William Thorburn

William Thorburn (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 97. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 5, 2024.

Thorburn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

William Thorburn was born in Magnolia, Mississippi. Thorburn earned a bachelor's degree from Baylor University in 1990. His career experience includes working as an educator and senior accountant. Thorburn has been affiliated with the teacher organization UEA, Arborlawn United Methodist Church, and the Fish for Life Foundation.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 97

John McQueeney defeated Carlos Walker in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John McQueeney (R)	58.1	51,432
	Carlos Walker (D)	41.9	37,132

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 88,564
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 97

Carlos Walker defeated Diane Symons in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on May 28, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carlos Walker	55.7	1,228
	Submit photo	Diane Symons	44.3	977

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,205
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 97

John McQueeney defeated Cheryl Bean in the Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on May 28, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John McQueeney	51.4	5,477
	Cheryl Bean	48.6	5,175

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,652
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97

Diane Symons and Carlos Walker advanced to a runoff. They defeated William Thorburn in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Diane Symons	44.1	3,083
✔		Carlos Walker	34.6	2,420
		William Thorburn	21.3	1,485

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,988
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97

Cheryl Bean and John McQueeney advanced to a runoff. They defeated Leslie Robnett in the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cheryl Bean	49.6	9,057
✔		John McQueeney	29.6	5,416
	Submit photo	Leslie Robnett	20.8	3,798

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,271
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Thorburn in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

William Thorburn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Thorburn's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a dad, a teacher, a director of a small foundation, Fish for Life, that gives scholarships and awards to good kids for outstanding educational performance. I call myself a fiscal conservative, while some of my friends and family might call me cheap. I prefer frugal. But I won't be accused of wasting the state's money.

I am a Christian, a United Methodist, to be exact, and have been ever since my parents brought me to Texas over 50 years ago. And since singing "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho" in Vacation Bible School, I have continued singing in my choir at church for years. I go to church every Sunday because I probably screwed up during the week and need forgiveness. Fortunately, I have a great group of friends, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, who give me grace when I mess up.

I believe everyone should be treated with dignity, given a chance to succeed, and make their own decisions without interference from Austin. If there is such a thing as an "independent, Libertarian, fiscally conservative and socially moderate Democrat", I am probably suited to that title. Though I don't like titles, and I march to the beat of my own heart.

To paraphrase the Methodist founder John Wesley, we should try to "do all they good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, as long as we ever can."

That's the Texas in which I want to live.

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?

I want to strengthen the public education system for all students, so that they are prepared to enter the work force and contribute to Texas' growing economy
I want to ensure that all Texas moms and their daughters are able to make sound medicals decisions in concert with expert medical professionals, in the state of Texas, without interference from politicians and courts
I will vote for legisation that expands casinos and legalizes marijuana, keeping revenue streams in Texas instead of flowing to neighboring states

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about public education, having attended public schools in Arlington from K-12. I have tried to give back to the system, having taught over 20 years in Arlington (and 1 in Fort Worth). My public school experience prepared me for the rigors of Baylor University, which led to my degree in accounting from the Hankamer School of Business and the passing the CPA exam in the spring of 1990.

Being a father, I am passionate about the ability of my daughter, and all daughters, to make decisions with their physicians, and working to provide common sense legislation that strikes the right balance for all Texans, not a Draconian top-down system promulgated by Austin politicians.

I am dedicated to maintaining a strong business climate with reasonable regulation, but also providing a welcoming environment for all workers in the state, to ensure a talented supply of workers with a variety of skills.

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

I look up to my colleagues in the public school system, who come to work every day and do the best they can for the kids that walk through their doors.

While Jimmy Carter had a rough presidency (by some historians accounts), he was a man of peace who brokered a deal between Egypt and Israel. He was a smart guy, a nuclear engineer from the Naval Academy. He was a small businessman, a peanut farmer in Geerogia.

I look up to him for his continued service as a Christian in providing affordable homes for those who were unable to afford them until his death. He also taught Sunday school, which I do from time to time. He left office after one term, was probably ridiculed more than once in my pro-Reagan parents' household, but he stuck to his principles of "doing good" all the way to his last breath. I would love for that to be my legacy, regardless of what happens in the race for Texas House District 97.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

"To Kill A Mockingbird", by Harper Lee. Atticus Finch, the protagonist, defends Tom Robinson, a Black man who has been unjustly accused of rape, against all odds in a Southern town in the 1930s. As a bonus, Atticus reads his daughter to bed every night which always brings a tear to my eye.

