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Texas' 10th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

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Texas' 10th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary runoff
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 9, 2019
Primary: March 3, 2020
Primary runoff: July 14, 2020
General: November 3, 2020
Pre-election incumbent:
Michael McCaul (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Texas
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Lean Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
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Texas elections, 2020
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U.S. Senate elections, 2020
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Mike Siegel and Pritesh Gandhi advanced to a Democratic primary runoff election for Texas' 10th Congressional District on March 3, 2020. Siegel received 45.0% of the vote, and Gandhi received 33.6%. Shannon Hutcheson received 21.4%. A candidate needed more than 50% of the vote to win the primary outright. The runoff was held July 14, 2020, and determined the Democratic nominee in the general election on November 3, 2020.

The candidates focused their messaging around the issues of health care and the environment.

Gandhi said he would support "Medicare for all that want it." Hutcheson stated that she would "fight to control skyrocketing health care costs," pursue Medicaid expansion in Texas, and support protecting coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Siegel said he supported a single-payer, universal healthcare option.[1][2][3]

Environmentally, Gandhi said he supported a "carbon fee & dividends as a way to immediately reduce emissions." Hutcheson stated she would support "market-based mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas pollution," including "incentives for energy innovation" and "the elimination of barriers to growth for pro-climate businesses." Siegel said he supported the Green New Deal platform. He said, "We have 10 years to cut greenhouse gas emissions by half, or else face increasing floods, droughts, fires, heat waves, and other catastrophic events."[1][2][3]

Gandhi was endorsed by the Austin American-Statesman editorial board, which said, "District 10 Democrats have a tough choice, but in our view Gandhi has the greatest potential to move the needle in Congress."[4] The Austin Chronicle and The Houston Chronicle endorsed Siegel. The Houston Chronicle's editorial board cited Siegel's 2018 campaign, his environmental policy, and his experience as a teacher and assistant city attorney in Austin as the reasons for their endorsement.[5] NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed Hutcheson, saying, “Now more than ever, we need representatives in Congress who will fight for our reproductive freedom against extreme attacks and we know Shannon Hutcheson will stand up for our rights."[6] For a complete list of endorsements, click here.

In the 2018 general election, Incumbent Michael McCaul (R) defeated Siegel (D) 51% to 47%. In 2016, McCaul defeated Tawana Cadien (D) 57% to 38%. The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+9, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were nine percentage points more Republican than the national average.[7] At the time of the primary, race raters gave Republicans a slight edge in the general election. Click here to learn more about what was at stake in the general election.

This page focuses on Texas' 10th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Texas modified its primary election process as follows:

  • Election postponements: The primary runoff elections were postponed from May 26 to July 14.
  • Political party events: The Republican Party of Texas convention, scheduled for July 16-18 in Houston, was cancelled. The party conducted its convention online.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.


Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 10

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Siegel
Mike Siegel
 
44.0
 
35,651
✔
Image of Pritesh Gandhi
Pritesh Gandhi
 
33.1
 
26,818
Image of Shannon Hutcheson
Shannon Hutcheson
 
22.9
 
18,578

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 81,047
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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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[8] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.


Pritesh Gandhi

Image of Pritesh Gandhi

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Gandhi received a medical degree from the Tufts University School of Medicine. At the time of his campaign, he was a primary care physician and the clinical assistant professor of population health at Dell Medical School.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Gandhi's campaign website said, "We have members of Congress that continue to deny the evidence that is staring them in the face – that climate change is real." He said he would support a "carbon fee & dividends as a way to immediately reduce emissions."

Gandhi said he would support universal background checks to purchase firearms and "Ban Assault Weapons and Large-Capacity Magazines." He also said he would "allow law enforcement to temporarily revoke access to firearms with the order of a judge" for individuals considered high-risk.

Gandhi said, "Congress should pass legislation that expands Medicare for all that want it."

Show sources

Sources: Pritesh Gandhi 2020 campaign website, "Key Issues," accessed February 18, 2020; Pritesh Gandhi 2020 campaign website, "About," accessed February 18, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 10 in 2020.

Shannon Hutcheson

Image of Shannon Hutcheson

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  At the time of the primary, Hutcheson was a practicing attorney. She co-founded a law firm in 2010. She received her bachelor's degree from Austin College and graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1996.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Hutcheson said her campaign would not accept corporate PAC money. She claimed, "Today more than ever, it seems the economy is working for those on top while working families are losing ground."

Hutcheson's campaign website said, "Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. In Congress, I will fight to control skyrocketing health care costs and help ensure every Texan has access to the quality care they need."

Hutcheson said she would "lead a growing coalition of voices who understand the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for swift, dramatic action. And, I will focus on the investments in much needed flood control infrastructure projects."

Show sources

Sources: Shannon Hutchenson 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 18, 2020; Shannon Hutchenson 2020 campaign website, "Meet Shannon," accessed February 18, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 10 in 2020.

Mike Siegel

Image of Mike Siegel

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Siegel worked as a public school teacher with Teach for America and co-founded two nonprofit education organizations. After graduating from law school, he worked as an employment lawyer and as an Austin city attorney.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Siegel's campaign website said, "Every American deserves comprehensive healthcare. A universal approach will reduce administrative costs and promote preventive care."

Siegel said he would support the Green New Deal. He called it "a plan to take immediate action to (1) address climate change, and create millions of jobs in the process; (2) guarantee a just transition for affected workers and their families, including a jobs guarantee ... and (3) remedy the legacy of environmental injustice."

Siegel's website said, "Public education is essential to what this country stands for. Elect a teacher who will protect our schools for the generations to come."

Show sources

Sources: Mike Siegel 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 18, 2020; Mike Siegel 2020 campaign website, "About," accessed February 18, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 10 in 2020.


Endorsements

This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Click on the links below to explore each candidate's full list of endorsements on their campaign websites:

Democratic primary endorsements
Endorsement Gandhi Hutcheson Siegel
Newspapers and editorials
Austin American-Statesman[4] ✔
The Austin Chronicle[9] ✔
The Houston Chronicle[5] ✔
Elected officials
Congressman Ted Lieu (D)[10] ✔
Congressman Ro Khanna (D)[10] ✔
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D)[11] ✔
Organizations
AFL-CIO[10] ✔
NARAL Pro-Choice America[12] ✔
EMILY's List[13] ✔
Sunrise Movement[10] ✔
Asian American and Pacific Islander Members of Congress PAC[12] ✔
314 Action[12] ✔
350 Action[10] ✔
Our Revolution[10] ✔
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers[10] ✔
Communications Workers of America[10] ✔
National Union of Healthcare Workers[10] ✔
Progressive Change Campaign Committee[10] ✔
Serve America PAC[14] ✔
Working Families Party[10] ✔
Brand New Congress[10] ✔


Timeline

  • February 21, 2020: The Houston Chronicle released an editorial endorsing Siegel.[5]
  • February 14, 2020: The Austin Chronicle released an editorial endorsing Siegel.[9]
  • February 13, 2020: The Austin American-Statesman released an editorial endorsing Gandhi.[4]
  • February 10, 2020: Gandhi released a campaign ad titled, "Our Doctor."
  • February 9, 2020: Hutcheson released a campaign ad titled, "Patient."

