BIG COUNTRY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Tom Sell, a fifth-generation West Texan from Lubbock, is seeking to become the next representative for Texas’s 19th Congressional District.

Sell and his wife of 28 years met while attending Texas Tech University. After graduating, he spent time in Washington, D.C., first as an intern before later working for former Congressman Larry Combest, who once represented the district.

“I want to see that it’s really out of a love for our country and a love for this region that we’ve decided to jump into this race,” Sell shared. “We really want to carry that flag, pick up that flag from Jodey, and take it to the next height and level and try to restore faith in our federal government. We are a government for the people, by the people, and so a big part of our campaign has been wanting to get out and listen and be a part of the community and get to know just as many people as we could see, as many of the good things that are happening in communities across the 19th that we could.”

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When current Congressman Jodey Arrington announced he would step down, Sell said he felt called to serve.

“It’s a challenging place, Washington, DC, but it fundamentally needs good people, of good character, of good heart, of truth, of truth and integrity. I feel like we can bring that to the table and try to do work that really honors the people of the 19th district,” Sell said.

Sell says his background in business, farming, and ranching gives him a practical perspective on the issues facing West Texans.

“I believe that generally, Washington, D.C. needs to stay out of the way and seek to empower the people and the businesses who love their community and conduct business, really as a service to their community. In many ways, they are the ones employing people and taking risks to make our communities a better place. I think that perspective, having been a business owner myself, having been a taxpayer for these many years, a homeowner engaged in the local communities on various boards, seeing business and community life at work, brings a lot of depth and wisdom to our campaign that I think will serve the people of the 19th district,” Sell explained.

One of Sell’s campaign priorities has been visiting all 33 counties in the district to better understand the needs of residents across West Texas.

“One of the great things is that you go into these communities, and we try to set up meetings. We try to engage and get to know some of the elected officials, maybe the county judge, the party leaders, who are committed to their county. They love their community. Naturally, when you get to go there, you get to see some of these kinds of amazing gems that you never knew, really knew existed. There is so much good going on in the 19th district,” Sell shared. “What we see in Washington, D.C. right now is just people carping against one another, you know, just tearing each other down, not for the good of the country, maybe it’s for their own, you know, viral moment on social media or something like that. We’ve got to get away from that. We have to come together as Americans and look forward, and we have to harken back to those traditional values, honesty, integrity, faith that really make us great, and that’s what I want to stand for in Washington, DC, bringing more West Texas to Washington, DC.”

Sell added that leadership begins with setting an example and building relationships.

“The first thing you’ve got to do is act with integrity and conduct yourself in a way that is attractive to others, that builds trust with others. I’ve heard other people say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t be going to Washington, DC, to make friends,’ and I fundamentally disagree with that. We’ve got to go out there with a desire to win people over to a better way of doing things, making friends, and building trust with others. That’s how it starts,” Sell said.

As an empty nester, Sell said he and his wife are ready to devote their time and energy to serving the district and advocating for industries vital to West Texas.

“At this point, we can bring a lot of focus and energy to the table for the issues that are so important to this America First District, that is, the 19th District of Texas. We are so productive, and we need someone who will fight for the industries, the agriculture industry, the energy production sector, our hospitals, our communities, all the infrastructure is essential to get things, getting things done in this vast area of 33 counties that’s 30,000 square miles, make sure that the things that we can produce can bless this nation and the world going forward,” Sell shared.

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