George Brian Vachris
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
George Brian Vachris
Party
Republican
Election Year
2026
Election
Republican Primary
Race
State Board of Education 8
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, B.A. History, 1973-1974
University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, B.S. Mechanical Eng., 1991-1995
University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, B.S. Chemical Eng., 1991-1997
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, M.S. Fire Prot. Eng., 2011-2012
Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY, A.S., 1988-1991
WORK & MILITARY
Franklin Fibre-Lamitex Corp., Sales, 1974-1990
General Dynamics Electric Boat, Senior Engineer, 1995-2006
United Technologies, Contractor Engineer, 2006-2008
Houston I. S. D., Teacher, 2013-2022
Numerous other jobs, Various, 1990-1995
Substitute teacher, Political involvement, Student, 2009-2011
Mustang Engineering/Wood Group, Engineering Consultant, 2012-2012
AFFILIATIONS
United City Church, Teacher with E.S.L. Team, 2017-2023
First Baptist Church of Waterford, Finance Committee, 2000-2012
Glorious Way Church, Hospitality Committee, 2023-2025
East Williston Volunteer Fire Department, Firefighter, EMT, 1976-1991
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Waterford Harbor Management Commission, 1996-2003
Waterford Representative Town Meeting, 2001-2003
Waterford Board of Finance, 2003-2011
Waterford Justice of the Peace (Different functions than Texas office), 1996-2011
Waterford Republican Town committee, member and later chairman, 1996-2011
Waterford Polling Place Moderator (when not a candidate), 1996-2010
Harris County Precinct 72 Chairman, 2012-2017
Harris County Precinct 885 Chairman, 2017-2025
Harris County Republican Party Committee; Membership Subcommittee, 2012-2025
Harris County Election Judge or Alternate Judge (when not a candidate), 2012-2025
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Waterford Representative Town Meeting, 1997-1999
Connecticut State Senate District 20, 2000
Connecticut General Assembly District 38, 2002-2002
Connecticut General Assembly District 38, 2006-2006
Texas Senate District 15, 2022-2022
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (29)
Rolando Garcia
SREC
2025-2025
Dawn McDonald
SREC
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (37)
Houston Region Business Coalition (2025)
Valoree Swanson (2025)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2024)
State Republican Party Organizations (2024)
Charles Cunnningham (2022)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Josh Flynn (2022)
Lily Truong (2022)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2022)
Mark Goloby (2022)
Republican Womens Organizations (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE*
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Never
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Agree
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Strongly Agree
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Strongly Agree
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Government interference with the free right of contract creates economic imbalances.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
The right to private property is also in the fifth amendment.
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
As a candidate for State Board of Education I would: Reduce Federal Educational mandates that are passed through to the States and Local School Districts, to the extent possible. Ensure that the TEKS are more specifically defined to educate students in basic facts, and ensure that STEM education is improved to prepare students for college, careers, or military service. Teach true factual history. Make certain that "woke" indoctrination is removed from the educational system in Texas.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
This phrase is NOT part of the Constitution. It appears in a letter written by Jefferson to the Danbury, CT Baptist Congregation who did not want their tax dollars going to the official State Congregational Church. (Yes, it is a historical fact that prior to 1818, Connecticut had a State Church). This had nothing to do with prayer or bible reading. Jefferson, in another letter to his nephew Peter Carr, advised him to read the Bible, but to read it carefully, as part of his education.
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.
None of your responses fit my personal preferences. The present health insurance system is overregulated and bureaucratic. You make no distinguishment between healthcare and healthcare insurance. Whatever happened to fee for service and published rates in advance? Many people only need medical insurance for catastrophic events or serious illness. This is not a function of the State Board of Education.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Neutral
If the government provides funding, then metrics should be established.
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, this is the only nation in the Middle East that actually provides religious freedom. The State Board of Education should emphasize the history of the Middle East as part of a classical education.
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
I taught at a school that had a large number of immigrants, to the extent that they were not here legally, this is a burden to taxpayers.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
Education was never a Federal responsibility in the original Constitution.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.
Strongly Agree
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Agree
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
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him night be saved." (John 3: 16-17).
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
How dare you! Nothing should be based on immutable inherited characteristics. The writer of the statement does not even mention claims of ancestral servitude. Who pays whom? Are we all to be shackled by unconstitutional Bills of Attainder of blood? This is utter nonsense from the extreme left, trying to replace Marxist class division with Marxist race division. We are all equal in the eyes of God and are NOT responsible for anything done by any ancestor.
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
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Strongly Disagree
Let me ask two questions. If it is warmer in the summer than in the winter, doesn’t that mean that the biggest influencer of climate is solar irradiance? What caused the ice to melt at the end of the ice age? Actually, the writer of the question should listen to M.I.T. physicist Richard Lindzen. Or look at the absorbance spectrum of infrared radiation by CO2 and H2O, Compare and contrast, or do a numerical integration (OMG - calculus!).
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
As a nuclear trained engineer, I could say large water moderated nuclear fission power plants, alternatively any large steam driven turbine power plant. These are easiest to keep frequency control of the grid and have a higher moment of inertia.
ABOUT YOU
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?
Choose not to answer
What are you doing with this question? Are you trying to place candidates into little boxes so that shallow low information voters don't have to look at the actual details and assess candidates. I suppose I could be described as conservative. I do want to conserve civilization, civil order, etc.
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.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?
Punishment followed by rehabilitation if possible.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Strongly Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
There are already too many restrictions. What part of "shall not be infringed" is hard to understand? It is well established that widespread gun ownership protects individuals from criminals.
