Cody Vasut
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
Cody Vasut
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 25
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, 2008
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, Master of Science in Management, 2011
University of Houston Law Center, Houston, TX, Doctor of Jurisprudence, 2012
WORK & MILITARY
BakerHostetler, Associate Attorney, 2012-Present
Locke Lord, Summer Associate, Summer 2011
United States Bankruptcy Judge Jeff Bohm, Judicial Intern, Summer 2010
United States Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy, Judicial Intern, Summer 2010
AFFILIATIONS
Revive Young Adult Fellowship, Founder and President of the Board of Directors, Pregnancy Help Center of Brazosport
Board Member, Brazoria County Bar Association, President-Elect
Brazoria County Bar Association Foundation, Board Member, Brazoria County Young Republicans
Member, Angleton Republican Women, Associate Member
Second Baptist Church, Angleton, Member, Praise Band Drummer, Lay Preacher
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Angleton City Council, Position 5, 2016-2020
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.
CONSERVATIVE (6)
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
Texas Home School Coalition
Texas Right to Life
Texas State Rifle Association
Texas Values Action
OTHER (4)
*National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Texas
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
Texas Association of Realtors/TREPAC
*Texas Oil and Gas Association
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Texas Right to Life
Texans for Lawsuit Reform
Young Conservatives of Texas
Texas Homeschool Coalition
Texas Values Action
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (4)
Dennis Bonnen (2018)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2020)
Republican Women's Organizations (2019)
State Republican Party Organizations (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (4)
American Federation For Children (2020)
Cole Hefner (2020)
Drew Springer (2020)
National Right to Life Committee (2020)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
If by abortion you mean the intentional killing of a living unborn child in the womb, no circumstance. If by abortion you mean causing the delivery of a living unborn child from the womb through surgical or medical intervention before the child can survive outside the womb on his or her own, only when it is medically necessary to do so to prevent the mother from suffering imminent death or serious bodily injury. This only occurs in rare circumstances, such as ectopic pregnancies.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Unlike the United States, the State of Texas is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget. I strongly support an Article V Convention of the States to propose a constitutional amendment to require the United States Congress to pass a balanced budget, just like the State of Texas.
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
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?
Such a phrase cannot be found in the United States Constitution. I believe it is a summary of the establishment clause found in the first amendment, which, as properly understood, merely means that the United States of America cannot establish a national church or provide taxpayer funding to one religious body and not another. That said, I believe the church flourishes when it is free of state intervention or assistance. I believe the government should not be able to regulate the religious affairs of any church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious institution. People should be able to worship God according to their own conscience free of state interference. On the other hand, I believe the state flourishes when it is influenced by the church. I believe men and women of faith should pray for their leaders and call upon them to make wise, just, and God-honoring decisions for our nation. I do not believe, however, that any church should endorse any candidate or political party.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
I believe that a free and transparent market is the most efficient means by which individuals can access quality healthcare. Part of the problem in the United States is that our healthcare market is anything but free and transparent. For example, we cannot buy health insurance across state lines, many healthcare providers do not publish their prices for consumers to shop for healthcare before receiving it, and our laws encourage individuals without health insurance to receive treatment for common illnesses in emergency rooms, which increase the costs for those with health insurance. Individuals should be able to buy health insurance across state lines, healthcare providers should publish their prices so individuals can shop for healthcare like any other product, and our laws should be amended to allow emergency rooms to turn away those with minor illnesses if an alternative care facility, like a lower-cost urgent care, is available in close proximity.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
IMMIGRATION
I am in favor of construction of a wall and other necessary infrastructure on our border that gives complete control over entering and exiting the United States.
Strongly Agree
State and federal funds should be denied to any public or private entity, including but not limited to sanctuary cities, that are not in compliance with immigration laws.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Congress, not the states, determines who should be allowed to immigrate to the United States. Nevertheless, I believe immigration to the United States should be based on demonstrated values, merit (such as specialized knowledge or skills), and commitment to the ideals of our Republic.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
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 Christian. As a Christian, I believe man's chief end is to bring glory to God and to enjoy Him forever. I believe that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23). Accordingly, "none is righteous, no, not one." (Rom. 3:10). I believe that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 6:23). I believe God has shown us His grace that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8). Christ lived the perfect life we could not because he was fully man and fully God, he died on the cross as the perfect atonement for our sins, and he rose from the dead, defeating sin and death. (1 Cor. 15). As a result, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom. 10:9). My values come from my faith. I submit to a biblical worldview and follow Christian ethics. I strive to be a man of character in all I say and do.
ABOUT YOU
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.
By way of example, in 2016, I ran for Angleton City Council on a platform of bringing public prayer to our meetings, lowering our property tax rate, and promoting economic development. I successfully brought public prayer to our meetings, I have voted three times to lower Angleton's property tax rate, and I have voted in favor of several changes to our development code and ordinances to attract new residential and commercial development to our community. We now have the lowest property tax rate in decades. For the last several years, I have also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Pregnancy Help Center of Brazosport, where I have been on the front lines of providing alternatives to abortion and assisting new families. I am also a lay preacher. I have preached against abortion publicly on several occasions. I also served as a delegate to the 2018 Republican Party of Texas state convention, where I voted for our conservative legislative priorities.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA and MS in Management summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA. I was also the valedictorian of my law school class from the University of Houston Law Center. I believe that my performance in college demonstrates that I am serious when it comes to studying issues and mastering whatever it is I set my mind to. I have sought to put that same work ethic into practice professionally and in the course of my service to my community. For more than seven years, I have worked as an attorney for BakerHostetler in Houston, representing clients in a variety of complex disputes across the country. I have dealt with a variety of eminent domain, contract, and personal injury disputes, as well as state regulations, that uniquely prepare me to navigate Texas law and draft legislative solutions to issues facing my community. I have also served for about four years on Angleton City Council, working hard to address issues in my community.
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 am an open book. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I have sought to serve my constituents on Angleton City Council to the best of my ability, and I will do the same if I am fortunate enough to be your next State Representative for District 25.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
I support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.
Strongly Disagree
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
All law-abiding citizens of sound mind have the inherent right to keep and bear arms. Common gun-control measures pushed by Democrats, like assault weapons bans, red flag laws that deprive individuals of firearms without due process, and confiscation do not make anyone safe. Instead, they deprive law-abiding citizens of their ability to defend themselves. I oppose such restrictions.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Strongly Disagree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
In priority order, what three areas of legislation do you propose to author or sponsor if elected?
First, I will author legislation calling for an Article V Convention of the States to end abortion. Second, I will author legislation to enact term limits for all executive and legislative offices in the State of Texas. Third, I will author legislation to lower the appraisal cap from 10% to 5% or less to protect homeowners from ballooning property appraisals.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism is explicitly condemned in Scripture (Gal. 3:26-28; Rom. 10:12). It is sinful, repugnant, and should not be condoned by our society. That said, I believe we have accomplished much in the past 50 years to root out many of the vestiges of racism in the United States. We are not perfect, there will always be more to be done to heal the wounds of generations, including criminal justice reform like that pursued by the Trump administration, but I fail to see how any remnant of racism that still continues today would constitute a "threat to domestic security" in the United States.
