Advertisement
This is member-exclusive content
icon/ui/info filled
Opinion

We recommend in the race for Texas House District 114

The Democratic incumbent, John Bryant, is running against Republican Aimee Ramsey.

Eastern Dallas voters have a clear choice in the race for Texas House District 114 that pits Democratic incumbent John Bryant against Republican newcomer Aimee Ramsey. They should return Bryant to his seat.

We differ with Bryant, 77, on some stances, but he is a seasoned and courteous legislator who approaches crafting government policy with the seriousness the job demands. That seriousness is in short supply at the state Capitol as lawmakers embrace grandstanding over substantive debate. Bryant shows dedication to his role and brings valuable institutional memory from his time as a state representative and congressman from the 1970s to the 1990s. He was reelected to the Texas House in 2022.

Bryant, who labels himself a progressive, stands with his party on major issues. But he differs with some of his colleagues on strategy, advocating for the Democratic caucus in the state Capitol to mount a more “constructive but aggressive” opposition as the minority. He has drawn attention for his grilling of state officials and procedural maneuvers.

Advertisement

Top of mind for Bryant is the need to increase funding for public schools and opposition to a voucher-like program. That’s a key talking point for Democrats, but Bryant offers specifics: He said the basic student allotment that the state pays, $6,160, should be increased by $1,000 to account for inflation and another $1,000 to get funding on par with what other states pay. He said a $2,000 increase would have taken up the entire $32 billion surplus in the last budget cycle and argued the surplus is evidence that Texas is underfunding public schools.

Opinion

Get smart opinions on the topics North Texans care about.

Or with:

We would like to see a broader examination of how funding affects student outcomes, but there’s no question that inflation is squeezing urban, suburban and rural school districts.

On another hot topic, the state’s role in border management, Bryant has evolved. When he ran two years ago, he said the state shouldn’t spend money to involve Texas law enforcement in the immigration crisis. Today, Bryant supports the creation of a state border security agency that “determines objectively what the state can do that will actually produce results and what it cannot do effectively.” He characterized Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star as political grandstanding, though this editorial page believes the governor took necessary steps given the federal government’s wobbly response to the border crisis.

Advertisement

Ramsey, 51, a transportation business owner, has not run for public office before. She also supports increased funding for public schools and better border enforcement, but she was vague on policy prescriptions in our Voter Guide and in an interview. Ramsey said she doesn’t walk in lockstep with everything the Republican Party does, but she was reluctant to criticize party leadership. She said the impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton on allegations of bribery and corruption were a waste of taxpayer money and that she didn’t have an opinion on his conduct.

Bryant is the qualified candidate in this race. Voters should re-elect him.

More editorials
View More
Advertisement

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com