Don Conley III
Don Conley III (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 14th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Conley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 14
Incumbent Randy Weber defeated Adrienne Bell and Don Conley III in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 14 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Randy Weber (R) | 59.2 | 138,942 |
 | Adrienne Bell (D) | 39.3 | 92,212 | |
 | Don Conley III (L)  | 1.4 | 3,374 | |
| Total votes: 234,528 | |||
| = 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 U.S. House Texas District 14
Adrienne Bell defeated Levy Barnes Jr. in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 14 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Adrienne Bell | 79.8 | 19,458 |
 | Levy Barnes Jr. | 20.2 | 4,923 | |
| Total votes: 24,381 | |||
| = 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 14
Incumbent Randy Weber defeated Bill Sargent and Keith Casey in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 14 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Randy Weber | 75.2 | 33,509 |
 | Bill Sargent | 19.6 | 8,742 | |
 | Keith Casey | 5.1 | 2,291 | |
| Total votes: 44,542 | |||
| = 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
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Don Conley III completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Conley 's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
My top priority would be cutting back on government waste and working towards a balanced budget. Our country can not continue to operate in the red. My next priority would be prison reform. I would push for the immediate release of prisoners for drug-related victimless crimes and eliminate "for profit" prisons. Lastly, I would work towards ending the war on drugs. The estimated 51 BILLION dollars spent each year on this losing war would make a instant, positive impact on the budget.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am really passionate about protecting the Constitution. While serving in the Army Reserves, I gave an oath to uphold the Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic. I truly believe the Constitution has been under domestic attack by our elected Republican and Democrat officials. But, I will work tirelessly to protect this sacred document.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Ron Paul is someone I look up to. Throughout his career, Paul has shown that it is possible to stay grounded to your principles and not sell out to the corporations. I believe he is a man of true integrity, and I plan to have a political career with the same values.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
The Constitution of the United States of America would best describe my political beliefs.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Honesty and courage. You have to be honest with the people you represent and have the courage to stand up for what is right.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I am a man of integrity. My work ethic keeps me highly motivated to make a positive difference in my community and country.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
To protect the Citizens and the Constitution of the United States of America. To keep the President in check with the budget and put an end to our military involvement around the world.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I want to be remembered as being a person who served his country and fought for his people. I want to make America a better place for our children.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The first major event that I can remember was the Challenger explosion in 1986. I was five years old when we watched the television broadcast of the launch at school. Everyone froze in shock as it happened.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
I started working on my mother's boss' ranch when I was 11 years old during weekends and summer breaks. I did this until I was 16. I learned a lot about hard work and what keeps America going.
What happened on your most awkward date?
I married the love of my life when I was 20 years old. I never had a awkward date.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
The 4th of July -- the birth of our nation. I love BBQ and spending time with family and friends.
What is your favorite book? Why?
I read the Outsiders for the first time in middle school. I have always felt like an outsider, so the book just kind of fit.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
I would want to be Superman, so I could fly over Houston traffic.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My meat smoker. I love to smoke ribs, pork roast, and brisket. It makes me happy to share meals with my friends and family.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
"Baby Shark (Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo…)" because I have a five year old, and my wife is a marine biologist. I hear that song often.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
I have struggled with smoking. It has been nearly one year since my last cigarette.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
The House needs to expand to at least 870 members. The number 435 was locked in by the Apportionment Act of 1911. At that time, it was one representative per 220,000 people. Now, it is at 1 representative per 700,000+ people. This current ratio reduces the voice of the People and strengthens the Republican and Democrat leaders' grip on America.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
The House was designed to be a representation of the everyday citizen. It allows us to oversee the executive branch, as well as to protect the people from the banks, corporations, and special interest groups. I believe that we can return to these standards if we can vote enough of the career politicians out of office.
Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
Members of the House should have very little experience in government and politics. The House should not house career politicians who are in it for personal gain.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
Our greatest challenge will be balancing the budget -- making a significant dent in our $21,672,453,590,238.12 and climbing debt.
If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
As an honorably discharged military member, I would want to be on the VA and Defense committees, as well as any cannabis reform committees. Being from a border state, an immigration reform committee would also be a good fit. A prison reform committee would also be a place I would like to make a real difference.
If you are a current representative, why did you join your current committees?
N/A
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
That is the perfect amount of time to decide if someone is doing a good job or not.
What are your thoughts on term limits?
Term limits are a must for every branch of government. The House term limit should be 10 years, so that a member has an opportunity to work with a minimum of two presidents. For the Senate, there should be a 12 year term limit. For the Supreme Court, there be a 20 year term.
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?
With no member of the Libertarian Party currently serving in Congress, anyone of us that gets elected would automatically be put in a leadership role. I have spent most of my professional career in a leadership position, and I would welcome the challenge in the House.
Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
I would want to be a mix of Ron Paul and Thomas Jefferson. They both have integrity and strong Libertarian principles.
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?
A conversation I had with an African-American gentleman when I first considered running for office helped me to realize that I must try my hardest to make a difference: While in college, this young man bought a half pound of marijuana for his own personal use. On his way home, he was pulled over for having his music up too loud. He did not consent to his vehicle being searched, but probable cause was used. The young man was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell. Because he had been in a fist fight in high school as an 18 year old, he had a prior record and was given two years in prison. During his first few months in prison, he was raped twice until being pressured into joining a prison gang for protection. While in the prison gang, he was stabbed three times and was also involved in gang retaliations, causing him to get an extended sentence. He spent nearly five years locked up. To top it all off, he came out of prison HIV positive -- a death sentence -- all for possessing a half pound of weed. He went from being a junior in college with a 3.0 grade average to a hardened criminal in our failed justice system. He will die because of his college fun. We have people that have longer prison sentences for a plant than we have serving for rape and child molestation charges. We can not allow this to continue.
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
- United States House of Representatives
- Texas' 14th Congressional District election, 2018
- Texas' 14th Congressional District
External links
Footnotes
