Bobby Tillman
DemocraticQ1 In June 2026, USDA confirmed New World screwworm in Texas livestock for the first time in decades; as of early July, dozens of infestations have been confirmed across South Texas (USDA APHIS , 2026). USDA estimates a full-scale outbreak comparable to past infestations could cost the regional economy billions of dollars (USDA APHIS). What policies, if any, would you support to respond to the current outbreak and improve Texas’s agricultural biosecurity (practices and safeguards that prevent pests and diseases from spreading through livestock populations), and what evidence or considerations would inform that approach?
Texas should respond aggressively and scientifically to New World screwworm. I would support strong coordination among Texas animal-health officials, USDA, veterinarians, ranchers, and wildlife experts; expanded surveillance and rapid testing; producer education; and continued sterile-fly programs and other proven control measures.
Biosecurity policy should be based on veterinary science, field data, and the experience of the people who work with livestock every day. Protecting animal health also protects our food supply, rural communities, and agricultural economy.
Keywords: Agricultural biosecurity, Ranchers, Sterile-fly program, Rapid detection, Veterinary science, Food security
Q2 Texas is on track to become the nation’s leading data center market within the next three years (Bloom Energy, 2026). The state’s grid operator has more than doubled its 2030 forecast for data center power demand over the past year (ERCOT, 2025). Such growth brings economic opportunity while placing significant demands on water, land, and energy systems, raising questions about tax incentives, utility costs, and local community impacts. What policies, if any, would you support around water/energy allocation, tax incentives, or utility costs for data center development in Texas, and what evidence informs that position?
Texas can welcome technological investment while requiring large developments to account for their effects on water, electricity, land, taxpayers, and surrounding communities.
I would support transparent reporting of major water and power requirements, meaningful public notice, appropriate safeguards for groundwater and community water supplies, and careful review of tax incentives. Large industrial users should also bear an appropriate share of infrastructure costs attributable to their operations rather than automatically shifting those costs to ordinary ratepayers.
Decisions should be based on measurable resource impacts and long-term infrastructure capacity. Reforming the Rule of Capture is long overdue.
Keywords: Transparency, Water protection, Grid reliability, Ratepayer protection, Local input, Responsible development
Q3 Texas faces flooding while simultaneously experiencing water scarcity driven by drought, groundwater depletion, and population growth (TWDB, 2024). Hundreds of Texas waterways are listed as impaired for bacteria, mercury, and other pollutants, threatening water quality for communities across the state (TCEQ, 2024). Agriculture is the largest consumer of the state’s groundwater, yet it is also well positioned to be a valuable partner in conservation efforts. What policies, if any, would you support to improve Texas’s water infrastructure, and what considerations would guide your approach to the state’s agricultural economy?
Texas needs to treat water infrastructure as essential infrastructure. I would support investment in aging water and wastewater systems, leak reduction, flood mitigation, conservation, groundwater monitoring, reuse, and long-term water-supply projects.
Agriculture must be part of that solution, not treated simply as the problem. Farmers and ranchers feed Texas and support rural economies. Conservation programs should therefore provide incentives and technical assistance that help producers conserve water while keeping agricultural land productive.
Water policy should be guided by science, local conditions, long-term aquifer sustainability, and the basic need to protect reliable water supplies for future generations and again, the Rule of Capture needs to be reformed to today’s needs.
Keywords: Water infrastructure, Conservation, Agriculture, Groundwater, Flood mitigation, Future generations
Q4 The Texas power grid continues to face strain from extreme heat and increasing demand, including from data centers. What policies, if any, would you support to improve grid reliability for Texas consumers and businesses?
Grid reliability should come before politics. Texas needs sufficient dependable generation, stronger transmission infrastructure, realistic demand forecasting, weatherization, energy efficiency, and a diverse energy portfolio.
Large new electrical loads should be incorporated into grid planning before they become reliability problems. Texans should not be asked to subsidize infrastructure for exceptionally large power users without transparency about who benefits and who pays.
