Jennifer Cantu
Jennifer Cantu (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court to represent Precinct 1 in Texas. Cantu lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Cantu was a 2018 Democratic candidate for District 85 of the Texas House of Representatives. She was defeated in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Biography
Jennifer Cantu was born in Laredo, Texas, and lived in Rosenberg, Texas as of 2018. She studied at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. Cantu's career experience includes working as an early childhood intervention therapist with a nonprofit organization.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Municipal elections in Fort Bend County, Texas (2020)
General election
General election for Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Precinct 1
Incumbent Vincent Morales defeated Jennifer Cantu in the general election for Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Precinct 1 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Vincent Morales (R) | 52.3 | 39,488 | |
 | Jennifer Cantu (D) | 47.7 | 36,020 | |
| Total votes: 75,508 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Precinct 1
Jennifer Cantu defeated Lynette Reddix in the Democratic primary runoff for Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Precinct 1 on July 14, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer Cantu | 53.3 | 4,340 |
| Lynette Reddix | 46.7 | 3,804 | ||
| Total votes: 8,144 | |||
| = 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 Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Precinct 1
Jennifer Cantu and Lynette Reddix advanced to a runoff. They defeated Jesse Torres and Albert Tibbs in the Democratic primary for Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Precinct 1 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer Cantu | 41.8 | 4,950 |
| ✔ | Lynette Reddix | 25.6 | 3,027 | |
| Jesse Torres | 19.0 | 2,246 | ||
 | Albert Tibbs | 13.6 | 1,610 | |
| Total votes: 11,833 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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 Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Precinct 1
Incumbent Vincent Morales advanced from the Republican primary for Fort Bend County Commissioners Court Precinct 1 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Vincent Morales | 100.0 | 12,398 | |
| Total votes: 12,398 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Texas House of Representatives District 85
Incumbent Phil Stephenson defeated Jennifer Cantu in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 85 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Phil Stephenson (R) | 56.5 | 32,019 |
| Jennifer Cantu (D) | 43.5 | 24,668 | |
| Total votes: 56,687 | |||
| = 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 Texas House of Representatives District 85
Jennifer Cantu advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 85 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer Cantu | 100.0 | 4,437 |
| Total votes: 4,437 | |||
| = 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 85
Incumbent Phil Stephenson advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 85 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Stephenson | 100.0 | 10,151 |
| Total votes: 10,151 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jennifer Cantu did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jennifer Cantu completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cantu's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Protect our Infant and Toddler Programs: I am an Early Childhood Interventionist (ECI). This is not just my career; this is close to my heart. One of my twin daughters, Giselle, was born with an autoimmune disorder. I was told that she would not speak or walk. But I studied the brain for many years I knew we had a golden opportunity because Giselle was only 12 months old. Her window of opportunity was great because she was diagnosed at such a young age. By the time an infant turns three, 92% brain development is complete. By the age of five, 96% of brain development is complete. So, it goes without saying that when the Texas Legislature wants to balance the budget, that should not occur at the expense of our infants and toddlers. Our Texas leadership hasn't removed the program; but they have changed the eligibility requirements so that young children must wait longer for help. And given what we know about brain development in early childhood, we know that waiting can change outcomes drastically for a child. Healthcare: My time as both Director and Lead Physician of one of the few women's clinics in Jalisco is where I realized that affordable health care alone is not the answer, but also access to affordable health care. Health care is a right, not a privilege. Families should not have to be worried the next time their child has an asthma attack and cannot get to an ER or pediatrician. A mother-to-be should not have to wait until her second trimester until she is seen by a specialist. Texas has taken such great strides with early detection of breast cancer by using a mammogram bus. That kind of intervention needs to be used to bring specialists out into our communities so that Texas families can not only afford health care but have access to that health care. Rural Development: As a Community Outreach Coordinator for 6 counties, I have spent many hours on dirt and farm roads. Texas ranchers provide one of the stable backbones for our economy. To continue to build on their success we must allow for rural development. Roosevelt initiated rural electrification; we must initiate or improve access to broadband internet. A majority of small business farmers and owners do not have access to such services at their home, making them unable to compete at the same level as many others. Texas has the land and the means to become a competitive force in fulfilling the growing demand for organic fruits and vegetables, as well as utilizing sustainable green practices. We must bring funds and programs like this one to enrich our communities.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
1. Education Policy- We cannot continue to finance our education on state property tax 2. Welfare Policy- We have high levels of poverty throughout the state, my district holds both 1st and 2nd place holders for high percentage of poverty which are Richmond and Rosenberg 3. Medicaid and Health Care Policy- Currently 1 in 6 Texans are uninsured, this cannot continue to be the norm
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
Bad Feminist, by Roxane Gay
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
It is important that an elected official remain true to whom they are. It is important to remember that as an official you are only as good as your word without that, you have zero integrity. As an official we must remember it is okay to climb a ladder but we should never forget who built the ladder.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
The duties of a representative are clear: Listen to concerns of constituents, reduce challenges through legislative action, and find resources to support district success. Together with the other state representatives, your representative works to find practical solutions that will support your district and complement all. Representatives should know their districts well - know what keeps constituents awake at night, what services are needed and how to help residents thrive. While in Austin, representatives are the voices of their districts; at home, they are the eyes and ears, always looking for ways to help the district succeed. An undesirable representative is one who is absent and out of touch, meets the needs of only a small private sector and is generally unknown to the public. A state rep should have a strong background in community involvement and advocacy prior to becoming a state representative. This service need not have been on a political level but one should be able to look at their history and see that this is a person that cares for the well-being of others and have made positive contributions and is unselfish. I represent all this.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The responsibility is simple to represent your district, when you vote on something you vote on the majority of your district. As an elected you are a Voice for All not a Voice for some
What legacy would you like to leave?
I want individuals to know that our Voice is our Power.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Disney Store during High School - 3.5
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
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