

David Cook
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
David Cook
Party
Republican
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 96
Incumbent
Yes
EDUCATION
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, BA, 1992
Texas A&M University School of Law, Fort Worth, JD, 1996
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Texas Family Law Foundation, Lifetime Member, Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association
Member, Southeast Tarrant Transportation Partnership, Chairman, Vice Chairman, & Board of Directors
Salvation Army North Texas, Advisory Council, Reagan Legacy Republican Women
Associate Member, Mansfield Historical Society, Member
Mansfield Churches FOR the City, Founder, Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Member, Tarrant County Mayors Council, Member
Mansfield Cares, Board of Directors
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Mayor of the City of Mansfield, 2008-2021
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (9)
Greg Abbott
Red Wave Texas
Life PAC
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
Jake Ellzey
OTHER (6)
Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA PAC)
Texas Alliance for Life PAC (TAL)
Texas Medical Association (TEXPAC)
Texas Municipal Police Association
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (3)
State Senator Kelly Hancock
Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare
Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (68)
Caroline Harris (2024)
Charles Cunnningham (2024)
Giovanni Capriglione (2024)
Jake Ellzey (2024)
Janie Lopez (2024)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (36)
Gary Gates (2024)
Kelly Hancock (2023)
August Pfluger (2022)
Capital Leadership Fund (2022)
Jake Ellzey (2022)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (8)
American Association for Justice (2024)
Texas Trial Lawyers Association (2024)
Rhetta Andrews Bowers (2023)
Salman Bhojani (2023)
Texas Sands (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
Candidate
completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024.
The 2023 TX House from right to left according to Rice University analysis.
The candidate was the 18th most conservative State House member according to Rice University 2021 analysis.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
As a father of four children and grandfather of four grandchildren, the sanctity of human life is sacred to me. I wholeheartedly supported the Texas Heartbeat Act, which banned abortions from being performed when a fetal heartbeat is detected, and the Human Life Protection Act, which banned abortions in Texas when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Additionally, I coauthored legislation to extend healthcare coverage to economically-disadvantaged new mothers for up to 12 months postpartum.
Chemical abortion drugs should meet essential safety standards (such as in-person consultation with a medical doctor) and require reporting to gather evidence on reactions and outcomes.
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer 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.
Choose not to answer
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Did not answer
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
Yes
I supported SB 13 during the 87th Legislative Session, which banned state government from contracting with or investing with companies that boycott energy companies.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
During the 87th Legislative Session, I supported and coauthored HB 1239, which prohibited the suspension of laws protecting religious freedom and prohibited closure of places of worship.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
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) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
Did not answer
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Did not answer
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Yes, the United States' relationship with Israel is important to national security.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
EDUCATION
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child through programs which protect parents' freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Strongly Agree
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
Strongly Disagree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Did not answer
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
My wife, Tonya, and I are members of Creekwood Church in Mansfield. I was also instrumental in establishing Mansfield Churches FOR the City, which is a group of pastors and churches dedicated to the glorification of God through service to the City of Mansfield.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Choose not to answer
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Did not answer
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? (Select all that apply) A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. C) Stricter environmental laws undermine U.S. energy independence and deter development of reliable electricity sources. D) Climate change is real and requires urgent policy action.
Did not answer
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Did not answer
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
Did not answer
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
Did not answer
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Did not answer
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?
Did not answer
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Did not answer
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Did not answer
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Did not answer
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