By Jacob Stowers | Broadcast Reporter
Congressman Wesley Hunt from Texas’s 38th district is running against Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Last Friday, Congressman Hunt hosted a campaign rally outside of the McLennan County Republicans’ headquarters at the Westview Village Shopping Center in Waco.
While some current polls from The New York Times have Hunt as a favorite to win the primary, he still has plenty of ground to cover against the other two candidates. As the election heats up, polls demonstrate that incumbent Cornyn is falling to the back of the pack as the others move forward.
“The first thing I’m going to do is pray and thank God for the opportunity to actually be able to lead Texas again, knowing that Texas is going to have a real conservative,” Hunt said in response to the first thing he would do upon winning the Senate seat.
“The next thing I’m going to do is ensure that we have an energy senator of the entire world, which is the most beneficial to Texas. Every single industry in this state is tangentially related to the oil and gas and energy industry. That’s the heart of the Permian Basin in the energy corridor in Houston, Texas, where I am from.”
While he is deeply passionate about energy policy, the Second Amendment and conservative values, Hunt prides himself on being able to share meaningful connections with both politicians and voters alike. While his polls look somewhat promising, voters are still evaluating candidates to find the best fit.
Phil L., a McLennan County resident, was on the fence about who to vote for in the Republican primary.
“Wanted to see some of his finer points, some of those more, not mostly talked about points, so I was hoping to kind of get that down,” he said.
After the event concluded, Phil had made up his mind.
“I’m pretty much all in at this point. There’s some things that he comes off as a politician, but in person, that politician [mode] is so he can survive in Washington, and so he can actually be a good force for Texas at the federal level.”
Hunt emphasized the importance of young people being civically engaged and voting in all elections, as the choices that students make today will potentially affect the rest of their lives.
“I want young people to understand that their vote matters, especially in primaries. What I’m told over and over again is that young people don’t vote,” he said. “Well, you can and you should because the leadership that you pick now is going to impact you in the not-so-distant future.
“I’m not going to give up on that next generation. I’m not going to give up on you … I’m going to continue try to get my message to as many people as possible and exercise your right to vote.”
Early voting begins for the Texas state primaries Feb. 17 and ends Feb. 27, with Election Day on March 3.
