John Wellik
John Wellik was a Democratic candidate for the District 114 in the Texas House of Representatives in the November 2, 2010, state legislative elections.
Professional Experience
- Health care executive
- Small business owner[1]
Issues
Philosophy
Wellik's campaign site says this about his philosophy on government:
"John does not believe Texans today are getting a good return from their government.
While government shouldn’t try to do everything, it has a critical role with respect to priorities like educating future generations of Texans and making sure we have the public infrastructure to remain competitive as a region. Those priorities increasingly have been sidelined by politicians whose focus is on wedge issues and the short-term goal of winning the next election.
John believes it’s time to cut the rhetoric and bring people to the table to find smart, bipartisan, and fiscally responsible solutions that will adequately fund our state’s priorities. This will be John’s top priority in Austin."
Wellik outlines his views on the following issues on his campaign site:
Education
Texas House Democrats ad |
Excerpt:"Texas accounts for nearly 1 in 10 of all students attending public schools in the United States. The investments we make in students will drive the economic future of our state. Yet, Texas ranks 45th in SAT scores and ranks at the bottom in the number of high school graduates...Since tuition deregulation, costs at Texas universities have nearly doubled and financial aid has stagnated, placing the dream of a college education beyond the reach of many hardworking families. The current generation of young Texans aged 25-35 is the first to have fewer people with a four-year degree than the one just ahead of it. Only 35% of ninth graders in Texas today will attend college (compared with 44% in Oklahoma, 45% in Arkansas, and 52% in Iowa).
In Austin, John will lead the fight to ensure that Texas teachers are paid at or above the national average and that every student has access to top-notch facilities and programs. He will fight for the expanded early education and after school programs that are vital to lowering the dropout rate and demand greater accountability from the state’s education officials.
He’ll also work to expand financial aid and support smart investments in universities, including efforts to build on the promise of the University of Texas at Dallas. John also will make sure that our community colleges have the tools and resources they need to be valued partners in the regional economy."
Homeowners Insurance and Utility Regulation
Excerpt:"Texans today pay the highest homeowners insurance rates in the nation, while receiving less in coverage under their policies. Since utility deregulation, utility rates in Texas also have gone from some of the lowest to some of the highest in the nation.
John will stand up for Texas homeowners by working to strengthen the powers of the Texas Commissioner of Insurance and working for adoption of sensible reforms to the Texas homeowners insurance system, such improved disclosure laws, that have been effective in other states.
And he’ll work to reform the utility system and strengthen the currently weak power of the Public Utility Commission to protect consumers."
Environment
Excerpt:"North Texas is in danger of falling out of compliance with clean air laws.
More importantly, the poor quality of air in the region affects the attractiveness of the Metroplex to businesses and potential employees alike and has left Dallas with one of the country’s highest rates of childhood asthma.
In Austin, John will work with regional leaders to make sure they have the power and resources to tackle the clean air crisis in a comprehensive way.
John also will work to create incentives to encourage adoption of next-generation clean energy technology—an area where North Texas can be a leader."
Transportation
Excerpt:"North Texas is a transportation hub because of forward-thinking policies of earlier generations of leaders, who had the vision to build DFW International Airport and a transportation system that once was the most efficient in the nation.
Yet today, much of our transportation infrastructure is outdated and increasingly inadequate for a region of nearly 6 million people.
Worse, we are not investing enough in the transportation technology of the future, like high-speed rail and improved mass transit.
John will work for smart policies to build the transportation infrastructure of tomorrow and keep our region competitive."[1]
Elections
2010
Wellik lost election to District 114 in 2010. He was defeated by Republican incumbent Will Ford Hartnett in the general election on November 2, 2010.[2]
| Texas House of Representatives, District 114 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
 Will Hartnett (R)
|
20,529 | 65.11% | ||
| John Wellik (D) | 11,000 | 34.88% | ||
Campaign finance summary
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Endorsements
- National Association of Social Workers, Texas Chapter
- Texas State Teachers Association
- Sierra Club
- Texas League of Conservation Voters[1]
External links
- Official Campaign website
- Official Facebook Page
- Candidate Twitter Page
- Texas Democrats YouTube Channel
- Official Campaign Contributions
- Contributions, OpenSecrets
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Texas Tribune Profile
- Imagine Election Profile
Footnotes
