Kelly Peterson
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Kelly Peterson
Party
Republican
Election Year
2026
Election
Republican Primary Runoff
Race
State Rep. Dist., 126
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of North Texas, Denton, Bachleor of Sceince in Gerontology, 1991-1995
University of North Texas, Denton, Master of Education, 1999-2001
WORK & MILITARY
J Alan Kent Developmnet, Executive Assistant, 2025-2026
Texas House-State Rep Sam Harless, District Director, 2021-2025
Homeplace of Texas, Program Coordinator, 2020-2024
KPDC, LLC, Owner/Director, 2012-2026
AFFILIATIONS
Multiple Schlerosis Society, Volunteer, 2015-2026
American Heart Association, Volunteer, 2003-2026
Homeplace of Texas, Volunteer/Fundraiser, 2020-2026
Northland Christian School Fine Arts Society, Board Member, 2015-2017
Northland Christian School PTO, Vice President of Secondary, 2015-2016
Northland Christian PTO, Memeber, 2013-2022
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
None
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
This office is the first sought
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (3)
*Life PAC
Pat Curry
Sam Harless
LIBERAL (1)
*IAFF Texas State Association of Fire Fighters
OTHER (7)
Associated Republicans of Texas ART
Texas Hospital Association HOSPAC
*Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas CLEAT PAC
*Texas Association of Manufacturers MPACT
*Greater Houston Builders Association HOME-PAC
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (10)
State Represenetative Sam Harless
Former State Representative Patrica Harless
State Representative Pat Curry
Former Harris County Sherrif Ron Hickman
Katy City Councilwoman Gina Kicks
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Republican Womens Organizations (2026)
Joan Huffman (2025)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Sam Harless (2026)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Texas Sands (2026)
OTHER INFORMATION
Candidate Q&A. Community Impact. 26 Jan 2026.
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
I do not support taxpayer funding for abortion providers. Public funds should be directed toward services that respect life and support women, children, and families without subsidizing abortion.
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Elective abortion should be limited and only allowed in rare circumstances, such as to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest. I believe Texas law should continue to protect unborn life while ensuring compassion and medical care in extreme and tragic situations.
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Agree
I believe human life is inherently valuable and deserves legal protection from conception until natural death, while ensuring compassion and appropriate care in rare and tragic circumstances.
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Strongly Agree
Human embryos, regardless of how they are created, represent human life and should be protected from purposeful destruction, with ethical safeguards guiding medical and scientific practices.
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Strongly Agree
Federal law should be enforced as written. The Comstock Act remains on the books, and I support enforcing existing laws rather than selectively ignoring them.
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
I support a market-based approach to wages that promotes job growth, skills training, and opportunity, rather than one-size-fits-all government mandates.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Free enterprise and private property rights encourage innovation, investment, and economic opportunity, empowering individuals and businesses to create jobs and build prosperity.
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
1. Require regular audits and performance reviews to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently. 2. Eliminate duplicative programs and agencies that provide overlapping services. 3. Limit unfunded mandates that increase costs without improving outcomes. 4. Increase transparency and accountability in government contracts and spending. 5. Use technology to modernize government services and reduce administrative waste.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
To me, separation of church and state means the government should not establish or favor a specific religion, while still respecting and protecting the free exercise of faith. People should be free to live out their beliefs without government interference, and government should not restrict religious expression in public life.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Individuals and businesses should not be forced to violate their sincerely held moral or religious beliefs. Religious freedom and conscience rights are fundamental liberties that deserve protection.
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.
B-Healthcare funded by the government should be available for those who want or need it, alongside private healthcare options. I believe in expanding access and affordability while preserving choice, competition, and innovation in the healthcare system.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Strongly Disagree
The government should not track individuals’ medical conditions in a centralized database. Protecting patient privacy and medical confidentiality is essential, and healthcare decisions should remain between patients and their doctors—not subject to government monitoring.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious threats to U.S. national security, economic stability, intellectual property, and cyber security, and the United States must respond with strength, vigilance, and strategic leadership to protect our interests and values.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Yes. The United States’ relationship with Israel is important because Israel is a key democratic ally in the Middle East, a strategic partner in national security and intelligence, and a shared supporter of democratic values. A strong U.S.–Israel relationship promotes regional stability and strengthens America’s security interests.
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
I believe laws should be enforced consistently and that immigration policy should balance compassion with public safety and the rule of law.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
Education decisions are best made at the state and local level by parents, educators, and communities who understand their students’ needs, rather than by a distant federal bureaucracy.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Strongly Agree
American education should be funded and governed by Americans. Allowing foreign governments to fund U.S. education creates national security, influence, and transparency concerns and undermines local and state control.
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
Parents have the fundamental right and responsibility to direct their child’s health care and education. Government should respect and support parental involvement, transparency, and decision-making while ensuring children’s safety and well-being.
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Agree
Children should be protected from irreversible medical or social interventions. Decisions involving gender identity should be approached with caution, parental involvement, and a focus on a child’s long-term health and well-being.
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 believe marriage is a sacred union ordained by God between one man and one woman, and government should not redefine this institution.
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Neutral
I approach gambling expansion cautiously. Decisions should be made thoughtfully, with strong oversight and approval by local voters, weighing potential economic benefits against social and regulatory concerns.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a person of Christian faith, and my beliefs guide my commitment to integrity, service, personal responsibility, and respect for life, family, and community. I strive to lead with humility, compassion, and a strong moral compass in both my personal life and public service.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Photo identification helps protect the integrity of elections, ensures one person–one vote, and maintains public confidence in the democratic process while still allowing reasonable access to voting.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
I do not support reparations based on race. Policies should focus on equal opportunity, fairness, and addressing needs based on individual circumstances—not race.
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
Biological differences matter for safety, fairness, and privacy. Women and girls deserve protected spaces and equal athletic opportunities based on biological sex.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Strongly Disagree
I believe environmental stewardship is important, but policy decisions should be based on sound science, economic realism, and innovation—not alarmism or mandates that harm jobs, families, or energy reliability.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Natural gas is the most reliable energy source to meet growing electricity demand, supported by nuclear and renewables where appropriate to ensure grid stability.
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?
Very Conservative
I would describe myself as a conservative who values limited government, personal responsibility, religious liberty, free enterprise, strong national defense, and local control, while approaching issues thoughtfully and pragmatically.
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?
The goal of the criminal justice system should be to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and ensure justice is applied fairly and consistently, while also supporting rehabilitation and respecting the rights of victims and law-abiding demonstrated citizens.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
Government has a responsibility to protect children from online sexual exploitation by enforcing laws, holding offenders accountable, and supporting strong safeguards that keep children safe in digital spaces.
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Strongly Agree
The United States is governed by the Constitution and the rule of law. No religious legal system, including Sharia law, should be incorporated into or override American law.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I support enforcing existing laws and keeping firearms out of the hands of violent criminals and those legally prohibited from owning them. Any restrictions must respect the Second Amendment and focus on public safety without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens.