He knows it is a fool's errand in the local Alabama jurisdiction during the Great Depression, but he believes upon appeal he can save Tom Robinson's life. In essence, he does the right thing in the face of family and local opposition, the consequences to his career notwithstanding. More politicians (and people) should be like Atticus Finch.

It kind of feels like running as a Democrat in District 97 in 2024!

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

An elected official should say what they stand for and not hide behind generic platitudes.

An elected official of a real democracy should not be afraid of the entire eligible population having voting rights after offering evidence of their eligibility to do so.

An elected official should encourage voting and enact policies that make voting easier, not more complex.

An elected official should abide by results of elections and shake hands with their opposition.

An elected official should realize that compromise is not a dirty word and apologizing is not a character flaw.

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

Compassionate

Empathetic
Hard working
Competitive

Frank

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A Texas legislatior should do everything in their power to enact policies to help all Texans and make the state a place to be proud of, not the subject of ridicule.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to move Texas forward, not let it continue to slide backward, and for people to say he worked hard for the good of his fellow Texans and state.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember Watergate crisis, Nixon's resignation, and Gerald Ford assuming the presidency. My parents watched the whole thing unfold on the old Zenith. After that, it was the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979-1980. I was 7 and 11 years old, respectively.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first W-2 summer job was taking tickets at the "old" Arlington Stadium in 1983. The next year I worked parking at the stadium, and the next year I was a bat boy for the visiting teams in 1985. Needless to say, the Rangers winning it all this year was a life long sports dream!

What is your favorite book? Why?

"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee for the reasons stated above. I also recently saw the play at Bass Hall in Fort Worth. It always provides a message I hadn't received before, whetehr re-reading the book, seeing the play live, or reading the screenplay by Horton Foote, proud Texan, which I used to do when I taught 9th grade English.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Atticus Finch, a great father and a defender of the weak in the face of overwhelming opposition, at great risk to his personal and business reputation in the community.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I struggled with finding my place, starting in accounting but I found the classroom in public school and have tried to do my best to help every student who comes through my doorway.

My father's death and my divorce in the latter half of the 1990s left me searching for direction, but I am proud to say that I have rebuilt my life and am content. I would love to serve Texas in the legislature, but I have much more to contribute even if not elected, to my family, my school and kids, my church, and the Fort Worth and surrounding community.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

George Bush, a Republican governor, had to work with Bob Bullock, a Democratic Lieutenant Governor, to find compromise, solutions where not everyone got what they wanted but everyone got something they wanted. Diplomacy, tact, compromise, common sense solutions. I think this is what most Texans want, for the governor and the state legislature to work together to make Texans' lives better. All Texans, not just some.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Texas deserves a strong two-party system where each party vies for their policies and works together instead screaming across the aisle. Without strong parties on both sides, the following challenges will continue to beset Texas:

1) A fair and consistent system of financing public schools and attracting excellent educators
2) A reasonable approach to medical decisions for all Texans to continue attracting companies to a Texas where all employees have the same rights
3) Innovative transportation solutions to accommodate a growing population
4) A compassionate immigration system that provides businesses with necessary, legal and documented labor and does not solely put the burden on law enforcement for apprehension and the legal system for processing.
5) Diminishing water supply and increasingly challenged power grid in the face of increased population growth
6) Competing with other states by establishing revenue streams by legalizing industries in the casino and recreational marijuana industries.
7) Providing healthcare for children and those at-risk, saving money on the front end
8) Working with municipalities to provide affordable housing for both those struggling to stay in their current housing to those who are challenged to find housing due to increasing rent, housing prices, and other factors.
9) Increasing investments in mental healthcare at the public school level and public hospitals to meet needs early and effectively (see #8)

