Primary Endorsements
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility makes endorsements in advance of school and municipal elections, partisan primaries and the general election. Here you will find our most recent endorsements.Texans for Fiscal Responsibility will make endorsements during the 2018 primary and general elections. We do not always endorse a candidate in every race where one is sought.
To be considered for an endorsement, candidates must have applied for an interview by submitting a completed questionnaire.
Endorsements are not made in every race and do not constitute a criticism of other candidates running. Endorsements will only be made in contested races.
Our endorsement of a candidate is based on our belief that the candidate will adhere to the best practices and highest principles of ethics, limited government, and stewardship of the taxpayers’ resources.
Endorsements will be made in county-wide races, as well as for statewide executive offices, the judiciary, and the state legislature. TFR will also make endorsements in open-seat congressional races.
Click here to learn more about our 2018 Local Endorsement process.
2018 Primary Endorsements
Statewide Endorsements
Congressional Endorsements
| Name | District | Campaign Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ted Cruz | U.S. Senate | Running for re-election |
| Van Taylor | 3 | Running for the open seat vacated by Congressman Sam Johnson |
| Ron Wright | 6 | Running for the open seat vacated by Congressman Joe Barton |
| Randy Weber | 14 | Running for re-election |
| Chip Roy | 21 | Running for the open seat vacated by Congressman Lamar Smith |
Texas Senate Endorsements
| Name | District | Campaign Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Hall | 2 | Running for Re-Election |
| Charles Schwertner | 5 | Running for Re-Election |
| Paul Bettencourt | 7 | Running for Re-Election |
| Kelly Hancock | 9 | Running for Re-Election |
| Konni Burton | 10 | Running for Re-Election |
| Don Huffines | 16 | Running for Re-Election |
| Joan Huffman | 17 | Running for Re-Election |
| Pat Fallon | 30 | Challenging State Sen. Craig Estes |
| Mike Canon | 31 | Challenging State Sen. Kel Seliger |
Texas House Endorsements
| Name | District | Campaign Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan Slaton | 2 | Challenging State Rep. Dan Flynn |
| Stuart Spitzer | 4 | Running for the open seat vacated by State Rep. Lance Gooden. |
| Cole Hefner | 5 | Running for Re-Election |
| Matt Schaefer | 6 | Running for Re-Election |
| Thomas McNutt | 8 | Running for open seat vacated by State Rep. Byron Cook |
| Garrett Boersma | 9 | Challenging State Rep. Chris Paddie |
| Danny Ward | 11 | Challenging State Rep. Travis Clardy |
| Jill Wolfskill | 13 | Running for the open seat being vacated by State Rep. Leighton Schubert |
| Steve Toth | 15 | Running for the open seat being vacated by State Rep. Mark Keough |
| Emily Kebodeaux Cook | 18 | Challenging State Rep. Ernest Bailes |
| Mayes Middleton | 23 | Challenging State Rep. Wayne Faircloth |
| Damon Rambo | 25 | Challenging State Rep. Dennis Bonnen |
| Amber Pearce | 45 | Running for the open seat vacated by State Rep. Jason Isaac |
| Jay Wiley | 47 | Challenging State Rep. Paul Workman |
| CJ Grisham | 55 | Challenging State Rep. Hugh Shine |
| Mike Lang | 60 | Running for Re-Election |
| Mark Roy | 64 | Challenging State Rep. Lynn Stucky |
| Matt Shaheen | 66 | Running for Re-Election |
| Jeff Leach | 67 | Running for Re-Election |
| Kyle Biedermann | 73 | Running for Re-Election |
| Drew Brassfield | 87 | Challenging State Rep. Four Price |
| Jason Huddleston | 88 | Challenging State Rep. Ken King |
| Jonathan Stickland | 92 | Running for Re-Election |
| Matt Krause | 93 | Running for Re-Election |
| Tony Tinderholt | 94 | Running for Re-Election |
| Bill Zedler | 96 | Running for Re-Election |
| Armin Mizani | 98 | Challenging State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione |
| Bo French | 99 | Challenging State Rep. Charlie Geren |
