Odus E. Evbagharu
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 would support strong funding for surveillance, rapid testing, veterinary capacity, sterile-fly deployment, and science-based livestock controls. I would also push to restore any critical biosecurity positions, programs, or safeguards lost during DOGE-era cuts if evidence shows those reductions weakened prevention or response. Texas should follow outbreak data and work with USDA, Texas A&M, veterinarians, and producers to protect herds and livelihoods.
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 would support data center growth that strengthens, not strains, Texas. Large projects should bring or fund new power capacity, use water-efficient and closed-loop systems, report energy and water use, and avoid shifting grid costs onto families. Tax incentives should require measurable jobs, infrastructure, and community benefits. This approach protects reliability, lowers household costs, and helps future-proof the Texas economy.
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?
I would invest in aging water infrastructure, flood mitigation, conservation, drought preparedness, and projects that expand reliable supply while protecting water quality. Agriculture must be a partner, not an afterthought, through incentives for efficient irrigation, reuse, and conservation practices that protect producers’ livelihoods. Texas should prioritize communities with unsafe or inadequate water systems while planning for long-term growth and resilience.
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?
I would pursue an all-of-the-above reliability strategy: expand transmission, renewables, storage, distributed energy resources, and dependable dispatchable and baseload power. We should speed up interconnection and permitting while requiring major new loads, including data centers, to help add capacity rather than shift costs onto families. Texas can meet growing demand, strengthen reliability, lower costs, and future-proof our economy.
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 would oppose arbitrary caps that undercut negotiated research costs and threaten Texas universities, hospitals, and medical centers. At the federal level, I support stable NIH funding and reimbursement based on actual research infrastructure needs. Texas should also consider targeted bridge funding when federal disruptions threaten critical labs, jobs, or clinical research. Protecting research protects patients, innovation, and Texas’s long-term economic competitiveness.
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 would lead with transparent, respectful communication and trusted local messengers, including pediatricians, schools, faith leaders, and community health workers. I support strong school vaccination requirements with appropriate medical exemptions, better outbreak surveillance, and easier access to vaccines. Policy should be guided by public health evidence, while addressing misinformation with facts rather than dismissing families’ concerns.
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 and expert input should be central to policymaking, especially when public health, safety, and major investments are at stake. I would weigh peer-reviewed research, data quality, expert consensus, and potential risks while remaining transparent about uncertainty. Public opinion matters, but when it conflicts with well-established science, leaders should explain the evidence clearly and make decisions that protect the public good.