We are contacting all the candidates in contested races for whom we find viable contact information, multiple times, with multiple emails, and social media reachouts. If a candidate does not respond, Texas VoGue urges voters to consider whether that person cares much about prison and criminal justice reform issues. They may even have an actual disregard for/dismissal of the concerns of reform advocates. Please consider their attitude toward our concerns when you vote. When a candidate is listed as having no contact information. please consider that candidates for public office should be available to the voters they wish to represent. Candidates in the following Texas Senate Districts are unopposed in the November 2022 election: 1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 23, 28, 30, 31. We did not ask them to respond to the candidate survey.
See Texas State Senator Candidate Surveys.
Candidates in the following Texas Senate Districts are unopposed in the November 2022 election: 1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 23, 28, 30, 31. We did not ask them to respond to the candidate survey.
See Senate Survey Data Charts. Current charts are based on responses by candidates in the March primary.
Learn more about how state senate terms are structured.
“The way to win elections and raise money in Texas is to induce fear about how unsafe we are and run on the platform of making people safer. Suggestions of reform are met with accusations of being soft on crime.”
"Eliminate non-violent drug offenses."
Mr. Kless supports Increasing the rate of release to parole for inmates who have met minimum requirements and have a good record, as well as other types of reforms.
"While punishment is part of criminal justice, jail or prison should not be the only option nor should it always be the default option especially for young offenders. The legislature needs to start thinking about how to significantly reduce the number of incarcerated individuals. Consolidating the number of prisions and replacing them with moden facilities should also be on the agenda."
"Low-level offenders with zero to minimal risk should be offered diversion and rehabilitative programs as a way to prevent incarceration. For offenders with more serious misdemeanor and felony charges, a list of rehabilitative programs should be provided to them when they enter TDCJ to allow them the opportunity to learn about and determine if they are willing to participate in such programs. "
" I hope to pass criminal justice reform bills to revise or repeal mandatory minimums and to alter the criminal code to ensure that low level non-violent misdemeanor offenders are offered rehabilitative and diversion programs rather than incarceration."
Ms. Dahlberg hopes to see: " Legislation that will ensure oversight of the system itself, to be sure criminal elements are not continued inside the jails and prisons, and those who may be complicit. Legislation that reviews for standard that the justice system includes a balance of appropriate punishment, correction and grace. "
Ms. Dahlberg's survey responses include the willingness to work for reforms in many areas, including changes to how we deal with persons incarcerated as teens and still serving long sentences, and changes to policie affecting persons returning from prison after serving time for sex offenses.
Texas State Senators serve a four-year term and usually their terms are staggered, so that only half of them are standing for re-election at a time. However, in every election year which ends with the number 2...such as 2022...since it follows a national census and possible re-districting...ALL the state senators are up for re-election and then will draw straws to see who has to do it again in two years and who gets to wait four years, so they can be staggered for re-elections again for a while.
An incumbent senator may or may not have a challenger from within their own party. There may, or may not, be one or more than one challenger to their position from the other major party. When there is more than one candidate seeking the same office, the election is "contested." In the primaries, it could be contested between Republicans only, Democrats only, or within both parties. In the fall general election, the winners of primaries are joined by third-party or independent candidates who have met the requirements to stand for election.