Campaign themes

The following campaign themes and policy positions were listed on the candidates' campaign websites in February 2020, if available.

Democratic Party Pritesh Gandhi

“

Climate Change: Twelve Miles of Life

When we think about global warming and climate change it is easy to imagine our planet as a large, immutable force.

But, all known life exists in only twelve vertical miles, from the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Think about that for a second…

Yet, we have members of Congress that continue to deny the evidence that is staring them in the face – that climate change is real

In 2017, the United States saw four hurricanes make landfall, three of which caused massive damage, and two of which were Category 5s – the result of warming waters building stronger storms. The next year, we saw the deadliest wildfires in our country’s history. Across the country, our farmers are being disrupted at a catastrophic pace as crops are impacted by a changing climate.

If we don’t match the warnings of record-flooding along our Gulf Coast, of record-charring on the Gold Coast, of record crop failures from coast-to-coast, and of record coughing in our exam rooms and living rooms with the urgency they require, the damage we are doing to our climate will become irreversible and we will have left our kids and grandkids in greater peril than we may ever know.

I will fight for:

Clean air & clean water by reinstating the Obama-era climate policies and unshackling the EPA.

Historic investments in expanding Texas’ production of low-carbon energy sources (we are a national leader in wind energy production).

Investing in efficiency to reduce energy costs for consumers while avoiding environmental impacts (e.g., retrofitting existing housing stock).

Investing in conservation to protect green spaces, wildlife, and our habitat.

Investments in R&D with the national innovation system of universities, national labs, and industry to unleash new economic opportunity as we navigate the transition to a low-carbon world.

Carbon fee & dividends as a way to immediately reduce emissions.

Re-entry into the Paris Climate Agreement.

Linking this transition to renewable energy with a focus on vocational and technical skills training because without environmental justice we cannot scale these efforts.

Common-Sense Gun Safety

Physicians like me see the trauma caused by our weak gun safety laws every day.

In 2012, weeks after the tragedy at Sandy Hook, I founded a group, Doctors Against Gun Violence, while I was doing my residency at Tulane Hospital in New Orleans. Along with fellow physicians, I crisscrossed the state of Louisiana providing a louder voice to promote evidence-based research in a campaign for common-sense gun safety laws.

Fund gun violence research.

After decades of the NRA placating gun manufacturers and bullying our elected officials to turn a blind eye, Congress is finally taking action to understand our gun violence crisis. However, the Senate is now blocking $50 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health to study gun violence. The Senate should fund these efforts immediately.

Congress should implement these changes immediately:

Pass Universal Background Checks. No person should be able to purchase a deadly firearm from another person without first passing a background check that ensures they don’t have a criminal history, or a history of violence against themselves or others, that prohibits them from owning a gun.

Support Extreme Risk Protection Orders. Allow physicians and family members to report individuals – who are a risk to themselves or others – to law enforcement and allow law enforcement to temporarily revoke access to firearms with the order of a judge.

Ban Assault Weapons and Large-Capacity Magazines. No civilian should have a weapon of war for personal use. Congress should ban the purchase of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. Congress should also take steps to regulate the estimated 15 million assault weapons that are already in circulation, including establishing voluntary buy-back programs.

Close the Partner and Stalker Loopholes. Congress should expand the list of persons prohibited from purchasing a firearm to include individuals with a history of domestic violence and stalking.

End Gun Industry Immunity. Treat the gun industry just like any other and allow victims of gun violence to seek civil compensation from irresponsible gun manufacturers. Congress should close this NRA favored loophole in our civil justice system.

Health is a Fundamental Human Right

I am a physician. I take care of sick people. And I am fed up with America’s systems making people sicker.

Let’s be clear: we have rules and regulations attempting to make using care as difficult as possible – a cynical attempt at reducing healthcare utilization in our state and country.

Not too long ago, I met a woman who had complained of abdominal pain and progressive weight loss for years. She had ignored signs of colon cancer because cost put the evaluation she needed out of reach. I treat patients with arthritis, unable to afford medications or specialists. I see working-class adults suffering from back and neck pain for years because the expense of physical therapy keeps relief out of reach.

We can do better. And we will.

No American should be without insurance.

This means Congress should pass legislation that expands Medicare for all that want it. And, this legislation needs to meaningfully engage on social determinants of health such as housing, poverty, food insecurity, and education.

As we fight for universal coverage, we need to be practical about the realities of the pace of social change. Congress should also pursue changes to our current system that will immediately improve the health of communities because we maintain a moral obligation to help families now.

While fighting for universal coverage, Congress should implement these changes immediately:

  • Medicaid expansion
  • Lowering Medicare’s eligibility age to 50
  • Expanding access to mental health services, including fighting for mental health parity with Medicaid & Medicare
  • Expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage to one year
  • Protecting the federal Title X program
  • Reducing prescription drug prices
  • Protection against balance billing by insurance companies
  • Improving health outcomes through value-based payment

Humanity at Our Border

I am the son of immigrants.

The immigrant experience defines the American narrative.

These stories are ones of courage and will: mothers who come to our border seeking refuge from violence, scholars who come to study, families who seek a better life.

We must call out unjust and cruel policies that seek to punish, demean, and harm immigrants and their families.

I will fight for our shared humanity by:

  • Protecting migrant children by demanding accountability from U.S. government agencies that oversee the protection of unaccompanied children
  • Calling for an immediate end to “zero tolerance” policies that separate parents from children at our borders
  • Bringing humane immigration policies to Congress that recognize families belong together
  • Ending family migrant detention and adopting evidence-based methods like the Family Case Management Program (FCMP) as alternatives to detention
  • Supporting the DREAM Act
  • Implementing smart border enforcement, not walls
  • Proposing legislation to end discriminatory immigration laws, such as the travel ban
  • Prioritizing enhanced engagement with our Central and South American partners to promote economic development and shared prosperity

Investing in Our Workforce

I believe in our workforce.

At one point in our history, our government did too. We were committed to a flourishing middle class and we built protections for workers and their families.

And then we walked away.

We walked away from investing in the most important aspect of our economy – our workforce. We walked away from labor protections and unions. We walked away from basic support for working families. America has arrived at an economy where 1% of our citizens hold 40% of the wealth, while the majority of our citizens say they are one unexpected bill away from economic ruin.

We can do better.

  • We can do better for workers, for families, for people between jobs, for people who want a better job, and for people who want to build a better life for their kids.
  • I am committed to working families. Our priorities should create pathways for everyday Americans to achieve – and maintain – the American Dream.

