Jason Pearce
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?
I always trust and listen to the experts. The first step would be to put previous regulations back in place. Second would be to coordinate between scientists and farmers to get the situation under control. Right now I am hearing of plans to quarantine sections of a ranch as a short term prevention option.
Keywords: I always trust and listen to the experts.
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?
I do not support data centers in any way, my district feels the same. Most of my district is rural farm land which is about to be under imminent domain for data centers to open. All while people in my district don’t have drinking water. Now they want to take even more water and land from them. Not even counting the fact that ERCOT can’t stay online when there is a slight chill in the air. Now they want to significantly increase electricity demand. It does not make sense.
Keywords: My people don’t have clean drinking water, now they want to take even more from them. I do not support data centers in any way.
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?
My district is in deep need for clean water. I am not cocky or naive enough to think I know better than experts. It is a serious issue that is always at the top of my list. Again, I trust experts.
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?
Reconnect our electricity to the national grid. ERCOT is clearly not able to support our states needs without putting lives at risk.
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?
I intend to tax billionaires and corporations enough to cover funding for all of our government programs.
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?
I am a big supporter of vaccine education. I speak to people in a way they understand. The arguments are normally “our body has a defense system” or something along the lines. I describe vaccines this way: Vaccines are just a dead version of an illness that teaches your body how to defend itself. Think of it as giving a wanted poster to your bodies security guards. They can stop illness at the door once they know what to look for. If that doesn’t work, I mention details about Andrew Wakefield, and how his study was with only 12 children, and he lost his license for scientific fraud.
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?
Always trust science. Science is not an opinion, it is absolute and verifiable fact. My skill is looking at something and understanding the intent behind it. Less accurate information tends to rely on buzz words or assumptions to bridge a gap in logic. Beyond that, I would trust the scientist with the most experience and most thorough information. Public opinion is just that, an opinion. Deadly diseases don’t care about opinions, neither do I. It is my job to explain that to the public and defend the facts.