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Michael Stevens (Texas)

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Michael Stevens
Image of Michael Stevens
Elections and appointments
Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Leesville High School

Bachelor's

University of Texas at San Antonio, 2009

Graduate

Northcentral University, 2019

Ph.D

Northcentral University, 2019

Personal
Religion
Pentecostal
Profession
Educator
Contact

Michael Stevens (Republican Party) (also known as Travis) ran for election to the Texas State Board of Education to represent District 1. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Biography

Michael Stevens was born on an Army base in Wurzburg, Germany. Stevens earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2009, a master's degree in education and teacher leadership from the University of Phoenix in 2014, and a Ph.D. in education and curriculum from Northcentral University in 2019. His career experience includes working as a language arts instructional coach and an adult education instructor. Stevens also worked as an insurance agent and claims adjuster for a property and casualty insurance company. He has been a licensed minister with the United Pentecostal Church International and a board member of the Uvalde Foundation for Kids.[1][2][3]

Elections

2024

See also: Texas State Board of Education election, 2024

General election

General election for Texas State Board of Education District 1

Gustavo Reveles defeated Michael Stevens in the general election for Texas State Board of Education District 1 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gustavo Reveles
Gustavo Reveles (D)
 
50.9
 
314,162
Image of Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens (R) Candidate Connection
 
49.1
 
302,544

Total votes: 616,706
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas State Board of Education District 1

Gustavo Reveles advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas State Board of Education District 1 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gustavo Reveles
Gustavo Reveles
 
100.0
 
72,349

Total votes: 72,349
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 1

Michael Stevens advanced from the Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 1 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
67,158

Total votes: 67,158
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Stevens in this election.

2022

Congressional election

See also: Texas' 20th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro defeated Kyle Sinclair and Adam Jonasz in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 20 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Joaquin Castro
Joaquin Castro (D)
 
68.4
 
115,352
Image of Kyle Sinclair
Kyle Sinclair (R)
 
31.6
 
53,226
Image of Adam Jonasz
Adam Jonasz (Independent) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
21

Total votes: 168,599
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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Joaquin Castro
Joaquin Castro
 
100.0
 
33,214

Total votes: 33,214
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 U.S. House Texas District 20

Kyle Sinclair advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kyle Sinclair
Kyle Sinclair
 
100.0
 
15,938

Total votes: 15,938
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign finance

State executive election

See also: Texas State Board of Education election, 2022

General election

General election for Texas State Board of Education District 1

Melissa Ortega defeated Michael Stevens in the general election for Texas State Board of Education District 1 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Melissa Ortega
Melissa Ortega (D)
 
55.8
 
247,093
Image of Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens (R) Candidate Connection
 
44.2
 
195,794

Total votes: 442,887
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 runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Texas State Board of Education District 1

Melissa Ortega defeated Laura Marquez in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas State Board of Education District 1 on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Melissa Ortega
Melissa Ortega
 
57.5
 
32,123
Image of Laura Marquez
Laura Marquez
 
42.5
 
23,776

Total votes: 55,899
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 State Board of Education District 1

Melissa Ortega and Laura Marquez advanced to a runoff. They defeated Omar Yanar in the Democratic primary for Texas State Board of Education District 1 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Melissa Ortega
Melissa Ortega
 
46.1
 
42,374
Image of Laura Marquez
Laura Marquez
 
35.4
 
32,504
Image of Omar Yanar
Omar Yanar
 
18.5
 
17,008

Total votes: 91,886
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 State Board of Education District 1

Michael Stevens defeated Lani Popp in the Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 1 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens Candidate Connection
 
63.6
 
39,865
Image of Lani Popp
Lani Popp
 
36.4
 
22,772

Total votes: 62,637
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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Campaign finance


Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

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

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Dr. Stevens grew up in a Military family and fell in love with San Antonio when his parents were stationed at Fort Sam Houston. Upon graduation from High School, Dr. Stevens moved back to San Antonio, to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio. While in college, he met and married his wife of 19 years and together, they are raising three amazing boys in the beautiful city of Helotes.

For 13 years, Dr. Stevens worked in our Texas education system as a teacher, instructional coach and as campus administrator. Dr. Stevens has primarily worked in public schools, but also has experience working in both charter and private schools.

In addition to being an educator, Dr. Stevens has served as a licensed Minister at his church for the past 17 years and is currently the President of the Board, for the Uvalde Foundation for Kids.

Dr. Stevens holds Bachelor's Degree in English, a Master's degree in Education/Teacher Leadership, a Doctorate Degree in Education/Curriculum and Instruction and is a certified Texas teacher.