10) Working with gun owners who want to enact reasonable gun safety measures, allowing all those who want to own guns to own guns, but preventing those who should not own guns from doing so. There is a reasonable compromise. Texans can walk and chew gum at the same time on the issue.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Experience is a good thing; entrenchment is a bad thing. The person's character is the most important factor when determining who will be an effective legislator. I am open to reasonable term limits for offices at all levels. There has to be a balance between experience and entrenchment. Turnover in state government is good for idea generation, but there has to be a certain amount of experience in the building to make for an effective legislative session.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I am running in the center-left lane. As such, I will pledge to work and build relationships with people not only on the left, but also on the right. I hear all the time how much Texans would love to have people in Austin shaking hands, not screaming at each other. Like I said before, I will have a beer and eat some barbecue with any legislator who wants to sit down and have a civil conversation to move Texas forward.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

In the recent past history of Texas, not so much. I want to be an independent legislator who represents his constituency based on the ideas I have put forth. If that is not successful, I will gladly continue teaching; however, I will not tell things people they want to hear just to get elected. So, in response to your question, I have not seen a recent legislator in Texas tack to the middle, only pandering to satisfy one's party base.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I just want to make it through the primary, and if fortunate enough to move on, then the general. Then I hope to work hard for the voters of District 97.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I have spoken to ladies who have had to make extremely personal decisions at difficult times during their lives. Fortunately, Texas had laws in place that allowed them to make those decisions. Those protections are gone, and they are concerned for their daughters and future granddaughters' ability to make decisions for themselves.

I work with colleagues every day in the public schools who feel under attack from Austin and even their own communities when all we are trying to do is prepare their kids for life after school. I am amazed at my colleagues perseverance and want them to keep doing their jobs well and to be paid a fair salary for doing so, with reduced external obligations forced upon them by a bloated bureacracy.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is necessary and desirable to get things done. Compromise is not the dirty word that it has become to some. I am running from a center-left position. Some would say that is a fool's errand, and perhaps it is. I have been called a fool before. However, I will not waver from my belief that most of Texas, and the U.S., is a center-left, center-right nation. Unfortunately, the two-party system has devolved into a war of unkind words, with no choice for those in the middle. I would love to change that. I believe I could sit down with a moderate Republican (they are out there, they just can't admit it) over a beer and some barbecue and get things done. Alas, that is not the way the system works, so I have to find a way to work within the system.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I would introduce a bill to protect the privacy of all Texans when faced with medical decisions to ensure that they can work in concert with their medical providers.

What committees interest you?

Education

Mental Health
Transportation

Budget

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

William Thorburn campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Texas House of Representatives District 97	Lost primary	$686	$5,689
Grand total			$686	$5,689
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

External links

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Candidate

Texas House of Representatives District 97

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on December 25, 2023

[show]

Current members of the Texas House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Dustin Burrows

Representatives

District 1

Gary VanDeaver (R)

District 2

Brent Money (R)

District 3

Cecil Bell (R)

District 4

Keith Bell (R)

District 5

Cole Hefner (R)

District 6

Daniel Alders (R)

District 7

Jay Dean (R)

District 8

Cody Harris (R)

District 9

Trent Ashby (R)

District 10

Brian Harrison (R)

District 11

Joanne Shofner (R)

District 12

Trey Wharton (R)

District 13

Angelia Orr (R)

District 14

Paul Dyson (R)

District 15

Steve Toth (R)

District 16

Will Metcalf (R)

District 17

Stan Gerdes (R)

District 18

Janis Holt (R)

District 19

Ellen Troxclair (R)

District 20

Terry Wilson (R)

District 21

Dade Phelan (R)

District 22

Christian Manuel (D)

District 23

Terri Leo-Wilson (R)

District 24

Greg Bonnen (R)

District 25

Cody Vasut (R)

District 26

Matt Morgan (R)

District 27

Ron Reynolds (D)

District 28

Gary Gates (R)

District 29

Jeffrey Barry (R)

District 30

A.J. Louderback (R)

District 31

Ryan Guillen (R)

District 32

Todd Hunter (R)

District 33

Katrina Pierson (R)

District 34

Denise Villalobos (R)

District 35

Oscar Longoria (D)

District 36

Sergio Munoz (D)

District 37

Janie Lopez (R)

District 38

Erin Gamez (D)

District 39

Armando Martinez (D)

District 40

Terry Canales (D)

District 41

Robert Guerra (D)

District 42

Richard Raymond (D)

District 43

J.M. Lozano (R)