I will fight for investment in worker training and economic development:

Increasing funding for workforce training opportunities outside of the four-year degree, including high school pre-apprenticeship programs, apprenticeships, and occupational credentials

Fostering industry partnerships with high schools and community colleges to create training-to-work pipelines

Directing economic development and incentives to rural and underserved communities

I will fight for working families:

  • Embracing evidence-based, successful programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit
  • Supporting the right for workers to organize and collectively bargain for a sustainable living and retirement
  • Maintaining a minimum wage that ensures anyone who works full-time does not live in poverty
  • Creating a paid family leave program so that workers don’t have to choose between taking care of themselves or their families and their livelihood
  • Expanding child care subsidies and tax credits so that more working parents receive support
  • Fighting for equal pay for equal work
  • Advocating for a tax system that ensures we are all invested in the future of America

I will fight for investments for workers who are between jobs:

  • Increasing access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) and Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) benefits by eliminating obstacles to enrollment
  • Protect unemployment insurance for workers laid-off by no fault of their own

And we must protect and expand Social Security for our nation’s workers, who have contributed to the program for their lifetime.

Investing in Rural Communities

Washington is leaving rural Texas communities behind.

Too many Texas families have to choose between rural communities they’ve grown up in and economic opportunities in the larger cities. Over the last couple of decades we have witnessed a historic decline in the middle class with a widening income inequality gap and yet, legislators in DC do nothing to keep our families together in rural America. We can do better.

In Congress, I will fight to:

End the trade war and tariffs that are hurting farmers and ranchers.

Support legislation, such as HR 1328 (ACCESS BROADBAND ACT), to increase access to broadband internet in rural communities to open up access to the world economy and health care advances, like telemedicine.

Build on Texas’ strength as a wind energy leader by investing in the expansion of renewable energy production.

Expand access to capital for rural entrepreneurs and small business owners by supporting legislation such as H.R. 2409 (Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act).

Pass Medicaid expansion which will at least ensure that Texans benefit from the millions of federal dollars that we have left on the table – this is support that we could have been receiving to maintain and bolster our rural hospitals and safety net system.

Protecting Women’s Health

As a primary care doctor, I have witnessed women’s rights be chipped away slowly in Texas.

I am running for Congress to stop the assault on women’s health.

I believe that reproductive justice should never be on the table to be leveraged in budget or legislative negotiations.

I will fight for women’s health by:

  • Voting with unequivocal support for abortion rights and access to abortion care
  • Working to repeal the Hyde Amendment and the Mexico City Policy so that all people can parent when they choose, regardless of income
  • Addressing the racism in health care delivery that leads to racial disparities in health outcomes; particularly in maternal mortality rates
  • Working to restore Title X funding to health centers, without a gag-rule, and protecting the community health centers that serve women & their families
  • Sustaining funding for federally qualified health centers
  • Mandating that Medicaid and CHIP coverage lasts at least 12 months postpartum (currently at sixty days)
  • Supporting paid parental leave
  • Ensuring that structural inequities, institutional biases, and racism are embedded in the conversation around contraceptive choice

Restoring Faith in American Democracy

Americans are losing faith in government, and for good reason. Congress must take bold action to protect voting rights, get dark money out of politics, and end legalized corruption by elected officials.

Congress should implement these changes immediately to restore confidence in our elections:

Disclose “Dark Money” spending in our elections. Dark money groups who operate as non-profit social welfare organizations spend millions in our election while hiding who is funding them. Congress must pass the DISCLOSE Act [H.R. 6239—115th Congress] and bring transparency to our elections.

Make voting easier. Automatic voter registration, same day voter registration, no-reason absentee voting, and ending felon disenfranchisement are common sense ways to make it easier for Americans to participate in our democracy. The Senate must pass H.R. 1 [For the People Act of 2019] and implement these changes.

End partisan gerrymandering. The federal courts have failed to fix the problem of partisan redistricting, so Congress must act. Congress must pass legislation implementing non-partisan redistricting reform.

Overturn Citizens United. The Citizens United ruling opened the floodgates to dark money in political campaigns. Congress must pass H.J. 2 [Democracy for All Amendment] a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United.

Congress should implement these changes immediately to restore confidence in our governance:

Stop the revolving door. Members of Congress and their senior staff face only minimal “cooling off periods” between government service and becoming a registered lobbyist. This practice breeds corruption and must end. Congress must pass a 10 year lobbying ban for Members of Congress and their senior staff.

Ban individual stock ownership by Members of Congress. Congressman McCaul made more than 7,000 stock trades over a two year period. And, he’s not alone. Members of Congress routinely trade stock; often those trades involve companies whom their committee has industry oversight. Congress must ban individual stock ownership for Members of Congress.

Mandate the disclosure of tax returns for Presidential candidates. In 2016, President Trump ended the long established practice of voluntary tax return disclosure by candidates for President. These disclosures are an important vetting mechanism to ensure Presidential candidates don’t have conflicts of interest or are compromised by a forgien entity. Congress must pass legislation mandating the disclosure of at least 10 years of tax returns for all presidential candidates. [15]

”
—Pritesh Gandhi 2020 campaign website[1]


Democratic Party Shannon Hutcheson

“

Economic Opportunity for Working Families

My dad was a postal worker and my mom was a public school teacher. Growing up the oldest of 6 kids, I remember all too well the times we had to lean on extended family when the bills outpaced the paychecks.

Education was my path to a better life, but my husband and I began our working lives under a mountain of student loan debt. And, today more than ever, it seems the economy is working for those on top while working families are losing ground.

Eight term incumbent Congressman Mike McCaul isn’t fighting for working families like the one I grew up in. Instead, McCaul caters to the special interests in Washington who have funded his campaign coffers. For example, he voted for a massive corporate tax cut, including a $50 billion windfall for the big drug companies, while doing nothing to address the real issues that are leaving working families behind, including things like the cost of education and childcare.

That’s why I took a pledge to not accept corporate PAC money in my campaign. And,in Congress, I’ll fight to grow an economy that honors work and lifts up the dreams of all Americans.

Here’s where I’ll start:

  • Stand up for the dignity of work: I unequivocally support workers’ rights to collectively bargain, federal prevailing wage laws such as Davis-Bacon, expanding the number of workers entitled to overtime compensation, and a $15 minimum wage.
  • Invest in infrastructure and education: Texas leads the nation in population growth while its infrastructure is crumbling. I’ll prioritize investing in flood control, water quality, and necessary infrastructure improvements. I will also work to ensure our schools offer high-quality, up-to-date vocational training and re-training to ensure workers are prepared to compete for high-paying jobs in the energy corridor and in science and technology.
  • Support small businesses and entrepreneurs: Small businesses and entrepreneurs are at the heart of the Texas economy. We need to level the playing field and help those who want to start businesses, hire workers, and compete in our modern economy.
  • Tackle soaring student loan debt: We owe our children better. Every child in Texas deserves the opportunity to get an education without crippling debt. Our children shouldn’t start their working lives on the brink of financial ruin.
  • Guarantee equal pay, affordable childcare, and establish federal paid family leave: We are making it too hard right now for working parents to take care of themselves and their children while being good employees. We can do better.
  • Protect Social Security & Medicare: We owe it to our seniors to protect their Medicare and Social Security. I would fight against attempts by Republicans in Congress to put these earned benefits on the chopping block.
  • Empower state and local communities to expand affordable housing: Housing costs have exploded in this district, especially in Travis and Harris counties, forcing families to endure longer commutes and sacrifice savings for college and retirement. We must work alongside state and local governments to expand affordable housing.

