Texas House of Representatives District 129 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Texas, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Texas House of Representatives District 129 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 129

Incumbent Dennis Paul defeated Kat Marvel in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 129 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dennis Paul (R)	60.8	39,062
		Kat Marvel (D)	39.2	25,194

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,256
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Kat Marvel (D)

The current housing market is not accessible to the average Texan, and that will get worse before it gets better if we don't come together to legislate a solution. The American dream is owning a home to care for our families, which means that we need to make homes that are ownable by people rather than private investment groups. As housing continues to be bought up and controlled by big money, its accessibility will continue to decline. ​ As it stands, there are thousands of unhomed Texans who are currently sleeping in tents, under highways, and on the sidewalks. There have been some good efforts made to give those folks a hand up, but as long as there are human beings without a place to live, we will have work to do.

Texas ranks in the bottom half of the United States in education. Young Texans leave our public schools less prepared than the greater majority of other states. According to Education Weekly, Texas spends less than 38 other states per student. We scored 42nd on the Chance-For-Success Index. These are not numbers to be proud of, but they are numbers that can and should be changed. In addition to educating the future, vocational training is absolutely necessary to remain competitive in an advanced and globalizing market. American workers are being replaced by automation and cheap, off-shore labor, but new industries are rising to replace the old. It's essential that we have an educated workforce that is ready to take on those new tasks.

The Affordable Care Act, or ACA, has already made huge leaps in ensuring equitable health care for a huge number of Americans. Unfortunately, Texas legislators have taken the stance that our state's occupants shouldn't receive the financial assistance already allotted to us by the Federal budget. By expanding Medicaid benefits as already funded by the ACA, we would reduce the number of uninsured Texans from one in six to one in sixteen. ​ Additionally, the legislature passed a law last year in an attempt to make women's healthcare inaccessible. We need to revoke the legalization of bounties on Texans who assist women with receiving a legal medical procedure. Medical decisions should be made only by doctors and the patients they affect.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Kat Marvel (D)

The Texas State Legislature has made a lot of decisions that not all of us are comfortable with. From legalizing $10,000 bounties on Texans, to their concern over public school children's genitalia, to their sweeping degradation of Texans' voting rights, the laws being passed by our current representatives aren't serving the individual members of the communities of Harris County. I intend to change that.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Kat Marvel (D)

Elizabeth Warren serves as a fine example of how we can improve the lives of our constituents through policy and activism. She is brilliant, passionate, and a fantastic policy writer.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Kat Marvel (D)

An elected official should be honest, transparent, and caring.

An honest public servant tells the truth and is respectful of their constituents. Transparency is an effect of honesty: what a representative stands for, how they vote, and why they voted that way should be clearly explained.

A representative who cares about the people they represent is always making their decisions that will result is the most good for the most number of people. They will always put people first.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Kat Marvel (D)

I am direct and honest, so people never have to wonder what I'm thinking or what I might do. I value people over businesses, since caring for people improves all lives. I have a strong sense of community and strive for unity.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Kat Marvel (D)

Redistricting should be accomplished by a non-partisan group of people who are dedicated to making each district reflect the actual makeup of the people of the state. Currently, redistricting is performed by Republicans in blatant favor of maintaining their hold on power. A fair redistricting would ensure that people are actually represented fairly and accurately.

See also

More about these elections:

• Texas House of Representatives elections, 2022

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