Kathy Cheng
Democrat | Texas
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Kathy Cheng
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Louisiana State University, Shreveport, BS, 1995
South Texas College of Law Houston, Houston, JD, 2000
WORK & MILITARY
N/A
AFFILIATIONS
League of Women Voters of Houston, Member, New York Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association, Member
Texas State Bar, Member, Taiwanese Heritage Society of Houston
Volunteer, Light & Salt Organization, Volunteer
OCA Houston, Volunteer
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
N/A
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
209th Criminal District Court, 2010
1st Court of Appeals, Place 9, 2012
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (8)
Houston GLBT Political Caucus PAC
Stonewall Democrats of Austin
Stonewall Democrats San Antonio
Tarrant County Central Labor Council
Texas AFL-CIO
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Texas Coalition of Black Democrats
Texas AFL-CIO COPE
The Caucus
State Tejano Democrats
Austin Black Lawyers Association
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (7)
ActBlue (2020)
Democratic Women's Groups (2020)
Houston Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Caucus (2010)
Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2020)
State Democratic Party Organizations (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (10)
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (2018)
Asian American Democrats of Texas (2018)
Communication Workers of America (2020)
Democratic Women's Groups (2018)
Houston Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Caucus (2012)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Neutral
The Ten Commandments should not be displayed in public school buildings or court houses.
Neutral
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
"Separation of church and state" is the concept of reinforcing one's legal right to practice freely one's religious faith without fear of governmental prohibition. While it is not explicitly stated, the idea stems from the words of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Neutral
George Washington's comment that “Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society” is still true today.
Neutral
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian who believes that we are all God's creation and as such, are all equal irrespective of ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, wealth, etc. Like anything else in life, practice equates to improvement and it is not enough to simply state that one believes in a higher being but to actually take a conscious effort, both physically and mentally to effectuate that belief, through the practice of embracing everyone by true inclusiveness. Then and only then will there be peace and equality among all.
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Bostock v. Clayton County, which justice’s opinion most closely aligns with your opinion of whether the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 should be extended to the LGBTQ community?
None.
What types of pro bono work have you done?
In addition to the State Bar of Texas' recommended hopeful annual 50 hours of pro bono work, I provide pro bono work on a regular basis to clients in need of legal representation for family law and probate law cases. With respect to family law pro bono work, it has been legal representation to women in abusive marital situation ions who have not been the financial handlers in the marriage.
ABOUT YOU
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2012 Democratic Primary, 2012 General Election, 2014 Democratic Primary, 2014 General Election, 2016 Democratic Primary, 2016 General Election, 2018 Democratic 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?
No Answer
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I did not provide an answer above.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I am a Texas resident and a United States citizen who has been practicing law in Texas for twenty years. I am within the minimum and maximum age requirement for running for office for the office which I am seeking. In my twenty years of practice, I have represented cases ranging from complex commercial litigation, highly contested divorce and probate cases, estate planning, tax, real estate and criminal matters. Some of those areas of practice are often the types of cases heard on the Texas Supreme Court. With my diverse legal and cultural experience and knowledge, I have the diverse set of lenses currently lacking on the Texas Supreme Court to view the different perspectives of the gray areas of the law to ensure the decision made will truly be fair and just for Texans.
In what areas of law have you practiced?
My areas of practice have included but not limited to complex commercial litigation, family law, probate, tax, and real estate.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
I have never been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct.
Why should the voters choose you?
The diverse lenses I obtained from my legal and life experience enables me to see the various perspectives with respect to the gray areas of the law, thus allowing in-depth analyses, leading to an interpretation that is fair and just for all.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
My belief that diversity with inclusiveness is the key to true diversity in all aspects not just on the Texas Supreme Court. I am the first statewide candidate to have selected a Latina for my campaign director, an Asian American campaign for my campaign treasurer, and volunteers of all diverse age, religious, gender and ethnic backgrounds. It is not enough that one talks about the need for diversity to achieve fairness and equality for all. One must be willing to utilize the diverse lenses not only see the need for said diversity, but also willing to promote and put into practice the furtherment of diversity with inclusiveness.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
The U.S. Constitution and my state constitution should be interpreted as living documents, rather than using a strict constructionist or originalist approach in judicial decisions.
Neutral
There are times when American judges should alter U.S. case law in order to comply with foreign case law.
Neutral
Which current U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
None.
What is the proper use of legislative history in interpreting statutory law?
Legislative history can be used to clarify ambiguous or vague statutory language.
What possibilities should a judge exhaust before departing from precedent?
Before departing from precedent, a judge should consider all the following: the quality of prior reasoning, whether the standards set by the precedent remains workable under current conditions or has become outdated, the extent of reliance by others, and the existence of inconsistent decisions.
How should a judge determine which rights are protected by the Constitution even though they are not specifically mentioned?
For a judge to decide that certain rights are protected by the U.S. Constitution even though they are not specifically mentioned, he/she shall be a judicial activist in the legal interpretation of the laws involved. Said judge shall believe that the U.S. Constitution is a living document as opposed to a document to be interpreted based on its original intent. In considering the interpretation of said laws, the judge shall refrain from being a strict constructionist in order to be able to view the not so obvious rights protected under the U.S. Constitution.