Health Care that Works for All

My father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when I was 18 years old – a disease he battled for the next 11 years. More recently, my daughter battled a mystery illness for almost a full year. She underwent countless tests and scans, and ultimately was hospitalized and required emergency surgery. I have also seen firsthand the devastation caused by an opioid addiction and overdose in my extended family.

I know what it’s like to lie awake at night worrying about the health and safety of those who mean the most to you. Americans shouldn’t also have to worry about whether a health scare will cause financial ruin. While we had insurance, the out-of-pocket costs for my daughter’s care were still staggering.

But, Congressman Mike McCaul doesn’t get it. Time and again, McCaul voted to repeal and defund the Affordable Care Act, while supporting the Republican healthcare bill which would take away protections for people with preexisting conditions and strip coverage away from an estimated 52,000 folks right here in this district.

Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. In Congress, I will fight to control skyrocketing health care costs and help ensure every Texan has access to the quality care they need.

Here’s where I’ll start:

  • Protect Pre-Existing Conditions: Over 300,000 people under the age of 65 are estimated to have a pre-existing condition in TX-10. Whether you suffer from diabetes or had a complication with a pregnancy, no one should be denied coverage or priced out of insurance due to a pre-existing condition.
  • Reduce the cost of prescription drugs: We can reduce costs through common-sense measures, like allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies and expanding access to generic drugs on the market. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and buying life-saving medication.
  • Expand Medicaid in Texas: Texas is one of the few hold out states that has refused federally-funded Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. So, instead of taking care of our own using the tax dollars we’ve paid to the federal government, we’re giving them away to other states. Medicaid expansion would provide immediate relief to nearly 500,000 Texas patients who fall in the coverage gap – they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to qualify for tax credits.
  • Tackle the Opioid Crisis: We need to address the opioid crisis at three levels — punishment for bad actors, rehabilitation for addicts, and support for communities and families.

Respect for Women and their Choices

Almost a decade ago, I started a woman-owned law firm, which allowed me to work on causes that are important to me and our community, including reproductive justice and access to high-quality healthcare, rooting out violence in our communities, and advocating for survivors of abuse.

For almost a decade, I’ve had the privilege of representing Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas as a lawyer, fighting to ensure access to healthcare for all Texans. As a young girl caring for my 5 younger siblings, I realized early on that family planning was key to getting an education and building a better life. And, as a young woman, Planned Parenthood was there for me when I had no insurance and no other healthcare options. I understand firsthand the critical role that Planned Parenthood plays in providing trusted, preventive healthcare to thousands of Texans, just like me.

For years, I have also been dedicated to helping end the cycle of violence and advocating for survivors as a long-time volunteer and member of the board of directors for the Austin Children’s Shelter and The SAFE Alliance.

Today, even as a record number of women serve in Congress, the Trump Administration has targeted Planned Parenthood and women’s autonomy, banning family planning funding to any clinic that even advises pregnant women that abortion is an option available to them. Politicians must stop interfering with the ability of healthcare providers to counsel their patients, and patients’ ability to make informed healthcare decisions for themselves.

Mike McCaul has turned his back on Texas women, with a voting record that has earned him a 0 rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Women in this district deserve a representative who will fight for them. If elected as the first woman ever to represent this district in Congress, I will do that every single day.

I will stand with pro-choice women and fight for full gender equality because access to healthcare is not up for negotiation. Women, in consultation with our doctors, must be empowered to make decisions for our bodies and our futures. And, politicians must stop practicing medicine.

Here’s where I’ll start:

  • Protect and strengthen Title X: our nation’s affordable birth control and reproductive health care program which serves millions of women, has prevented countless unwanted pregnancies, and has saved taxpayers billions of dollars.
  • Stand up for access to birth control and safe, legal abortion: no matter where you live.
  • End the political targeting of Planned Parenthood: and ensure women can seek health care from the providers of their choice.

Address the Climate Crisis and Flood Control

Over a trillion gallons of water fell on Harris County during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and historic flooding devastated Central Texas in 2018. Texans know hurricanes and flooding happen. We also understand the basics of science, that as global temperatures rise, more moisture is trapped in the atmosphere making storms, including hurricanes, more intense and destructive.

There is no denying the mounting scientific evidence that climate change is a threat to public health, to the economy, and to national security. We cannot ignore it any longer. We have a moral obligation to act for our children and grandchildren.

We have to take thoughtful, innovative and, yes, bold steps to slow down the impacts of climate change so that our kids aren’t stuck in an irreversible position 10 years down the road.

Yet all Congressman Mike McCaul has offered is lip service to the growing realities of climate change while his Washington colleagues have played reckless politics with disaster relief funding.

This is the perfect opportunity for Texas to lead – just as we have always done – on developing new, clean energy sources. Right now, Texas is the #1 producer of wind energy in the nation, and we are the only state with its own electrical grid. In fact, the development of renewable and clean energy is one of the fastest growing segments in our economy. This energy development has generated and will continue to generate huge economic benefits to our state, including job creation, capital investments in infrastructure and manufacturing, and increasing the tax base of rural communities.

In Congress, I’ll help lead a growing coalition of voices who understand the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for swift, dramatic action. And, I will focus on the investments in much needed flood control infrastructure projects.

Here’s where I’ll start:

  • Increase EPA Oversight: Push for strong congressional oversight of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).
  • Advance pro-climate policies: Promote climate change goals including: the elimination of barriers to growth for pro-climate businesses; market-based mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas pollution; incentives for energy innovation and new technologies that address climate change; policies that advance energy efficiency and eliminate energy waste; and advocacy for Texas to lead on renewable energy.
  • Invest in flood control: Advocate for and facilitate federal, state, and local cooperation to advance flood control infrastructure projects.

Standing up for Children

I understand firsthand the importance of a social safety net for children. As a child, there were times that my free school lunch was my biggest meal of the day.

I firmly believe that the true reflection of a society is in how it treats children. It should go without saying — separating children from their parents is morally wrong and does absolutely nothing to make America safer.