| Jared Patterson | 106 | Running for the open seat vacated by State Rep. Pat Fallon |
| Deanna Metzger | 107 | Challenging State Rep. Victoria Neave |
| Jonathan Boos | 113 | Running for the open seat being vacated by State Rep. Cindy Burkett |
| Lisa Luby Ryan | 114 | Challenging State Rep. Jason Villalba |
| Matt Rinaldi | 115 | Running for Re-Election |
| Matt Beebe | 121 | Running for the open seat vacated by State Rep. Joe Straus |
| Chris Fails | 122 | Challenging State Rep. Lyle Larson |
| Kevin Fulton | 126 | Running for the open seat vacated by State Rep. Kevin Roberts |
| Briscoe Cain | 128 | Running for Re-Election |
| Susanna Dokupil | 134 | Challenging State Rep. Sarah Davis |
| Valoree Swanson | 150 | Running for Re-Election |
Judicial Endorsements
| Candidate | Office Sought |
|---|---|
| John Devine | Texas Supreme Court, Place 4 |
| Michelle Slaughter | Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8 |
| Katy Boatman | 1st Court of Appeals, Place 7 |
| Michael Massengale | 1st Court of Appeals, Place 8 |
| Jennifer Caughey | 1st Court of Appeals, Place 9 |
| Dabney Bassel | 2nd Court of Appeals, Place 5 |
| Mike Toth | 3rd Court of Appeals, Place 6 |
| Ernie Aliseda | 13th Court of Appeals, Chief Justice |
| John Browning | 5th Court of Appeals, Place 11 |
| Jim Pikl | 5th Court of Appeals, Place 12 |
| Jaime Tijerina | 13th Court of Appeals, Place 4 |
| Brett Busby | 14th Court of Appeals, Place 3 |
| Jennifer Edgeworth | 219th District Court |
| Angelina Gooden | 280th District Court |
| Kristin Bays | 284th District Court |
| Fred Shuchart | 295th District Court |
| Alex Kim | 323rd District Court |
| Frank Dobrovolny | 369th District Court |
| Ben Wetmore | 428th District Court |
| Erin Swanson | Harris County Civil Court-at-Law No. 2 |
| John Wakefield | Harris County Criminal Court at Law # 9 |
County Endorsements
| Name | County | Office | Campaign Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Hill | Collin | County Judge | Running for Open Seat |
| Cheryl Williams | Collin | Precinct 2 | Running for Re-Election |
| Darrell Hale | Collin | Precinct 3 | Running for seat vacated by Chris Hill |
| J.J. Koch | Dallas | District 2 | Running for Open Seat |
| Itamar Gelbman | Denton | Precinct 4 | Running for Open Seat |
| Michelle Hatmaker | Galveston | Precinct 4 | Running against incumbent Ken Clark |
| Mark Keough | Montgomery | County Judge | Running against incumbent Craig Doyal |
2018 Republican Primary Ballot Propositions
Non-binding policy propositions on the statewide GOP ballot.| Ballot Number | Proposition Language | TFR Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas should replace the property tax system with an appropriate consumption tax equivalent. | Yes |
| 2 | No governmental entity should ever construct or fund construction of toll roads without voter approval. | Yes |
| 3 | Republicans in the Texas House should select their Speaker nominee by secret ballot in a binding caucus without Democrat influence. | Yes |
| 4 | Texas should require employers to screen new hires through the free E-Verify system to protect jobs for legal workers. | Yes |
| 5 | Texas families should be empowered to choose from public, private, charter, or homeschool options for their children’s education, using tax credits or exemptions without government constraints or intrusion. | Yes |
| 6 | Texas should protect the privacy and safety of women and children in spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers in all Texas schools and government buildings. | Yes |
| 7 | I believe abortion should be abolished in Texas. | Yes |
| 8 | Vote fraud should be a felony in Texas to help ensure fair elections. | Yes |
| 9 | Texas demands that Congress completely repeal Obamacare. | Yes |
| 10 | To slow the growth of property taxes, yearly revenue increases should be capped at 4%, with increases in excess of 4% requiring voter approval. | Yes |
| 11 | Tax dollars should not be used to fund the building of stadiums for professional or semi-professional sports teams. | Yes |