The Blue Dog Difference

I'm tired of politics as a game for big-city special interests and corporate money. Blue Dog Democrats represent fiscal responsibility, independence from national party lines, and common-sense solutions. We don't rubber-stamp Austin or Washington, we answer to HD-59.

Your Voice, Your Control:

  • Quarterly town halls in every major HD-59 community

  • Monthly financial disclosure of all campaign contributions

  • 24-hour vote publication: See how I vote and why

  • Public calendar: Know where I am and who I'm meeting

  • Annual written reports on legislative activity

Andrew's Commitment:

The grit and independence of the Lone Star State aren't slogans, they're how I was raised and how I've served. From the FFA barn to the battlefield, from cancer treatment to the classroom where my wife teaches, I've learned that real leadership means serving the least of these.

Austin has failed rural Texas long enough. It's time to rebuild the ladder to the middle class, restore local control, and remember that when politicians are quick to send us to war, it's the people of rural Texas who have our backs.

Now it's our turn to have theirs.

  • Goals:

    • Pass Constitutional Amendments:

      • Eminent Domain Protections for Family Ranches – Secure generational land from unfair seizure.

      • Property Tax Exemptions for Retired Public Servants:

        • Retired First Responders

        • Retired Teachers

        • Retired Veterans

    • Eliminate property tax exemptions for any for-profit corporation.

    • Add a $500 annual property tax exemption per child to support working families.

    • Create a 5-year property tax exemption per adopted child to encourage and support adoption.

    "We reward service, protect families, and ensure corporations pay their fair share."

    • Expand Medicaid & Medicare to cover more vulnerable Texans.

    • Rebuild & Invest in Non-Profit Healthcare Networks.

    • Launch the "Texas Heroes & Families Care Plan":

      • Non-Profit State Buy-Down Program:

        • First Responders, Teachers, Veterans, & Family Ranchers: Access to non-profit health coverage for no more than $300/month.

        • All Children under 18 & Disabled Texans: Full health coverage for less than $200/month.

    • Mandate Transparency: All non-profit healthcare providers must publicly report costs and outcomes.

    "If we can send you to war or into a burning building, we can guarantee you affordable healthcare when you come home."

  • Goals:

    • By 2030: Update all non-profit hospitals to have Level 2 NICU capabilities.

    • After 2030: Require any newly built hospital to include a Level 2 NICU.

    • Introduce "Community Choice" in Public Projects: Allow local communities to choose between Universities and preferred state subcontractors (like ERCOT, TXDOT) for infrastructure planning and execution.

    • Implement the "Texas First" Procurement Rule: All state-funded public infrastructure must maintain a materials ratio of:

      • 50% Texas-Made

      • 30% American-Made

      • 20% or Less Foreign-Made

    "Our infrastructure should save lives, create local jobs, and be built with Texas hands."

  • Goals:

    • Empower Experts: Task Universities, Trade Schools, and Unions with designing textbooks, apprenticeship programs, and standardized tests for core subjects and skilled trades.

    • Title 1 School Transformation Grant:

      • $1 million annual grant to qualifying schools.

      • Funds must be used for: Teacher pay/signing bonuses and classroom supplies/updates.

      • Accountability: Schools must maintain an 80% graduation rate with graduates earning a minimum of 15 college credits or a trade license.

    • $50 Billion "Texas Future" Partnership Grant:

      • Forge partnerships between Universities/Trade Schools and High Schools.

      • Grant Renewal Condition: After 5 years, partner districts must demonstrate a majority of graduates have earned 30+ college credit hours.

    "Education shouldn't end with a diploma—it should launch a career. We're connecting learning directly to earning."

    • They're Data-Driven: Based on cost-saving analysis (e.g., Workers' Comp mandate saving $1.5B).

    • They're Non-Partisan: Protect veterans, teachers, ranchers, and children—values all Texans share.

    • They're Fiscally Responsible: Eliminate corporate loopholes to fund family and hero exemptions.

    • They're Locally Powered: Return control to communities (University competition, local procurement).

    Quote from Andrew: "I've served with Republicans and Democrats in uniform. When lives are on the line, there's no time for partisan games. That same mindset should apply in Austin."