Candidate name: Kevin Burge
Age: 40
Public email address: campaign@burgeforcongress.com
Campaign website: burgeforcongress.com
Social media: All platform links can be found on my website for convenience.
Education: M.A., sustainable development, North Carolina State University
Occupation and workplace: Cybersecurity manager at Caterpillar
Previous elected office(s) sought or held: None
How long have you lived in Texas and in your district?
2 years
What are your qualifications to serve in this office?
I hold the highest level of security clearance which I received over 15 years ago as a Government Civilian at the Defense Intelligence Agency. I have worked in the White House as a senior technical advisor tasked with renovating and upgrading the Situation Room during President Joe Biden’s tenure. In addition to work with the Defense Intelligence Agency, I served three combat tours overseas and am a decorated veteran of the United States Marine Corps.Â
What are your top three priorities, if elected? Briefly describe how you would approach each.
1. Affordability: I will work to reduce the cost of living, lower taxes and cut back tariffs, and focus on affordable housing and universal health care coverage without banning private insurance.Â
2. Education: I will work to reform our federal funding formula for public schools to help districts here and elsewhere struggling with deficits and closures of schools, fund two-year college programs and apprenticeship programs, and work with colleagues to fund early childhood education and universal pre-K.
3. Reigning in an out of control executive branch by restoring checks and balances through the assertion of congressional power as is outlined in the Constitution. We must hold elected officials and agencies to the highest standard and crack down on ICE abuse. We must work to strengthen our democratic institutions and make it easier for folks to participate in our democracy.
What is the single biggest issue your constituents face? How would you address it?
Inflation and rising prices of food, medicine, health care, housing and transportation. I will work to reduce the cost of living, lower taxes and cut back tariffs, focus on affordable housing and universal healthcare coverage without banning private insurance, and invest in public transportation.
Why are you seeking this office?
To continue serving my country and provide leadership that voters can trust. Our incumbent Representative has never held a town hall. I want people’s voices to be heard.
Who are your top five campaign donors?
Alexander Andrade, Michael Hoffman, Amanda Jay, Scott Elphingstone, Webb Spradley.
Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? If so, when?
No
Have you ever been convicted of a crime, in Texas or another state? If so, what crime and when?
No
What is your stance on property tax relief?
I support property tax relief.
What are your priorities for public education?
Fully funding public schools and renovating our federal school funding formula, providing a relief package to aid districts facing closures and budget shortfalls due to inaction from the Texas Legislature, creating workforce readiness and an education fit for a fast-changing economy, and investing in fee-free two year public college and trade apprenticeship programs.
What is your stance on banning or regulating THC products?
I support regulations for safety and disclosure of active ingredients similar to FDA regulations. I oppose a blanket ban on THC products.
What is your stance on legalizing casino gambling in Texas?
I do not oppose legal casinos.
What would your approach be to regulating Texas’ growing data center landscape to balance energy and water needs with economic growth?
Regulatory actions around the use of AI by companies to ensure people do not lose work opportunities to machines. In other words, we need to create a framework like NIST or HIPPA that protects workers rights, privacy, and ensures non-discrimination in the workplace by AI. Congress must also provide funding for employment services and retraining programs.
AI data centers require significant amounts of power and water. Water is our most important natural resource. Federal regulation for noise, environmental pollution, and long-term water supply capacity should be required prior to building these high resource data centers and allow for proper consideration before construction. This is a federal issue due to the amount of resources being utilized, including rivers and aquifers that span multiple states.
What is your stance on border security, and how do you believe it should be addressed?
I believe we must have a secure border, and we should use technology and additional training to ensure appropriate enforcement that is humane and compliant with the law.
Do you support passenger rail projects, such as high-speed rail in Texas? Why or why not?
I support high speed rail and public transportation. We need multiple methods of transportation to remain competitive and improve economic opportunity.
What would you do to support affordable housing in Texas?
I will fight to get rid of Trump’s tariffs that have raised the cost of building materials. I will prioritize cutting red-tape and streamlining government approval processes that allow for building more quality homes and fast track approvals for urban and suburban in-fill building and commercial conversions to residential projects. I will fight to pass legislation that reduces barriers to restrictive zoning.
How would you address rising health care costs?Â
I will vote to restore and enhance the Affordable Care Act subsidies quickly. More broadly, I’ll work to decouple health care from employment to allow for enhanced competition in the labor market. I support pragmatically moving towards a universal health care optional coverage system that does not restrict or ban private insurance.
How would you approach working with colleagues of the opposite party to foster bipartisan collaboration?Â
I am willing to work together in any possible way through reasonable compromise in good faith to accomplish objectives and pass legislation that improves the lives of all who live, work, and worship in the 24th District.
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