But we can’t stop there. In Texas, the Republican Attorney General spent millions of dollars in court, claiming that the state’s foster care system was just fine, despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary. The court called the system “broken” and ordered Texas to overhaul its foster care system under court supervision. As Texas Senator Kirk Watson asked: “Why is it so hard for the State of Texas to do right by these children?”

As a member of the Board of Directors of Austin Children’s Shelter, I’ve been a strong advocate for the prevention of child abuse. But, violence occurs in a cycle and to break that cycle, we have to address it in all forms, including child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. That is why as a Board we decided to merge Austin Children’s Shelter with SafePlace to form the SAFE Alliance, which is tackling violence in all its forms every day in our community.

In Congress, I’ll continue to advocate for our children, for our public schools, and for policies that allow parents and guardians to care for their children without jeopardizing their jobs.

Here’s where I’ll start:

  • Promote universal pre-K and early childhood education to ensure every child has a shot at a better future.
  • Protect CHIP and children’s healthcare to ensure every child has access to health care.
  • Promote accessible and affordable higher education and college alternatives including apprenticeship programs.
  • End child separation and hold DHS accountable for uniting every child with their parent.
  • Keep our promises by passing the DREAM Act.
  • Enact sensible gun legislation to combat gun violence and mass shootings.[15]
 ”
—Shannon Hutcheson 2020 campaign website[2]


Democratic Party Mike Siegel

“

Fighting for our shared values

We need a bold vision

My work in public service, as an educator and civil rights advocate, has shown me that we are strongest when we work together. Right now, our economy and political system is not working for most Americans. Huge corporations use their money and influence to rig the game to their own advantage. To build a stronger America, a country that truly serves the greater good, we need a movement.

Healthcare

Health care is a human right. It is essential to everything we do: our personal and family health, our ability to work and run businesses, our financial stability and our plans for retirement. We must chart a path that guarantees high quality healthcare for every American.

I support efforts to guarantee universal care, including current proposals for Medicare for All. The United States is a wealthy nation that spends far too much on far too little care. With Medicare for All, we will save billions of dollars a year, and instead of paying for burdensome paperwork requirements and bonuses for corporate CEOs, we will provide healthcare for 30 million uninsured Americans and tens of millions more who currently have insufficient protection.

The TX-10 incumbent, Michael McCaul, is complicit in every Republican attack on our healthcare. He voted dozens of times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for pre-existing conditions. He has also done nothing while rural hospitals are closed.

My commitment is to fight for the people of the Texas 10th, for your health and your security. Until we achieve Medicare for All, we must defend the important gains we have made for Medicare and Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Affordable Care Act. We must lower prescription drug prices and pursue other important reforms. And most of all, we must put people before profits, and ensure every American has the care and support they need.

Voting Rights

Mike Siegel has been fighting for equal opportunity and social justice for the last twenty years, first as a public school teacher and then as a civil rights lawyer. As an educator and union organizer, community activist and trial attorney, Mike has committed himself to advocating for disadvantaged communities and working for a better future.

In 2018, Mike was the Democratic nominee in the Texas 10th Congressional District, taking on a longtime Republican incumbent in a heavily gerrymandered district. His opponent, Michael McCaul, is one of the richest members of Congress and won his 2016 election by 19 points. With a grassroots campaign backed by organized labor, Indivisible groups, and other progressive organizations and activists, Mike narrowed the gap to 4 points on Election Day, surprising many outside observers. Now, TX-10 is on the national “battleground” lists for both parties, and Mike is running again.

One of the highlights of Mike’s 2018 campaign was his fight for voting rights at Prairie View A&M University. The historically-black college in Waller County has been the source of a series of struggles for voting rights dating back several decades. In 2018, on the eve of the voter registration deadline, local officials told PVAMU students they would not be able to vote on Election Day without signing an affidavit swearing to their residence — an unnecessary impediment to voting that would surely suppress voter turnout. Mike joined together with local Democrats to protest this policy, and in the course of delivering a demand letter, Mike’s local organizer was arrested. As a result, Mike was featured on Rachel Maddow, and a day later, the Texas Secretary of State forced Waller County to reverse its policy on student voting.

Public education is the foundation of our democracy.

If every student has the opportunity to learn and succeed, the American Dream continues. But if we weaken public education—through for-profit schemes, attacks on teachers’ unions, systemic under-funding and the like—we lose the heart of our nation.

My beliefs about public education are informed by my own experience attending public schools, and my work as a public school teacher. I taught third grade, fifth grade, and eighth grade; I ran after-school and summer programs; and I organized as a member of the teacher’s union. I’ve seen what is possible, when students and parents and teachers and administrators unite in pursuit of quality education. And I’ve seen the threats from those who would sell our public resources to the highest bidder, and attack our system of education as a way to reduce political opposition.

As your representative, I will fight for:

  • Public school funding that ensures that every student in this country has the opportunity to succeed as students, as human beings, and as participants in the American economy;
  • Policies that uplift teachers and school workers: to ensure they are not treated as cogs in a machine, but rather as partners in a project essential to American democracy; to guarantee work with dignity, that is well-compensated and includes comprehensive benefits; to support continuing training and education; and to protect the rights to organize and bargain collectively;
  • Protections for students from every walk of life: to ensure they are provided the tools they need for success; to support special needs students, English language learners, LGBTQIA students, and students from at-risk communities; to guarantee freedom from discrimination and harassment and ensure the safety of every member of the community.

And as your representative, I will fight against:

  • The privatization of public education: I oppose “vouchers” and other efforts to take public school dollars and apply them to private and for-profit institutions; and I am concerned about the proliferation of charter schools, which include some great individual campuses, but as a whole are draining our public school districts of students and families, and therefore must be limited to protect our public school systems;
  • Attacks on public school workers: we must protect our teachers’ unions and public school worker unions, which are often the most effective advocates to ensure quality learning conditions in our public schools, and which are composed of hard-working members of our communities.

Public education is essential to what this country stands for. Elect a teacher who will protect our schools for the generations to come.

Green New Deal for TX-10

Over the past century, fossil fuels have raised the standard of living for people around the world and fueled a boom in the Texas economy. But this same boom has led us to a crisis: we have 10 years to cut greenhouse gas emissions by half, or else face increasing floods, droughts, fires, heat waves, and other catastrophic events. Poor and working people, people of color, seniors, and people with disabilities are among those most at risk; we only need to look at the impact of Hurricane Harvey, and recent industrial disasters in Houston to see the truth.

In order to solve this massive crisis, we need massive solutions. The Green New Deal is designed to confront the twin crises of climate change and inequality. It is a plan to take immediate action to (1) address climate change, and create millions of jobs in the process; (2) guarantee a just transition for affected workers and their families, including a jobs guarantee, so they will not suffer as we rebuild the American economy; and (3) remedy the legacy of environmental injustice and focus resources on those communities that have been on the front lines of fossil fuel pollution.

