2022 Texas Democratic Primaries Voting Guide

Bears Abney

• 5 min read

I am but a simple bear, doing my fairly surface level internet research. I'm just trying to provide a ranked voting guide with justifications. I might be wrong. Let me know.

In terms of my ideology when voting, especially in the primaries, the research takes so much out of me it's not worth thinking about people running unopposed. I just don't vote for 'em if they are. In my mind it means I didn't give tacit approval. Beyond that I'm a socialist trans woman so boy howdy do I have opinions on what's important in politics.

My methodology when doing ballot research is reading campaign websites, Ballotpedia, and any news articles that crop up. That may seem pretty lackluster but I'm very opinionated and you may be surprised how often I will, from the propaganda of a candidate's own campaign website, still take issue with a candidate. Additionally, I try not to look at polls. The concept of voting "strategically" really does my head in and polls exacerbate that issue. Please institute ranked choice voting so that I never have to think about strategic voting again, thanks.

United States Representative, District 21

  1. David Anderson Jr
    Anderson's website casts a large net and in doing so hits all the stuff I like, which I can't say is the case for other candidates.
  2. Coy Gee Branscum II
    Branscum is one of the only candidates to call out marijuana legalization and the environment is a big issue for him. I also have the self interest aspect of Branscum being gay. I believe that means he will take at least some of my interests to heart.
  3. Claudia Andreana Zapata
    Zapata's super strong on the environment. I'd hope that would lead to carbon tax and taxing the rich, but because it's not explicitly said I can't throw my hat all the way into the Zapata ring. She doesn't seem to have a lot to say on the other issues I care about.
  4. Scott William Sturm
    Sturm seems to care a lot about socialism. And Sturm definitely cares about healthcare. But the ballotpedia responses are just a little offputting.
  5. Ricardo Villareal
    Villareal cites the "divisive rhetoric" dogwhistle.
  6. Scott William Sturm
    Cop

Governor

  1. Beto O'Rourke
    Beto's like fine. He wants healthcare and stuff for the gays but he does not say ACAB and is bad about guns.
  2. Joy Diaz
    Diaz is just a different flavor of Beto, but I agree with most of her positions like 5% less.
  3. Michael Cooper
    I don't share a value system with Cooper.
  4. Rich Wakeland
    Wakeland is terrible on guns and has a really bad immigration plan.

etc. Inocencio (Inno) Barrientez
I don't know that Barrientez can be considered a real candidate he has virtually no platform and no presence to speak of.

Lieutenant Governor

  1. Carla Brailey
    Brailey says trans rights and healthcare. She's a little too focused on education for my tastes and I could use some more climate change action but she's otherwise good.
  2. Michelle Beckley
    Beckley went against the bathroom bill guy and won. And her website does hit healthcare and the environment.
  3. Mike Collier
    Collier says protect the environment and tax the rich.

Note: Honestly not mad at these lt. gov. candidates.

Attorney General

  1. Lee Merritt
    This dude has a really incredible record for cases he has represented/counseled. I think this is the right pick, researching what an attorney general actually does didn't give me great insight into how my decision be made. As you'll see, the next candidate seems to tick more of my boxes and I will happily vote for her but Merritt seems better?
  2. Rochelle Mercedes Garza
    Garza is supportive of legalized marijuana and broader access to healthcare. She has fought for trans rights.
  3. Mike Fields
    Fields is a self proclaimed moderate.
  4. Joe Jaworski
    Jaworski has narc energy. And he possibly thinks he's something because his grandpa was somebody?
  5. S. "TBone" Raynor
    Raynor's interests are completely unaligned with my own.

Comptroller of Public Access

  1. Angel Luis Vega
    Vega's campaign website has a comprehensive look at ideology including legalized marijuana and helping the environment.
  2. Janet T. Dudding
    Dudding supports protecting the environment and legalizing marijuana but what feels like to a lesser extent than Vega.
  3. Tim Mahoney
    I care less about Mahoney's issues.

Commissioner of the General Land Office

  1. Jinny Suh
    GLO is nearly a three way tie. Suh ekes it out with her qualifications.
  2. Jay Kleberg
    Kleberg cares about the environment. That's kind've the bare minimum though. (bear minimum)
  3. Sandragrace Martinez
    Martinez's like fine.
  4. Michael Lange
    Lange's kind've a bootlicker and doesn't really say anything about the environment which is weird.

Commissioner of Agriculture

  1. Susan Hays
    Hays is quite the proponent of marijuana.
  2. Ed Ireson
    Ireson seems like an also ran, normal dude.

District Judge, 45th Judicial District

  1. Mary Lou Alvarez
    The dirt I can dig up on Alvarez is people don't like her demeanor. And her campaign should probably try and bury this headline, but if you actually read the article she's on the right side of things. It's very much "accused but not guilty of doing bad thing". She reminds me of my high school director where people didn't like her cause she cared.
  2. Maria Dinorah Diaz
    Diaz seems like a respectability politics lady I can't fuck with that.

District Judge, 187th Judicial District

  1. Stephanie R. Boyd
    Boyd seems like a nice lady.
  2. Veronica L. Legarreta
    I don't really know why Legarreta is running having lost to Boyd in the past.

District Judge, 224th, 225th, 226th, 285th, 289th, and 437th Judicial Districts

I don't have anything to say. These people don't really campaign in a way I can wrap my mind around.

289th

Sosa may have a slight advantage here. Her campaign alleges that Quezada doesn't have a strong background in juvenile law. AFL-CIO endorses Quezada.

County Judge

  1. Ina Minjarez
    Minjarez has fought for LGBT rights.
  2. Ivalis Meza Gonzalez
    I think Gonzalez' policies are okay but not impressive.
  3. Peter Sakai
    I like Sakai's priorities a little less even.
  4. Gerardo (Gerard) Ponce
    I don't really know how a county judge could address traffic. Ponce did go to my alma mater though. 🤔

Judge, County Court at Law No. 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13

What the fuck. You expect me to research two dozen fucking judges. AFL-CIO endorses some folks.

District Clerk

I didn't realize there would be more candidates for this race than stars in the sky.

  1. Christine "Chris" Castillo
    Castillo wants to modernize the office. Being in a lesbian relationship myself I appreciate the fact that she is a lesbian.
  2. Erasmo RAZ Hernandez
    Hernandez similarly wants to improve the technology of the office.
  3. Eduardo "Eddie" Pichardo
    Pichardo's worked there.

If it seems like I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for reasons to vote for somebody, you're right.

  1. Jessica Zapata Bogardus
    Bogardus seems too worried about hiring.
  2. Mary Angie Garcia
    Garcia's done it for a while, seemingly poorly.
  3. Raul Davila
    I do not care for Davila's post 9/11 choices.
  4. Gloria A. Martinez & DeEtt Dresch
    These people don't seem to have functional campaigns.

County Clerk

  1. Lucy Adame-Clark
    It seems like Adame-Clark's doing a good job already.
  2. Rachel Garcia Cavazos
    I am not compelled. AFL-CIO endorses Cavazos.

County Chair

  1. Monica Ramirez Alcántara
    Alcántara's already doing it.
  2. Irma G. Barron
    Bad slogans.