I’m not voting a straight ticket, and you shouldn’t either.
Early voting is here, and along with it the usual screaming chorus of political campaigns. The parties are spending huge sums of money to blanket us all with slogans and promises. The big message from political operatives boils down to: Even if you’re not fully satisfied with the party you’ve supported in the past, just hold your nose and vote the party line anyway.
I’m here to tell you: it’s time for us all to stop.
Blind straight-ticket voting is wildly popular — so common that several states make it easy by allowing “voters to choose a party’s entire slate of candidates with just one click of a button or flick of a pen,” the MIT Election Data and Science Lab reports. Texas got rid of that a few elections ago.
Nevertheless, in Texas, half of voters plan to follow a straight-ticket system in the midterms, according to the nonpartisan organization Texas 2036. The real number might be higher — the survey figure shows how many people admitted that it’s their plan.
Straight-ticket voting got us into the current mess. We have an entrenched Austin establishment bankrolled by billionaires who fund their chosen candidates with the hope and expectation of a payoff once they win or keep power.
Neither major party has the best candidates for every race. I know from experience that a candidate might run on a major party ticket, but not fit into its establishment.
Here’s my recommendation for how to handle the midterms. First, investigate the candidates and the issues. If you dislike both candidates so intensely that you can’t stomach either, then skip that race. You can leave parts of a ballot blank. There’s no shame in that. But every Texan should be able to find at least one race that they care about enough to show up to the polls.
I’ve already voted, and split my ticket. In four races that I find particularly important, I chose Democrats — not because of their party, but because they’re the better candidates.
Texas Railroad Commission: Jon Rosenthal
You may know where I stand on the Railroad Commission. We are dealing with hundreds of unplugged, high-pressure “zombie wells” threatening our freshwater aquifers, massive blowouts spewing toxic brine, and an agency that frequently acts like a lapdog for negligent bad actors. It’s got to change. Since Hawk Dunlap couldn’t break through the establishment to win the Republican primary, the race is between the disastrous Bo French and the qualified, capable Jon Rosenthal. Jon understands the assignment, listens to the scientists, respects landowner rights, and wants to hold operators accountable.
Attorney General: Nathan Johnson
For years, the Texas Attorney General’s office has been turned into a weaponized political machine. Mayes Middleton poured over $13 million of his family money into winning the primary, and has run on loyalty to national political figures rather than legal competence. By contrast, Nathan Johnson is a serious, experienced attorney who recognizes the real responsibilities of an attorney general. One of those responsibilities hits home, because it includes providing supplemental support to local offices like mine. I trust Nathan to fight crime and enforce the rule of law fairly.
Comptroller: Sarah Eckhardt
The Comptroller oversees the state’s multi-billion-dollar purse strings, fiscal forecasting, and tax administration. We don’t need an aristocratic heir treating public office like a family vanity project. But that’s what we have in Don Huffines, who bought his way onto the ballot with generational wealth. Sarah Eckhardt knows county governance, tax structure, and public budgeting. I’ve spent time with her. She speaks plainly about fiscal realities, transparency, and what Texas needs for future growth.
Governor: Gina Hinojosa
You’ve probably heard a lot about this race, so I’ll just point out two things that have gotten too little attention. First, Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign has spent millions painting Gina Hinojosa as supporting a state income tax. It’s intellectually dishonest. She opposes one. But she has acknowledged the reality that property taxes without income taxes can put the heaviest burdens on working- and middle-class families, while massive corporations get sweet deals. So some kind of change is needed.
And second, Abbott supports school vouchers, while Hinojosa doesn’t. I’m with her on that. I’m a public servant, but pay out-of-pocket for my daughter’s private schooling. I would never ask Texas taxpayers to subsidize that bill. Pushing voucher schemes while rural schools starve is bad stewardship. Most of those vouchers go to families whose kids weren’t in public school in the first place.
Do Your Homework and Show Up
Maybe these aren’t the races that will speak to you. But some will. Check out a voter guide. Find your polling site. Vote early.
And remember: You don’t owe your vote to any party. It’s entirely yours. Use it to move our society in the right direction — however you see fit.