My standard would be straightforward: reliable electricity, reasonable costs, and planning based on engineering and evidence and transparency.
Keywords: Reliability, Affordability, Transmission, Generation, Demand planning, Evidence-based policy and Transparency
Q5 Texas universities and hospitals receive approximately $1.9 billion annually in NIH funding across 118 research sites, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and driving medical and scientific innovation (FASEB, 2025). NIH grants reimburse institutions for both direct research costs and indirect costs, the facilities, administration, and support infrastructure that make research possible. A 15% indirect cost cap proposed by NIH in 2025, currently blocked by federal courts, would sharply reduce this reimbursement below the rates Texas institutions have negotiated, cutting an estimated $300 million in annual support that institutions would need to absorb or backfill (Kamerlin & Elias, 2025). What policies, if any, would you support at the state or federal level to protect the long-term stability of Texas’s research infrastructure, and why?
Texas benefits enormously from research conducted at its universities, hospitals, and medical institutions. Research funding supports scientific discovery, medical advances, skilled jobs, laboratories, equipment, and the infrastructure necessary to conduct high-quality research.
I would support protecting Texas research institutions from abrupt funding disruptions while also requiring transparency and accountability for public dollars. At both the state and federal levels, funding decisions should consider the real costs of maintaining the laboratories, facilities, personnel, and administrative systems required for serious research.
Scientific research is not simply an expense. It is an investment in Texas’s health, workforce, universities, and economic future.
Keywords: NIH, Medical research, Texas universities, Innovation, Research infrastructure, Accountability
Q6 Texas kindergartners’ measles vaccination rate fell to 93.24% in the 2024-2025 school year, a decline from prior years amid a national resurgence (Texas Department of State Health Services, 2025). That year, Texas recorded 762 confirmed measles cases, including the deaths of two unvaccinated school-age children, in the state’s largest outbreak since 1992 (Texas DSHS, 2025). Measles can cause serious complications: roughly 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who contract it are hospitalized, and it can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling, or death (CDC). As a policymaker, how do you approach engaging with communities that have concerns about infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety, and what policies, if any, would you support related to these issues, and why?
Public-health policy requires both scientific evidence and public trust. When people have concerns about vaccines, government should provide clear information, listen respectfully, make reliable medical information accessible, and be transparent about both benefits and risks.
During infectious-disease outbreaks, I would rely heavily on physicians, epidemiologists, public-health professionals, and current evidence. I support strong disease surveillance, rapid outbreak response, public education, and access to recommended vaccinations.
People deserve accurate information rather than fear or political rhetoric when making health decisions for themselves and their families.
Keywords: Public trust, Vaccines, Medical evidence, Transparency, Disease prevention, Public health
Q7 Scientific evidence is generated through the systematic testing and evaluation of ideas. It provides knowledge the helps us understand the world and predict the likely consequences of different choices, such policy making related to public health, energy, agriculture, and environmental regulation. What role, if any, should scientific evidence and expert input play in your policymaking process, and how would you evaluate competing or uncertain scientific claims when making policy decisions? What role, if any, should that process play when scientific consensus and public opinion diverge?
Scientific evidence should play a major role in policymaking, but elected officials still have the responsibility to weigh that evidence alongside economic consequences, individual rights, community impacts, and practical realities.
When scientific claims conflict, I would ask who conducted the research, whether the results have been independently reproduced or peer reviewed, what evidence supports the conclusions, what uncertainties remain, and whether researchers with different perspectives reach similar conclusions.
Public opinion matters in a democracy, but facts should not change according to polling. When strong scientific evidence and public opinion diverge, government’s responsibility is to communicate the evidence clearly, listen to legitimate concerns, and explain openly why a particular decision is being made.I am a strong believer in science based policies.
Keywords: Evidence, Expert input, Peer review, Transparency, Public input, Facts over politics