Ron Angeletti

I would support a strong, science-based biosecurity strategy that protects Texas agriculture while ensuring our farmers and ranchers have the resources they need to respond.

That means strengthening early detection and surveillance, expanding veterinary and laboratory capacity, rapidly containing confirmed cases, and continuing proven tools such as the sterile insect technique that helped eradicate New World screwworm from the United States in the past. I would also support financial and technical assistance for producers affected by necessary quarantine or livestock-movement restrictions.

Most importantly, Texas should be proactive rather than reactive. USDA estimates show that a widespread outbreak could cause billions in economic damage. Investing in prevention, rapid response, and producer education is not only good agricultural policy, it protects rural communities, our food supply, and the Texas economy.

Keywords: My approach would be guided by science, input from farmers and ranchers, and a simple principle: protect Texas agriculture before a manageable threat becomes an economic crisis.

I support responsible data center development because it can bring investment and economic opportunity to Texas. However, growth should not come at the expense of our residents, our water supply, or the reliability of our electrical grid.

I would support requiring large data centers to demonstrate adequate water and energy resources before receiving state incentives, encouraging water-efficient or non-water-intensive cooling technologies, and ensuring these facilities pay their fair share of infrastructure and grid-upgrade costs rather than shifting those expenses onto residential customers. ERCOT already projects data centers to be the largest source of new large-load growth in Texas, which makes planning ahead essential.

I would also tie tax incentives to measurable public benefits, such as permanent jobs, local investment, water conservation, and contributions to grid reliability, and periodically review whether those incentives are actually delivering what taxpayers were promised.

Keywords: Texas should welcome innovation and investment, but economic development must be responsible development. If a project receives public benefits, the public should receive a meaningful benefit in return.

Texas has to stop treating flooding, drought, and water quality as separate problems. We need a comprehensive water strategy built around conservation, infrastructure, and long-term planning.

I would support investing in aging water and wastewater systems, repairing infrastructure that unnecessarily loses water, expanding flood-control and drainage projects, protecting groundwater, and exploring opportunities to capture, store, reuse, and recharge water when heavy rainfall occurs.

I would also support stronger efforts to address pollution in waterways that threaten drinking water, agriculture, and public health.

Agriculture must be a partner in this effort. Farmers and ranchers feed Texas and contribute significantly to our economy. Rather than imposing one-size-fits-all mandates, I would support incentives and technical assistance for more efficient irrigation, soil and water conservation, and other practices that reduce groundwater use while maintaining agricultural productivity.

Keywords: Texas experiences both too much water and not enough. Our goal should be to capture it when we have it, conserve it when we need it, keep it clean, and invest today so future generations aren’t paying for our failure to plan.

Texas needs an electrical grid that is reliable, affordable, and prepared for future growth. I would support investments in transmission infrastructure, additional reliable generation and storage capacity, weatherization, energy efficiency, and technologies that strengthen grid resilience.

We must recognize that residential customers and small businesses should not be expected to subsidize the enormous electricity demands of data centers and other large industrial users.

I support requiring major new loads to demonstrate that the grid can reliably serve them and to pay their fair share of necessary transmission and infrastructure upgrades. Texas cannot continue playing catch-up. Economic growth is important, but reliability must come first.

Keywords: My approach is simple: plan ahead, diversify our energy resources, strengthen the grid, and protect Texas consumers from carrying costs created by massive new industrial demand.

Texas has become a national leader in medical and scientific research, and protecting that infrastructure is both a healthcare priority and an economic priority. NIH funding supports research institutions across Texas, creates jobs, trains future scientists and medical professionals, and contributes to discoveries that can improve and save lives.

At the federal level, I support stable and predictable NIH funding and reimbursement of the legitimate costs required to conduct research safely and effectively. Arbitrary across-the-board funding caps can disrupt long-term research, clinical trials, laboratories, and the workforce supporting them.

At the state level, Texas should be prepared to strengthen partnerships among our universities, medical institutions, and private-sector innovators and strategically protect critical research capacity when federal uncertainty threatens projects important to our state.

Keywords: Research is not simply an expense, it is an investment. Texas should compete to lead the next generation of medical and scientific breakthroughs, not allow short-term funding decisions to undermine decades of progress.

I believe effective public health begins with trust. When parents or community members have concerns about vaccines, government should not dismiss or ridicule them. We should listen, provide transparent information about benefits and potential risks, and ensure families have access to trusted physicians and healthcare professionals who can help them make informed decisions.

At the same time, policymakers have a responsibility to follow credible scientific evidence and protect the broader community, especially infants, medically vulnerable children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems.

Texas’ 2025 measles outbreak, which resulted in 762 confirmed cases, 99 hospitalizations, and two deaths of unvaccinated school-aged children, demonstrates the consequences infectious diseases can have when community protection declines.

I would support strong disease surveillance, rapid outbreak response, accessible vaccination services, public education led by trusted healthcare professionals, and policies that maintain appropriate protections in schools and other high-risk settings. The evidence shows that two doses of the MMR vaccine are approximately 97% effective at preventing measles. (cdc.gov)

Keywords: My approach would be education over intimidation, transparency over misinformation, and prevention whenever possible. We can respect individual concerns while still taking seriously our responsibility to protect public health.

Scientific evidence and expert input should play an important role in policymaking, particularly when decisions affect public health, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the environment. Good policy should be based on the best information available, not political convenience.

When scientific claims compete, I would look at the quality of the research, whether findings have been replicated, the weight of multiple studies, potential conflicts of interest, and the level of agreement among qualified experts. I would also acknowledge uncertainty when it exists. Science evolves as new evidence becomes available, and responsible policymakers should be willing to adjust accordingly.

Public opinion also matters because elected officials represent the people. I believe we have an obligation to listen respectfully and understand why communities have concerns. However, when public opinion and well-established scientific evidence diverge, we should not simply ignore the evidence because it is unpopular.

Keywords: Our responsibility is to explain the facts transparently, listen to legitimate concerns, and make decisions that protect the public interest. I will listen to the people, follow the evidence, ask tough questions, and never allow politics to become a substitute for facts.