Mark Phariss
Mark Phariss (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Texas State Senate to represent District 8. Phariss lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Phariss completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Phariss earned a B.A. from Westminster College in 1982. He then received his J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School in 1985. Phariss practiced business law in private practice from 1985 to 1999 and has worked as in-house counsel for a variety of companies since then.[1]
Elections
2018
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Texas State Senate District 8
Angela Paxton defeated Mark Phariss in the general election for Texas State Senate District 8 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Angela Paxton (R) | 51.2 | 169,995 |
 | Mark Phariss (D)  | 48.8 | 162,157 | |
| Total votes: 332,152 | |||
| = 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 State Senate District 8
Mark Phariss defeated Brian Chaput in the Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 8 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Phariss | 50.9 | 16,689 |
 | Brian Chaput | 49.1 | 16,094 | |
| Total votes: 32,783 | |||
| = 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 State Senate District 8
Angela Paxton defeated Phillip Huffines in the Republican primary for Texas State Senate District 8 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Angela Paxton | 54.4 | 32,653 |
 | Phillip Huffines | 45.6 | 27,421 | |
| Total votes: 60,074 | |||
| = 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
Mark Phariss completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Phariss' responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Public education 2. Property taxes 3. Healthcare
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am passionate about public education because it enabled me to succeed in life and our children's future depends upon our public education; about property taxes because they have risen so much over the last several years that many families, unable to afford increasing taxes, are considering selling their homes; and about healthcare because I have heard of too many who have died or struggled financially because of being unable to obtain or afford health insurance.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
I look up to, among many, Winston Churchill. I attended undergrad school at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, where Winston Churchill gave his famous Iron Curtain Speech in 1946. There I took a class on Winston Churchill, and since then I have read most of the biographies about him. I admire him, not because I agree with him on everything (far from it), but because he overcame a stutter to become one of the world's best orators, held firm to his most important convictions during some very dark days, and was extremely learned. He also had an incredible work ethic and amusing wit. I also admire him because he was not a one-dimensional individual, interested only in politics. Instead, he had many varied interests: he was a historian, a novelist, a bricklayer, an artist, a lover of food (perhaps too much). He was also an excellent husband and father. And he was good, if not great, at all that he did. I also admire him for one particular quotation: "Those who serve supreme causes must not consider what they can get but what they can give."
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
I am guided most by the admonition ". . .whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
1. Honesty & integrity. 2. Willingness to listen and compromise, without compromising one's principles. 3. Willingness and ability to work hard, to do one's homework. 4. Compassion, empathy.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I believe I have the characteristics mentioned in the preceding question.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The core responsibilities include listening to and fighting for one's constituents, all of one's constituents, and making a difference in their lives.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I hope, after I have served, people will say I improved the lives of those who lived in my district and the state, including the lives of those who were the "least of these," and that I was a good person.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
I visited Washington, D.C. in July 1974, as a boy scout at the time of the Watergate hearings and when the Supreme Court issued its decision requiring Nixon to turn over the tapes. That visit, and those times, fascinated and intrigued me and changed my life. Ultimately I became a lawyer as a result.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
I worked at Baskin Robbins in Lawton, Oklahoma during the summer of 1975, when I was 15, scooping ice cream, and was paid, as I recall, $1.20/hour.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
My favorite holiday is Christmas because I like to send Christmas cards, give presents, and see family and friends.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Superman.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My fireplace. During cool weather, I love reading, watching TV, or entertaining by it.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Since we're using Hustle's texting platform during the campaign to reach voters, the song that keeps playing in my mind is "The Hustle."
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Losing my twenty-year-old brother in a freak motorcycle accident when I was fourteen, my beloved aunt and uncle who were more grandparents than aunt and uncle in April 1986, and then my parents in September and November 1986 when I was just twenty-six was extremely tough.
Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?
The greatest differences are (i) the Texas House has more members than the Texas Senate, just like the U.S. House and Senate, and (ii) the Texas House operates on a majority rule basis like the U.S. House whereas the Texas Senate has a super-majority vote requirement for matters to be brought forward, similarly to the U.S. Senate.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
I do believe it is beneficial, but not mandatory, for state legislators to have prior government or public service experience. But there are a lot of state legislators with experience who need to be defeated because their values and priorities are misplaced.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
Our state's greatest challenge is the state's need to plan for and invest in the future, including in public education and infrastructure, and to deal with global warming.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?