  • Teachers are the experts in their field and should be regarded as such. I feel that it is imperative to include teachers in the discussions by the State Board of Education and legislators, when it comes to policies that will directly affect their day-to-day teaching duties. 
  • Not all students learn the same, or have the same goals after graduation. The cookie-cutter approach to curriculum and graduation requirements is not beneficial for every student. Creating curriculum and graduation pathways for students to pursue career goals, trade school, technical school, the military, or college would give every student the opportunity to gain the skills they deserve, to be successful in their future endeavors. 
  • In its current form, standardized testing inhibits academic growth, as opposed to encouraging it. Not all students do well when it comes to high stake testing and not all standardized tests cover the state required curriculum standards. Using these types of tests to measure a students ability to master grade level content material, does not truly capture a students academic performance. What these tests do however, is cause unnecessary stress for students and teachers alike. 
I am passionate about economic, immigration and criminal justice policies, as I feel that these areas directly impact education. 
The State Board of Education is a unique part of the state government, because unlike other government offices, it is limited to only a few responsibilities in public education.
I look up to my father and I would like to follow his example, because he showed me what it means to be a leader, a team mate and how to do what is right, regardless of the situation.
I would recommend watching the film, Dead Poets Society to understand my political philosophy.
Transparency, dependability and credibility are what I feel are the most important characteristics of an elected official.
The qualities I possess that I believe will make me a successful officer holder are, I possess strong leadership skills, am able to communicate effectively, I have a clear vision for the future, am knowledgeable in education issues, I am able to make tough decisions and I have a great ability to collaborate with others. 
As a member of the State Board of Education, I believe that ensuring all students have a quality education, that prepares them for life after graduation, is the most important core responsibility.
I would like to leave a legacy of perseverance. I want others to see my life as an example of what you can accomplish if you work hard, never give up and don't let obstacles dictate your future. 
The first historical event that I remember was the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. I was 5 years old at the time and I remember being excited to watch the launch with my mom. I was too young to fully realize the severity of what was happening at the time, but I do remember my mom crying and the images of the shuttle explosion.
My very first job was working at the commissary as a bagger. I started this job when I was 14 and continued working as a bagger until I was 17. 
My favorite book is, The Hobbit, because it is a story about perseverance and overcoming insurmountable obstacles.
If I could be any fictional character, I would be Sherlock Holmes. I have always enjoyed the escapades of Holmes and Watson and I think it would be so much fun to take on the persona of Holmes and solve mysteries.
The last song that was stuck in my head was, The Final Countdown, by Europe.
A struggle in my life has been saying no. I tend to want to help anyone who asks and take on every opportunity in front of me. I have had to learn to say no, in order to not take on more than I can handle.
I personally consider the responsibility of providing teachers with the curricular tools they need to be successful in the classroom, as the most important aspect of the job. 
Many people are aware that the State Board of Education is responsible for setting curriculum standards, because that aspect of the job is publicized the most. What many people are not aware of is that the State Board of Education also sets graduation requirements. This part of the job is just as important, because it defines what requisites must be met in order for a student to graduate high school.
No, I do not believe that it is beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics. Although members of the State Board of Education are elected and affiliated with a particular party, the duties of the office are not partisan. Members of the State Board of Education should make their decisions based on what is best for all students and all teachers, not based on partisan politics. For this reason, I do not feel a background in politics is necessary for this position.
I believe that it is important for a member of the State Board of Education to have teaching skills and experience working in the field of education. The decisions made by the State Board of Education directly impact teachers and students in the classroom. It is imperative to have individuals with a background in teaching on the board, because they will use their teaching experience to guide their decisions. 
Q: What are a teacher's three favorite words?
A: June, July and August.
I feel that transparency and government accountability are an inalienable right for the public. In order to negate corruption, or malfeasance, the government must be transparent and accountable for how they spend the tax dollars given to them by the hardworking people of this nation.

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

Congressional election

Candidate Connection

Michael Stevens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Stevens' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

My name is Dr. Michael Stevens, and I am the Republican candidate for the Texas 20th Congressional District. Although growing up in a Military family caused me to move around a lot, my parents were stationed at Fort Sam several times throughout my childhood, during which time I fell in love with this city. Upon graduation from High School, I knew that there was only one place for me to go for college...San Antonio, so I quickly found my way back to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio. While in college, I met and married the love of my life and together we are raising three amazing boys in this great city. Over the past twenty-two years, I have made San Antonio my home working alongside you in our community. As a college student, I worked as a customer service representative, security guard, construction laborer, file clerk, and insurance agent. Upon graduation from UTSA, I was able to pursue my true passion, in the field of education, where I have served students and families for the past decade. I am a proud Texan, Bexar County resident, and district 20 constituent. I live here. I am from here. My Mexican American heritage is rooted deeply here. I understand the needs of our community and want to represent District 20 in Washington, so our collectives voices can be heard.
  • Let's have a conversation!
  • People not politics!
  • We need everyday people, and not career politicians in Washington!
Health care

Veterans care
Conservative values
Immigration reform

Equality

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.

