general$435 $750
2020U.S. House Texas District 24Lost general$570 $212
Grand total$1,405 $1,101
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 30, 2022


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