Tom Maynard
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Tom Maynard
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
State Bd. of Educ., Dist. 10
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, BS, 86
WORK & MILITARY
Texas FFA Association, Executive Director, 17
Various School Districts, Classroom Teacher, 13
AFFILIATIONS
Nat'l Assn of Supervisors of Agri. Educatio, President, Cal Farleys Boys Ranch Alumni Association
President, Southern Baptist Churches, Minister of Music (17 years)
Southern Baptist Churches, Deacon, Southern Baptist Churches
Licensed to Gospel Ministry, Texas FFA Foundation, Board Member
Prairie View A&M College of Agriculture, Advisory Board Member, Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
State Board of Education, 8
Local School Board Trustee, 6
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
OTHER (1)
*Texas Alliance for Life PAC (TAL)
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Texas Alliance for Life
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller
Texas Senate Education Chairman Larry Taylor
Senator Charles Schwertner
Senator Lois Kolkhorst
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (7)
Charles Schwertner (2019)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2020)
Lois Kolkhorst (2014)
Republican Women's Organizations (2020)
State Republican Party Organizations (2015)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (9)
Charles Schwertner (2012)
David Bradley (TX) (2012)
Gail Lowe (2013)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2020)
Marsha Farney (2012)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Abortion ends a unique human life that begins at fertilization. Medical circumstances at times require the termination of a pregnancy to save the mother's life, and this must be allowed. Human life created as a result of rape or incest is still human life, but under these circumstances, it should be allowed in consideration of the psychological and emotional well-being of the victim.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Governments should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Strongly Agree
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with taxpayer or public funds.
Strongly Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
The Ten Commandments should not be displayed in public school buildings or court houses.
Strongly Disagree
I promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles.
Yes
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
The Constitution's First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." and clearly does not contain the words, "separation of church and state." Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, from which this phrase was lifted, addresses the free exercise of religion, an assurance that government would not interfere regarding their expression of Christian faith. We live in a pluralistic society and are obligated to respect exercise of all faiths or even expressions of faithlessness, but in no way should this prohibit or impede the free exercise of religion guaranteed in the First Amendment. The evidence suggests that the founders would be surprised and dismayed to learn that this language has been used by some as a charge to purge all faith references from public discourse.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
EDUCATION
The federal government should mandate standards and requirements (such as Common Core) for local schools.
Strongly Disagree
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Neutral
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Promotion of the LGBT agenda in public schools, including teaching of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity”, is completely inappropriate and should be opposed at the state and local level.
Strongly Agree
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a born-again follower of Jesus Christ. I believe in the sanctity of marriage and the right of parents to raise and educate their children. The framers of the 1876 Texas Constitution understood that education was primarily a parental duty, with the public free school as a support to parents. I believe that the family is the most basic unit of government. Parents are the first teachers. Children first learn respect for authority and how to build positive relationships in families. Evidence tells us that children of broken homes (and I was one) face difficulties in school and beyond. A nation with crumbling families faces a dark future. I believe in local control of schools. School should be community schools with state support, rather than state schools in a community. The federal government should act only in a support role.
ABOUT YOU
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2012 Republican Primary, 2012 General Election, 2014 Republican Primary, 2014 General Election, 2016 Republican Primary, 2016 General Election, 2018 Republican Primary, 2018 General Election
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and immigration, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I believe in limited government and federalism as was envisioned by the founders. I believe, as did the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence that "...unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty or the capacity for self government." I believe in school choice within the construct of the Texas Constitution's Article VII. In the formation of that article in 1875, record votes were take regarding public funding for private education. While some form of what we now refer to as a private education voucher existed on the frontier and even after the adoption in a transitional form following the adoption of the 1876 constitution, it is clear that the constitution's framers did not intend for this to happen. I believe in conservative, originalist interpretation of our governing documents. In regard to the marriage question above, I am a traditionalist, but I have growing doubts about governmental involvement marriage at all
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I was first elected to the State Board of Education in 2012. As a member of the board I have chaired the Committee on Instruction, currently chair the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund, chaired and served on various ad hoc committees, including the Committee on the Long Range Plan for Public Education. As a parent, I navigated public education with five children and currently have nine grandchildren who are enrolled in public schools or will be. I spent 30 years in career and technical education, as a teacher of agricultural science education for 13 years and 17 years as executive director of the Texas FFA Association (Future Farmers of America), the nation's largest career and technical student organization. I also served as an elected local school board trustee for six years.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I grew up at Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, a home for disadvantaged, at-risk youth northwest of Amarillo, worked my way through Texas Tech University, earning a baccalaureate degree and a teacher certification. I was ordained as a deacon, licensed to ministry and spent about 17 years in music ministry in mostly rural churches. I have also been a Sunday school teacher and a youth worker in many churches. In addition to my work in education and ministry, I am an agriculturist and business owner, actively engaged in livestock production that leverages reproductive technologies such as embryo transfer. I am also a director for the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association and a member of the Prairie View A&M University College of Agriculture and Human Sciences Advisory Committee.
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
