Tony Tinderholt
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Verified Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Tony Tinderholt
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 94
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Regents, New York, BS, 1996
Touro Masters Education, Los Angeles, ME, 2005
WORK & MILITARY
U.S. Air Force, STAFF SERGEANT, 10
U.S. Army, MAJOR, 11
AFFILIATIONS
Spirit of Hope, Volunteer and Contributor, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Volunteer and Contributor, St. Jude Research, Volunteer and Contributor
Catholic Charities, ESL Instructor, Columbia College
Adjunct Spanish Professor 2006-2013
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
State Representative HD 94, 7
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
Previous Races
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
2020-21
100%
2021
100%
2021
98%
2021
96%
2021
98%, 93% (cum.)â€
2021
92%
2019
90%
2019
61%, 63% (cum.)â€
2020-21
|100%
2021
|100%
2021
|98%
2021
|96%
2021
|98%, 93% (cum.)â€
2019
|90%
2019
|61%, 63% (cum.)â€
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
2021
13%
2019
22%, 11% (cum.)â€
2019
F
2019
0%
2019
0%
2021
|13%
2019
|22%, 11% (cum.)â€
2019
|F
2019
|0%
2019
|0%
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (7)
Young Conservatives of Texas
Texas Right to Life
*National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)
*Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA PAC)
OTHER (4)
*Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND
*Texas Association of Realtors/TREPAC
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)
*Fort Worth Police Officers' Association
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (15)
Bryan Slaton (2020)
College Republican National Committee (2014)
Frederick Douglass Republicans (2020)
Hobby Lobby (2020)
Jonathan Stickland (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (59)
Accountability First (2014)
Action Dallas (2014)
Bo French (2017)
Brian Birdwell (2020)
Cathie Adams (2015)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Ana Maria Ramos (2019)
OTHER INFORMATION*
*Additional information was received after the evaluation was assigned and was not considered in the Panel Evaluations, therefore it is for additional educational purposes only.
Candidate was 10th most conservative State House member according to Rice University 2021 analysis.
During 2021 Regular Legislative Session, one of 21 Texas House members who voted FOR HR4, Amendment 10, which would have provided greater transparency on lawmaker actions by requiring record votes in committees.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
The taking of an innocent life by any means is never justified. Abortion should not be allowed in Texas.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Texans are being taxed out of their homes. It is time to abolish the property tax system and replace our funding mechanism for public schools and local governments with a fairer tax. We must never have an income tax in Texas.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
The budget is filled with special interests and pet projects of legislators. Critical roles of government like roads, schools, border security, and energy infrastructure should be funded first. Programs that fund the Austin bureaucracy and produce little results for Texans should not.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
The government has no authority to ever close churches. The First Amendment's freedom of religion clause is absolutely clear.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
Medicaid and Medicare should remain available (with no expansion), but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Vaccinations should always be voluntary for adults. Parents, in consultation with their doctors, should determine the vaccination schedule for their children.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
The United States must defend our nation at home and abroad from all threats, foreign and domestic. As long as America is free, the scourge of Islamic terrorism will be present and must be rooted out where it is found. Failure to secure our borders at home puts American lives at risk. A high quality foreign affairs presence overseas is also critical to the safety of citizens.
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Strongly Disagree
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Those who come to our country illegally should be deported immediately. We should welcome legal immigrants who go through the legal immigration process and are properly vetted.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
There is no better example of morality than our perfect model in Jesus Christ. My Christian beliefs mold my worldview, and I will always defend our God-given rights to life and liberty.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Fair elections are the bedrock of our constitutional Republic. Trust in the system is paramount, and we must protect the integrity of our elections. Regular and complete audits of elections, purging voter rolls of those who are ineligible to vote, increasing penalties for election fraud, and other reforms that make it easier to vote and harder to cheat should be explored.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
All people are created in the image of God, and people are not born racist. Every person who chooses to look down on another based on the color of one's skin learned that horrible practice. The United States is likewise not inherently racist, nor are our systems. We should focus on protecting the freedom of all Americans, lifting everyone up, and not use past mistakes to drive future ones.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The government should exist primarily to protect the individual rights of every person and provide public safety for the general welfare of its citizens.
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/03/texas-house-senate-right-left/ http://ratings.conservative.org/states/TX https://index.texastaxpayers.com/legislative-sessions https://texasrighttolife.com/legislative-scores/ https://ratings.yct.org/legislative-sessions
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
My legislative priorities focus on defending the right to life, protecting the 2nd Amendment, securing our border, promoting public safety, eliminating property taxes, helping our veterans, securing the integrity of elections, and providing parental choice in education. As a 21-year combat veteran, I have always fought for the rights of the individual, and I will not stop now.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Most mass shootings happen in gun-free zones. Lawful firearm owners are far less likely to commit a crime. Gun ownership restrictions are ineffective and not consistent with the 2nd Amendment.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