District 44

Alan Schoolcraft (R)

District 45

Erin Zwiener (D)

District 46

Sheryl Cole (D)

District 47

Vikki Goodwin (D)

District 48

Donna Howard (D)

District 49

Gina Hinojosa (D)

District 50

James Talarico (D)

District 51

Maria Luisa Flores (D)

District 52

Caroline Harris (R)

District 53

Wesley Virdell (R)

District 54

Brad Buckley (R)

District 55

Hillary Hickland (R)

District 56

Pat Curry (R)

District 57

Richard Hayes (R)

District 58

Helen Kerwin (R)

District 59

Shelby Slawson (R)

District 60

Mike Olcott (R)

District 61

Keresa Richardson (R)

District 62

Shelley Luther (R)

District 63

Ben Bumgarner (R)

District 64

Andy Hopper (R)

District 65

Mitch Little (R)

District 66

Matt Shaheen (R)

District 67

Jeff Leach (R)

District 68

David Spiller (R)

District 69

James Frank (R)

District 70

Mihaela Plesa (D)

District 71

Stan Lambert (R)

District 72

Drew Darby (R)

District 73

Carrie Isaac (R)

District 74

Eddie Morales (D)

District 75

Mary Gonzalez (D)

District 76

Suleman Lalani (D)

District 77

Vincent Perez (D)

District 78

Joseph Moody (D)

District 79

Claudia Ordaz (D)

District 80

Don McLaughlin (R)

District 81

Brooks Landgraf (R)

District 82

Tom Craddick (R)

District 83

Dustin Burrows (R)

District 84

Carl Tepper (R)

District 85

Stan Kitzman (R)

District 86

John Smithee (R)

District 87

Caroline Fairly (R)

District 88

Ken King (R)

District 89

Candy Noble (R)

District 90

Ramon Romero (D)

District 91

David Lowe (R)

District 92

Salman Bhojani (D)

District 93

Nate Schatzline (R)

District 94

Tony Tinderholt (R)

District 95

Nicole Collier (D)

District 96

David Cook (R)

District 97

John McQueeney (R)

District 98

Giovanni Capriglione (R)

District 99

Charlie Geren (R)

District 100

Venton Jones (D)

District 101

Chris Turner (D)

District 102

Ana-Maria Ramos (D)

District 103

Rafael Anchia (D)

District 104

Jessica Gonzalez (D)

District 105

Terry Meza (D)

District 106

Jared Patterson (R)

District 107

Linda Garcia (D)

District 108

Morgan Meyer (R)

District 109

Aicha Davis (D)

District 110

Toni Rose (D)

District 111

Yvonne Davis (D)

District 112

Angie Button (R)

District 113

Rhetta Bowers (D)

District 114

John Bryant (D)

District 115

Cassandra Garcia Hernandez (D)

District 116

Trey Fischer (D)

District 117

Philip Cortez (D)

District 118

John Lujan (R)

District 119

Elizabeth Campos (D)

District 120

Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D)

District 121

Marc LaHood (R)

District 122

Mark Dorazio (R)

District 123

Diego Bernal (D)

District 124

Josey Garcia (D)

District 125

Ray Lopez (D)

District 126

Sam Harless (R)

District 127

Charles Cunningham (R)

District 128

Briscoe Cain (R)

District 129

Dennis Paul (R)

District 130

Tom Oliverson (R)

District 131

Alma Allen (D)

District 132

Mike Schofield (R)

District 133

Mano Deayala (R)

District 134

Ann Johnson (D)

District 135

Jon Rosenthal (D)

District 136

John Bucy (D)

District 137

Gene Wu (D)

District 138

Lacey Hull (R)

District 139

Charlene Ward Johnson (D)

District 140

Armando Walle (D)

District 141

Senfronia Thompson (D)

District 142

Harold Dutton (D)

District 143

Ana Hernandez (D)

District 144

Mary Perez (D)

District 145

Christina Morales (D)

District 146

Lauren Simmons (D)

District 147

Jolanda Jones (D)

District 148

Penny Shaw (D)

District 149

Hubert Vo (D)

District 150

Valoree Swanson (R)

Republican Party (88)

Democratic Party (62)

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on December 25, 2023

[1]

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William Thorburn

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 97

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 97

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 97

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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