By Juliana Vasquez | Staff Writer

Three Texas Democrats are currently vying for Texas’ coveted 17th Congressional District seat, which Republican Pete Sessions now holds.

J. Gordon Mitchell (formerly Jim MacKay), Milah Flores and Casey Shepard gathered for a debate hosted by Those Meddling Kids Waco on Wednesday night at The Waco Performing Arts Community Center. Candidates shared the policies they intended to enact if elected to serve in Washington with a room full of voters.

Debate questions ranged from issues of immigration, corruption in the White House and even political controversies about the candidates themselves.

The debate opened with candidate introductions, with Shepard taking the opportunity to mention Gordon Mitchell’s support of “book banning” and criticism of critical race theory during his term as a school board member for Leander Independent School District.

“These aren’t personal attacks,” Shepard said. “These are issues of candidate viability, but they matter because transparency matters.”

Later in the debate, Shepard also came under fire for previously voting as a Republican in McLennan County. Shepard said he simply voted as a Republican because the county has historically done a poor job of offering Democratic candidates for primary elections.

Shepard, who works as an attorney in Waco, was specifically invested in the district attorney’s race, which offered only Republican candidates and had a direct impact on his clients’ cases.

“It was more important, whether it was a donkey or an elephant … to live out the values and protect my clients’ rights than it was to worry about which primary I was voting [for],” Shepard said. “There are quite a number of people that vote in the Republican primary simply because we want to have a say in our democracy, and that’s the only way to get it.”

Voters are critical of Flores for her voting record, or lack thereof. Flores explained this record through her work with the federal government and her recent relocation from Germany to Texas.

“In 2023, that’s when [the move] became permanent, and I could get my driver’s license and actually register to vote, and that’s actually the same year I deployed and was gone … in California working for the Space Force,” Flores said. “A lot of people are not voting because they do not understand the importance of it until something traumatic happens, like Trump.”

Each candidate supports the abolition of ICE, women’s right to abortion and argued that the government needs stronger checks and balances.

“It is no secret that the rule of law is being challenged,” Gordon Mitchell said. “That defense is being tested every day by the corrupt administration … Our current congressional body is not putting a stop to it.”

At the heart of each candidate’s arguments was their personal connections to each piece of legislation and reasoning for running in the first place.

Although Flores isn’t from the district, her ambition for running can be found in her children’s futures, the futures that she hopes to protect.

“I just really want to change things for my children,” Flores said. “I want to be the one who makes that change, and I know I can with my passion.”

Shepard hoped to inspire voters to engage in politics as they witness the militarization of cities and shootings on the streets.

“[We need to show] the people that we are true to the original Democratic principles, that we are for the working person, that we are concerned … that we aren’t just fighting cultural wars with the Republicans, that we’re actually going to Washington and trying to enact change on their behalf,” Shepard said.

Gordon Mitchell simply wants to show up for Democratic voters, fixing problems rather than simply offering solutions.

“My philosophy is simple: show up, do the learning and be accountable to the people I serve,” Gordon Mitchell said.

The candidates are hopeful of flipping the House seat from Republican to Democratic, with Flores saying people are hungry for change.

“They’re hungry for change in Congress,” Flores said. “We’re seeing them do it. We are seeing Republicans backslide a little bit from MAGA, so this is the time right now.”