The original New Deal had a project in every Congressional district, and here in the Texas 10th, we have a project ready to implement. In Fayette County, the Fayette Coal Plant was built 40 years ago with the promise of “clean” coal power, but has instead poisoned the groundwater, polluted the air, killed livestock and crops, and created a corridor of cancer cases, childhood asthma, and other calamitous health impacts. The plant should be immediately closed; funds allocated to clean up coal ash waste and other pollution; and new industry developed to employ local workers in a sustainable industry for the 21st Century.

We have begun the work of a Green New Deal for Texas. In September 2019, my campaign was the first to organize a town hall event on the Green New Deal, bringing together national & local experts across politics, labor, economics, agriculture, environmental justice, and youth climate organizing. The highlights and complete town hall video are below.

Dignity for Workers by Protecting and Growing Union Membership

The labor movement has won tremendous gains for Americans, from minimum wage laws and safe working conditions to healthcare guarantees, Social Security, pensions and more. For several decades, however, unions and workers have been under attack. The results of this right-wing assault are clear: more people in poverty, a massive gap between rich and poor, millions of people working multiple jobs just to survive.

At this moment in history, when progressive movements are winning hearts and minds with plans for “Medicare for All” and a “Green New Deal,” we must also put the fight for unions at the front of the agenda. We must ensure that every American who wants it has a good job and is treated with dignity. We must also protect the right to organize. We know that corporations have increasing power, as massive companies like Amazon and Walmart control millions of jobs. The only way to balance out this concentration of wealth is with worker power.

Mike Siegel has been a union activist and labor ally throughout his professional career. He was raised in a union family; his mom was a machinist and organizer with the International Association of Machinists, and his father is a labor lawyer for farmworkers, janitors, and healthcare workers. Mike earned his first union card in 1999, as a public school teacher and member of the National Education Association; he was elected as a site representative and national delegate. As a civil rights lawyer, Mike represented unions, and later joined AFSCME as an employee of the City of Austin. He has earned the endorsements of numerous unions as the Democratic nominee for Congress in 2018 and again as a candidate for 2020.

As your representative, Mike Siegel will fight to expand the union movement, and support the following demands:

  • Immediately implement the PRO Act which will protect workers who are fired for engaging in union activity, require employers to treat unions in good faith, and generally protect the right to organize
  • Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act and end “Right to Work” laws (which are really just “right to work for less”)
  • End “at will” employment and require just cause for termination
  • Make it easier to join a union by implementing “card check” and enforcing penalties against companies that refuse to negotiate in good faith
  • Implement sectoral bargaining
  • Protect the right to strike
  • Expand public sector collective bargaining
  • Protect pensions
  • End exploitation caused by misclassification of workers as “independent contractors”
  • Increase the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour, indexed to inflation or the cost of living
  • Provide a federal jobs guarantee
  • Equal Rights Act: equal pay for equal work

Medicare For All:

The debate about private vs. public insurance often revolves around the concept of “choice.”

Those who support private insurance say it allows workers to choose the insurance they like. The truth is, it allows workers to choose health insurance if their boss likes that insurance as well. Medicare for All eliminates this need for employers to agree with their employees about what healthcare is best – you can choose what doctor to see whether or not your employer agrees. Medicare for All also allows people to have not only more healthcare options but also more employment options; workers will not be forced to stay in jobs they don’t like just because that job offers them health insurance. Relying on employer based insurance means unions are forced to negotiate for better coverage instead of better working conditions, and we know that people using employer-based insurance already lose their health care constantly. Finally, employer-based insurance burdens businesses with intense administrative & financial costs. We’re going to put an end to it.

Corporate PAC Money

We are in a fight for our democracy. Big monied interests and corporations are buying our politicians. Our campaign is rejecting corporate PAC money because I want to represent the people, not large corporations.

Pro-Choice

I believe that reproductive choice is a universal human right. Women should have simple, informed, and universal access to all aspects of reproductive care.

Common Sense Gun Reform

We must take action to stop gun violence in America.

As a political issue, gun control is complex: there are many proposals, opinions, and ideas out there for helping turn the tide of gun violence in this country. There’s a lot to talk about.

But in the short term, I want to make you three promises and suggest three principles that should guide our efforts towards reducing gun violence.

I promise you this:

  • I will never take a dime from the NRA or any gun lobbying organization.
  • I will do everything I can to pass gun control laws in Congress, and I won’t stand by silently if lawmakers fail to act. We must repeal federal regulations like the Dickey Amendment that prevent federal studies of gun violence and effective responses. If politicians drag their feet—whether Republicans or Democrats—you’ll hear about it from me, and we won’t let them get away with it.
  • Finally: I will treat gun control legislation as what it is: a matter of life and death. There have been far too many human lives lost because lawmakers failed to act.

As we go forward and try to get something done, here are three principles that should guide us:

  • Some people should not be able to buy guns of any kind. A history of violent crime, an active restraining order, a history of mental illness: based on these or other criteria, some people should simply not be able to purchase firearms.
  • Civilians should not be allowed to own weapons of war. We can protect the rights of hunters and sportsmen; assault rifles are not sporting goods. If you want to fire a machine gun, join the military.
  • No industry should be able to buy politicians. The NRA spends millions of dollars every year to promote the unlimited purchase and use of weapons of war like the AR-15. Comprehensive campaign finance reform will get corporate money out of politics and limit the power of lobbyists to write their own laws.

Crushing College Debt

The new generation has been sold a promise that we couldn’t keep. We were promised that with a college education, comes a good paying job. Millions of people are struggling because of their large amounts of debt. We must undo this damage. I support College For All.

Empowering our LGBTQIA+ Community

This campaign recognizes the long struggle of the movements for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and asexual rights.

There have been huge strides toward equality and justice in the 50 years since the Stonewall Riots of 1969, but true equality is still a horizon we continue to fight toward. We know that LGBTQIA+ people still experience higher rates of discrimination, homelessness, suicide, police profiling, incarceration, poverty, and violence stemming from hate than the rest of the country, and these outcomes worsen dramatically for Black, Latino, and indigenous people. Many of our hard-fought victories are currently under attack by the Trump administration and the current balance of the Supreme Court, so we need a Legislative branch packed full of allies.

As a parent and family member, as a teacher and organizer, as a civil rights lawyer, I am committed to fighting for the dignity and right of self-determination of every member of our community.

When elected, I will work to:

  • Pass the Equality Act, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, and the LGBT Elder Americans Act
  • Ban conversion therapy, “bathroom bills,” medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children, and other harmful efforts to impose gender identity or sexual orientation
  • Fight any attempt to ban LGBTQIA+ people from military service
  • Fight for a single-payer Medicare For All system to ensure LGBTQIA+ people have comprehensive healthcare benefits free from discrimination including gender affirmation surgery, hormone therapy, HIV care and prevention, and comprehensive mental healthcare
  • Fully fund comprehensive, accurate, and inclusive sex education in K-12 schools
  • Increase federal investigations into anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination and enforcement

Criminal Justice Reform

As a civil rights lawyer and a former school teacher, I see the United States’ criminal justice system as a reflection of our democracy. The Bill of Rights lays out great aspirations: due process, the right to legal counsel, a ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the guarantee of equal protection under the law. But in practice, the system has achieved mixed results, with justice for some and oppression for others.

