Ben Bumgarner
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Ben Bumgarner
Party
Republican
Election Year
2024
Election
Primary
Race
State Rep., Dist. 63
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Austin College, Sherman, Tx, Bachelors of Arts, 2007
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Texas House of Representatives District 63, 1 (Freshman term)
Flower Mound Town Council Place 3, 3
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (4)
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
*Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)
*Dan Patrick
Greg Abbott
OTHER (2)
Texas Alliance for Life PAC (TAL)
*Texas Humane Legislation Network
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Governor Greg Abbott, Congressman Michael Burgess, Congressman Pat Fallon, State Senator Drew Springer, Howard County Sheriff Stan Parker, Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree, Texas Alliance for Life, NRA, Fraternal Order of Police, many more please see website of complete list.
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (7)
JR Ramirez (2023)
Kronda Thimesch (2023)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2023)
Lynn Stucky (2023)
Republican Women's Organizations (2023)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (20)
David Cook (TX) (2023)
Texas Land and Title Association PAC (2023)
American Federation For Children (2022)
Andrew Murr (2022)
Brooks Landgraf (2022)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (3)
American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (2022)
Association of Texas Professional Educators (2022)
Texas Sands (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION*
Denton County Conservative Coalition Scorecard for Ben Bumgarner: https://www.staterepscorecard.com/
The 2023 TX House according to Rice University analysis.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Life is the greatest gift from God. It should never electively be taken away via abortion.
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
Chemical drugs for abortion should be illegal.
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.
Strongly Disagree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Never. I supported legislation in 2023 to ensure they are not closed in the State of Texas.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Barring violation of state or federal laws, private employers should be allowed to set their own rules and conduct business as they see fit. Consumers in the market place will dictate if the service or product provided is what they want to purchase.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
Strongly agree, furthermore, I support legislation to ban land sales in the state of Texas to Chinese and Chinese-linked foreign entities.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
It is very important. They are a vital ally and partner to America in the Middle East. We must protect our only ally in the region to maintain stability.
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.
C) While taxpayer funded healthcare should not be the ultimate government policy, Americans have long paid into this system. The federal government MUST get its fiscal house in order and cut deficits and wasteful spending to make our spending commitments solvent.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
I cosponsored SB 7 (2023) which made it illegal for private employers to mandate vaccines. I believe it is not the governments role to make citizens get vaccinated.
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?
Government should never set the benchmark for private industry. I do not believe the minimum wage should be raised. Employers and employees in a right to work state should come to their own terms for service and employment.
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
No
No, and I have supported legislation in Texas to fight back against ESG initiatives.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
I sponsored and wrote bills to secure the border via state means where the Federal Government has failed to step in. This is the most important issue facing voters in the 2024 election.
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
I strongly supported Governor Abbott's call to pass parental empowerment/school choice legislation this session, and will do so again if reelected.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Strongly Disagree
We must never defund our police. I support the initiatives in place punishing municipalities that choose to defund their departments. The town I live in and represented locally was voted the safest small city to live in. I believe Flower Mound could be an example to our larger cities. When I served locally I made sure our men and women in blue had all the tools they needed to do their jobs. Its one of the reasons the fraternal order of police has endorsed me.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Shall not be infringed. I believe law abiding citizens should be the owner of a firearm. An armed society is a civil society.
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No.
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Border security, public safety (police, fire), infrastructure, national security, passing balanced budgets.
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
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Absolutely. I co-authored the child gender modification ban that protects our children from this barbaric procedure and voted on measures to end DEI in our schools. I also co-authored HB 900, the READER act that gets pornographic materials out of our schools.
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
Never.
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Strongly Agree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in salvation through Jesus Christ. I try to live my faith every day. I believe in helping my neighbor, helping my community and our state. I believe that God comes first in my household and that I try to lead my family by the teachings of the Bible. I believe in the power of prayer. Everyone deserves Gods love and mercy. It is up to the individual to accept that love and grace.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Voter ID is an important tool in stopping election fraud.
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Strongly Disagree
The Electoral College is an important mechanism in ensuring all regions in our country have a voice.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
I believe that the constitution grants every man and woman the same opportunities and God given rights. The constitution is color blind and every citizen is given the basic framework to create their own path.
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
I coauthored the keep men out of women’s sports bill.
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.
I am selecting A and C. They’re both correct. Our largest resources are Oil and Gas. Federal policies are putting pressure on our grid, killing jobs, and driving up prices.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Oil and gas. We passed measures to ensure that more plants go online to protect our grid. We are going to need more plants open with all the different industries and people moving to this state. We should also expand our nuclear capacity.