State executive election

Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Dr. Stevens grew up in a Military family and fell in love with San Antonio when his parents were stationed at Fort Sam Houston. Upon graduation from High School, Dr. Stevens moved back to San Antonio, to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio. While in college, he met and married his wife of 18 years and together, they are raising three amazing boys in the beautiful city of Helotes.

Dr. Stevens proudly serves as a board member of the Uvalde Foundation for Kids, an organization focused on preventing bullying and violence in public schools across America.

Dr. Stevens holds a Bachelor's Degree in English, a Master's degree in Education/Teacher Leadership, a Doctorate Degree in Education/Curriculum and Instruction and is a certified Texas teacher.

Additionally, Dr. Stevens is currently in his 12th year working in K-12 education. During his career as an educator, Dr. Stevens has worked as a campus administrator, a High School English Language Arts teacher and an English Language Arts Instructional Coach. Dr. Stevens also has experience working at the Adult Education level as both an instructor and an Instructional Coach.

  • Texas teachers deserve to be valued, compensated and treated as the professionals that they are!
  • Standardized testing, in its current format, (STAAR) is detrimental to Texas students and teachers.
  • Education, not indoctrination!
I am personally passionate about changing the make up at those who make education decisions at the highest level in Texas. Currently, the majority of those making decisions, from the SBOE, to the Education Commissioner and the Committee on Public Education, have zero experience in education. This needs to change and we need to vote out individuals who do not have education experience and vote in those who do.
This office is a unique and important part of the Texas government, because it adopts instructional materials for public schools and sets graduation requirements for Texas public school students.
I look up to former NBA player, Johnny Moore. Mr. Moore is someone I would like to emulate, because he gives back to the community on a consistent basis, stays true to his beliefs and is spending his retirement as a Texas educator. Mr. Moore exemplifies hard work, determination, humility and charity, which is why I would like to follow his example.
The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction, written by Sean Cain and Mike Laird.
I feel that the most importance characteristics/principles that an elected official should have are, honesty, integrity and consistency.
I am organized, persistent, detailed orientated, passionate about getting the job done correctly and I am someone who never walks away from a challenge.
I believe that the core responsibilities for a member of the State Board of Education are: 1. Certify that curriculum, graduation requirements and instructional materials are 2. Act in the best interest of Texas teachers and students 3. Ensure curriculum is free of political agendas.
I want to leave a legacy that encourages educators to not be afraid to speak out against inadequacies in the public education system, but to push for positive change.
The first historical event that I remember was the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. At the time I was 5 years old and in Kindergarten.
My very first job was as a bagger at the commissary and I had it for 3 years.
My favorite book is, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, because it merges Christian principals with fantasy fiction, in a way that is both creative and entertaining.
If I could be a fictional character, I would want to be Frodo Baggins.
As a former military brat, I attended 11 different schools in grades K-12. For most of my life I have been the "new guy" and subsequently the underdog. These labels have been something I have have had to work past and overcome, in order to be successful in each new environment that I was placed in.
I personally consider the most important responsibility of the State Board of Education is setting curriculum standards.
Yes, many individuals do not realize that the Texas State Board of Education establishes graduation requirements
and oversees the Texas Permanent School Fund.
No, I do not believe that members of the SBOE need to have previous experience in government, or politics.
I feel that individuals on the State Board of Education should have prior experience as an educator, in a Texas public school classroom.
Q: How many people can you fit in one Honda?
A: Well, the Bible said that all 12 disciples were in one Accord.

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 website

Stevens' campaign website stated the following:

As a member of the SBOE, I will advocate for a parents right to decide what school is best for their child. I will fight to keep sexually explicit books out of our school libraries and curriculum that is not based on factual evidence, such as CRT, out of our classrooms. I will stand up for parents and teachers to decide for themselves if they will be vaccinated, or wear a mask. I will also pursue alternative standardized testing, so that students who do not test well, are not held back due to STAAR testing.

Parents, teachers and students are fed up with the ridiculous policies, mandates and ideologies from progressive Democrats. Issues such as limiting school choice, mask/vaccine mandates, promoting sexually explicit books and CRT are being pushed into our public schools by progressive Democrats. It is time to push back and send a clear message to Democrats that we will no longer tolerate their progressive ideas and influences in our public school classrooms.[4]

—Michael Stevens' campaign website (2022)[5]

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.


Michael Stevens campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Texas State Board of Education District 1Lost general$1,775 $1,772
2022Texas State Board of Education District 1Lost general$11,539 $11,666
2022U.S. House Texas District 20Withdrew primary$0 N/A**
Grand total$13,314 $13,438
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
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 28, 2021
  2. Vote Dr. Stevens, "About," accessed February 11, 2022
  3. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 9, 2022
  4. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. Vote Dr. Stevens, “Issues,” accessed January 26, 2022