Here in Texas, our work is to undo the legacy of Jim Crow injustice. We have an extremely inequitable system of policing, prosecution, and incarceration, a system that is biased against poor people and people of color. The vast majority of prisoners have not been convicted of a crime – they are in jail because they cannot afford bail. We continue to arrest, prosecute and jail non-violent drug offenders, but most Texans and Americans support drug legalization. And while the jails are full of people who have committed property crimes and other non-violent offenses, we rarely if ever prosecute corporate criminals, including those who steal from working Texans and pollute our air and water.

As your next Congressperson, I will fight for a criminal justice reform agenda, including the work to:

  • End cash bail
  • Abolish the death penalty
  • Ban private prisons
  • Increase funding for public defenders
  • Reduce mandatory minimum sentences and restore voting rights
  • End pretrial civil asset forfeiture
  • Combat the “School to Prison Pipeline”
  • Hold police accountable
  • End the “War on Drugs”
  • Ban mass surveillance
  • Prosecute corporate criminals

The Work in TX-10

The Texas 10th is a part of the national movement for criminal justice reform. A few years ago, Sandra Bland died in police custody in Waller County after an unconstitutional arrest. The movement for justice for Sandra Bland continues to inspire organizers and reformers across Texas.

On November 20, 2019, the State of Texas is preparing to execute Rodney Reed, an African-American man from Bastrop County who was convicted of murder twenty-two years ago. Rodney Reed’s case represents what Jim Crow injustice can look like: a rigged investigation, untested DNA evidence, flawed “expert” witnesses, even a confession that has not been considered by the court. Mike has joined the movement to free Rodney Reed, using his campaign to amplify this grave injustice.

Immigration

The U.S. immigration system is broken. The government is not managing migration in an efficient or effective manner, and often fails to treat human beings with the dignity and respect we each deserve. One of the greatest qualities of the United States is how this country has provided sanctuary and opportunities for people from around the world. In the process, immigrants have enriched our culture, strengthened our economy, and made America a better place for everyone.

My own family has benefited from this legacy of America: my Protestant ancestors who escaped persecution in Britain, and my Jewish ancestors who fled pogroms in Eastern Europe, all came here for a better life. My wife was born in Nigeria, grew up in Pittsburgh, attended university and veterinary school and is a thriving businesswoman in Austin. My children are growing up in a vibrant community of rich cultures and perspectives.

I want the United States to implement a humane border policy that is consistent with international law. We must end the practice of criminalizing asylum-seekers, and the related programs that encourage the detention of vulnerable individuals and families. We must take the profit motive out of immigration enforcement by outlawing private immigration jails. We must look at comprehensive reform of U.S. immigration agencies currently housed under the Department of Homeland Security – including ICE and Customs and Border Patrol, agencies that have shocked the world with their cruel treatment of migrant families.

This is why we must build consensus on comprehensive immigration reform: • I support a path to citizenship for Dreamers, people with Temporary Protected Status, and undocumented immigrants and families who are living and working in the United States.

• I support the Reuniting Families Act, which will reform the visa system, strengthen family reunification, and address some of the bureaucratic challenges in our immigration system.

• I support rescinding harmful and punitive policies like the Muslim Ban and the practice of deporting veterans, which violate the promise of our democratic nation and do not make us safer.

• I oppose the Border Wall, which is a wasteful, ineffective monument to hatred.

• I support the repeal of Section 1325, the law which allows for family separation.

• I support investing in immigration courts and social services that will allow for the efficient processing of claims and cases.

Finally, in terms of international relations, we must address the root causes of increased migration from the South. Domestically, we should end the War on Drugs, a racist and wasteful policy that only destroys families within the United States, but that also exacerbates the scourge of drug cartels and narco governments. And outside our borders, we must support democracy in Latin America, oppose dictatorships and corruption, and promote economic development, the development of civil society, and protections for workers and their unions. By promoting stable conditions and addressing the push factors for migration in Mexico and Central America, we can reduce the number of individuals and families forced to seek protection within our borders.

Housing is not an option. People need shelter.

The United States is in the middle of a decades-long affordable housing crisis, which is pushing people out of their homes and neighborhoods. Almost 20 million Americans spend over half their income on housing while over 500,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness. Speculators drive up costs at rates that far outpace income growth, in the process pushing renters and homeowners out of their chosen neighborhoods.

We must reform federal housing and financial policy to protect our homes and neighborhoods, and to ensure that we are meeting the needs of local communities instead of the profit expectations of investors. We must address the legacy of racial discrimination in housing by prioritizing distressed frontline communities with a reparative framework. And our housing policy must address the climate crisis by making existing public and municipal housing more sustainable while we build millions of new, environmentally-sound public housing units.

In his professional career, Mike has taken on slum landlords and fought to protect low-income renters. As a city attorney in Texas, Mike successfully sued apartment complex owners who refused to maintain good quality housing, in the process achieving long-term affordable housing guarantees for hundreds of families. He also sued the Texas Governor to stand up for renters who use housing vouchers, challenging the de facto housing discrimination that still divides our cities and determines who has opportunity, and who does not.

As your representative, Mike will fight for housing for all, and will support policy initiatives like the following:

  • Enact a Homes Guarantee to build 10 million affordable housing units in 10 years
  • Further confront homelessness through the Housing First initiative, funding for permanent supportive housing, and H.R. 1856, the “Ending Homelessness Act of 2019”
  • Protect tenants through rent control, just cause eviction policies, the right to appointed counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction, and enacting H.R. 5072, “A Place to Prosper Act”
  • Confront discrimination in housing by ending exclusionary zoning practices, outlawing discrimination against renters using housing vouchers, and increasing civil rights enforcement and oversight
  • Expand the availability of public housing vouchers
  • Repair and modernize public housing and repeal the Faircloth Amendment, which effectively bans construction of any new public housing
  • Enact a House Flipping Tax and a Vacant Property Tax to curb speculation and financialization[15]
 ”
—Mike Siegel 2020 campaign website[3]


Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Pritesh Gandhi

"Our Doctor" - Gandhi campaign ad, released February 10, 2020

Shannon Hutcheson

"Patient" - Hutcheson campaign ad, released February 9, 2020
"Like My Family" - Hutcheson campaign ad, released January 23, 2020


Mike Siegel

"Can't Bring It Back" - Siegel campaign ad, released September 24, 2019


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.


Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Pritesh Gandhi Democratic Party $1,330,187 $1,332,342 $-2,154 As of August 31, 2020
Shannon Hutcheson Democratic Party $1,354,729 $1,354,729 $0 As of May 15, 2020
Mike Siegel Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.


Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[16][17][18]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.


Primaries in Texas

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Texas utilizes an open primary system. State law requires voters to sign the following pledge before voting in a primary: "I am a (insert appropriate political party) and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year."[19]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Runoff elections in Texas

In Texas, a primary election candidate for congressional, state, or county office must receive a majority of the vote (more than 50%) to be declared the winner. If no candidate wins the requisite majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.[20]

As of 2020, the Texas Secretary of State office stated, "There is no requirement to have previously voted in the general primary election in order to participate in the subsequent primary runoff election. Therefore, if a qualified voter did not vote in the general primary election, they are still eligible to vote in the primary runoff election." The office also stated that "if a voter votes in the primary of one party, they will only be able to vote in that party’s primary runoff election. ... After being affiliated with a party, a voter is not able to change or cancel their party affiliation until the end of the calendar year."[21]

What was at stake in the general election

U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.

At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.

In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.

In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.


General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[22]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[23][24][25]

Race ratings: Texas' 10th Congressional District election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportToss-upLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesLean RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+9, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 9 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Texas' 10th Congressional District the 145th most Republican nationally.[26]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.95. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.95 points toward that party.[27]

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

One of 254 Texas counties—0.4 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Jefferson County, Texas 0.48% 1.61% 2.25%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Texas with 52.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Texas cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 66.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Texas supported Democratic candidates slightly more often than Republicans, 53.3 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Texas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[28][29]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 54 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 65 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won 10 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 36.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 85 out of 150 state House districts in Texas with an average margin of victory of 34.5 points.


Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 10th Congressional District candidates in Texas in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Texas, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Texas 10th Congressional District Democratic or Republican N/A N/A $3,125.00 Fixed number 12/9/2019 Source
Texas 10th Congressional District Unaffiliated 500 5% of all votes cast for governor in the district in the last election; not to exceed 500 N/A N/A 12/9/2019 (declaration of intent); 8/13/2020 (final filing deadline) Source

District election history

2018

See also: Texas' 10th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 10

Incumbent Michael McCaul defeated Mike Siegel and Mike Ryan in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 10 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michael McCaul
Michael McCaul (R)
 
51.1
 
157,166
Image of Mike Siegel
Mike Siegel (D) Candidate Connection
 
46.8
 
144,034
Image of Mike Ryan
Mike Ryan (L)
 
2.2
 
6,627

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 307,827
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 10

Mike Siegel defeated Tawana W. Cadien in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 10 on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Siegel
Mike Siegel Candidate Connection
 
70.2
 
12,181
Image of Tawana W. Cadien
Tawana W. Cadien
 
29.8
 
5,164

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 17,345
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 U.S. House Texas District 10

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 10 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Siegel
Mike Siegel Candidate Connection
 
40.0
 
15,434
✔
Image of Tawana W. Cadien
Tawana W. Cadien
 
18.0
 
6,938
Image of Tami Walker
Tami Walker
 
15.6
 
6,015
Image of Madeline Eden
Madeline Eden
 
14.3
 
5,514
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Matt Harris
 
7.3
 
2,825
Image of Kevin Nelson
Kevin Nelson
 
4.1
 
1,589
Image of Richie DeGrow
Richie DeGrow
 
0.8
 
302

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 38,617
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.

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 10

Incumbent Michael McCaul defeated John Cook in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 10 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michael McCaul
Michael McCaul
 
80.1
 
41,881
Image of John Cook
John Cook
 
19.9
 
10,413

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 52,294
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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Texas' 10th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Michael McCaul (R) defeated Tawana Cadien (D) and Bill Kelsey (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. McCaul ran unopposed in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016, while Tawana Cadien defeated Scot Gallaher for the Democratic nomination.[30][31]

U.S. House, Texas District 10 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngMichael McCaul Incumbent 57.3% 179,221
     Democratic Tawana Cadien 38.4% 120,170
     Libertarian Bill Kelsey 4.2% 13,209
Total Votes 312,600
Source: Texas Secretary of State


U.S. House, Texas District 10 Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngTawana Cadien 51.9% 22,660
Scot Gallaher 48.1% 20,961
Total Votes 43,621
Source: Texas Secretary of State

State profile

See also: Texas and Texas elections, 2019
USA Texas location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of January 22, 2020

Presidential voting pattern

  • Texas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Texas quick stats
  • Became a state in 1845
  • 28th state admitted to the United States
  • Texas was an independent republic from 1836 to 1845
  • Members of the Texas State Senate: 31
  • Members of the Texas House of Representatives: 150
  • U.S. senators: 2
  • U.S. representatives: 36
More Texas coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for Texas
 TexasU.S.
Total population:27,429,639316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):261,2323,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:74.9%73.6%
Black/African American:11.9%12.6%
Asian:4.2%5.1%
Native American:0.5%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.5%3%
Hispanic/Latino:38.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:81.9%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.6%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$53,207$53,889
Persons below poverty level:19.9%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pritesh Gandhi 2020 campaign website, "Key Issues," accessed February 17, 2020
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Shannon Hutcheson 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 17, 2020
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Mike Siegel 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 17, 2020
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Austin American-Statesman, "Chronicle Endorsements for the March 3 Primary Election," accessed February 18, 2020
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Houston Chronicle, "We recommend Mike Siegel in the Democratic primary for U.S. Rep. District 10," accessed February 21, 2020
  6. ↑ NARAL Pro-Choice America, "NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Shannon Hutcheson for Congress," accessed February 19, 2020
  7. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  8. ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Austin Chronicle, "Endorsement: Gandhi, Davis lead our Democratic picks for Congress," accessed February 18, 2020
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 Mike Siegel 2020 campaign website, "Supporters," accessed February 18, 2020
  11. ↑ ASPIRE PAC, "ASPIRE ENDORSES PRITESH GANDHI FOR TEXAS’ 10th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT," accessed June 12, 2020
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named clubendorses
  13. ↑ EMILY's List, "EMILY’S LIST ENDORSES SHANNON HUTCHESON IN TEXAS’ 10TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT," accessed February 18, 2020
  14. ↑ Email communication with Serve America PAC dated June 25, 2020.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  16. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  17. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  18. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  19. ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, "Tex. Election Code Ann. § 172.086," accessed September 16, 2025
  20. ↑ Texas Legislature, "Chapter 172. Primary Elections," accessed July 10, 2020
  21. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Election Advisory No. 2020-05," February 11, 2020
  22. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  23. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  24. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  25. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  26. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  27. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  28. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  29. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  30. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 15, 2015
  31. ↑ The New York Times, "Texas Primary Results," March 1, 2016


Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
John Cornyn (R)
Ted Cruz (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
Al Green (D)
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
Vacant
District 19
District 20
District 21
Chip Roy (R)
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
Republican Party (27)
Democratic Party (12)
Vacancies (1)


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