After two decades of service, Democratic state Sen. Royce West has built the alliances and expertise necessary to keep providing an effective voice for his constituents. The opposite is true for GOP challenger John Lawson.
This race is a repeat of Lawson’s 2012 challenge to West, yet campaign experience doesn’t seem to have made Lawson much wiser. District 23 voters should demand a choice among high-quality, well-informed candidates.
West, 62, an attorney, has been active on key law enforcement issues that affect his minority-dominated district, such as legislation to create the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Prairie View A&M University and funding for programs to divert at-risk youths from the cradle-to-prison pipeline. He also wrote legislation to encourage the placement of dash cameras in squad cars, which helps document potential abuses.
Lawson, 68, a minister, seems singularly focused on fighting abortion. When the discussion turns to other subjects, he’s out of his depth. He wants to close the border with Mexico, mistakenly citing the recent wave of Central American migrants as the “Mexican” problem. He is not familiar with Prop. 1 or the transportation funding issues underlying it. Lawson says no to any thought of tax increases. How would he finance his call to boost education funding? Tax increases, he responds.
Also running is Libertarian Jonathan F. Erhardt.