The legislature and the governor are essential co-branches of government. Both should be respectful of, and work well with, the other.
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
It is very beneficial -- if not essential, if one wants to pass legislation that will improve the lives of one's constituents -- to build relationships with other legislators, including legislators of the other party.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
I believe redistricting should preferably be handled by a bipartisan, independent commission, just like it is in 21 other states.
If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
I am not a current legislator and, if elected, I hope to serve on the Texas Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Senate Committee on Higher Education.
Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
I would like to model myself after LBJ, primarily because he accomplished so much as a legislator (less so because of how he accomplished it).
Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?
No.
Both sitting legislators 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?
I've heard a couple that touched me. One was by a Wylie, Texas, resident who had lived in his house for 19 years, wanted to live there the rest of his life, but feared increasing property taxes would force him to sell. Another was by a doctor who told me he recently met a woman, without health insurance, who delayed coming into the office for a checkup until the lump in her breast was the size of a grapefruit and hard as a rock. He gave her six months. These stories didn't have to be told. Government policies and failures caused them.
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.
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
I am running as a 33-year business attorney to help the Texas legislature focus on issues that really matter in the lives of Texas citizens—like public education, lower property taxes, good paying jobs, improved transportation, and healthcare—instead of silly social issues like bathroom bills. The Texas legislature has underinvested in public education since 2008—reducing its share of public education funding from 50% to 38% today—which has caused local communities to increase local property taxes to make up the difference. This has hurt many homeowners in my district, and it’s one of the reasons I am running. I also intend to fight the idea that the “solution” to our already underfunded public schools—Texas is ranked 43rd in the nation in per pupil spending—is to take more money from them and give it to for-profit, private schools that are not accountable to the community, a “solution” my opponent supports that would do great harm to students in SD8’s public schools—none of which are failing. I also support expanding Medicaid and working with anyone--Democrats or Republicans-- to expand access to healthcare to Texas citizens in a state where 20% are uninsured and another 10% are underinsured. The lives of Texans depend upon it, and we can not allow the legislature to be distracted by unimportant, hot-button issues. Is there anything you would like to add? I think it is very important for voters to know that, although not a teacher like my opponent, I have been endorsed by the 65,000 member Texas State Teachers Association PAC, the 65,000 member Texas AFT (American Federation of Teachers), the 55,000 member Texas Classroom Teachers Association (ACT For TCTA), and the Texas Parent PAC. The reason I have been endorsed is because I support public education and oppose diverting money from public schools and giving it to private schools, something my opponent supports. I also think voters should know that I have also been endorsed by the Dallas Morning News, which said: "Phariss, 58, an attorney from Plano, displays a wealth of knowledge about a variety of topics, from the broad strokes down to the smallest details. He has the gravitas of a seasoned legislator despite being a first-time candidate and would use that knowledge to hit the ground running. . . With a legislative session that could be dominated by issues related to education expenditures and property tax reform, Phariss is the candidate better prepared to tackle those when the session starts in January." See https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2018/09/17/recommend-mark-phariss-state-senate-district-8 One of my greatest civic accomplishments was helping obtain marriage equality for all Texans. In October 2013, my now husband, Major Vic Holmes, USAF, Ret., and I (along with our Austin co-plaintiffs, Cleopatra DeLeon and Nicole Dimetman) successfully sued the State of Texas for the civil right for same-sex couples to marry the person they love in the state they love. More importantly, we were able to talk to our fellow Texans about why same-sex couples are just like every other Texas couple and should be treated the same. This experience demonstrates my willingness to fight for equality of all Texans, but it also shows I'm able to be respectful of those with differing opinions -- something sorely lacking in today's political environment. Finally, I think voters should know that, as the largest contributor to my campaign, I am beholden to no one other than the voters—voters I have heard from as I have block walked in all 14 cities in SD-8, met at chambers of commerce and community events, and worshipped with at churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples. Thanks to the thousands of the voters who have shared your concerns with me during the past almost 11 months as I have campaigned across our district, SD8. Thanks also to all of the voters for considering me to be your next State Senator. Hopefully I have earned your vote. But whether you support me or don't, I hope everyone will vote.[2] |
” |
| —Mark Phariss[1] | ||
See also
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Texas State Senate elections, 2018
- State legislative special elections, 2018
- Texas State Senate
- Texas State Legislature
External links
Footnotes
