Steven Shook
Democrat | Texas
Candidate Profile*
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, ADN, 2006-2009
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, BSN, 2011-2012
University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, MSN, 2016-2018
WORK & MILITARY
Texas Health Resources, Registered Nurse, 2009-2019
Lung & Sleep Center of North Texas, Nurse Practitioner, 2019-2026
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
US House of Representatives TX-26, 2025-2026
ENDORSEMENTS*
LIBERAL (6)
*Texas Democrats with Disabilities
Mothers for Democracy Action PAC
*Mothers Against Greg Abbott PAC
Young Democrats of Denton County
Track AIPAC
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption
Rep Vikki Goodwin
Denton County Democratic Party
The Oath Network
Democrats with Disabilities
OTHER INFORMATION
Shook completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Disagree
I strongly support reproductive freedom and the right of every woman to make decisions about pregnancy without government interference. I do not support defining legal personhood at conception or using that standard to ban abortion, restrict contraception, or interfere with evidence based medical care.
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Strongly Disagree
I support protecting reproductive freedom and access to fertility care, including IVF. I do not support laws that grant embryos full legal personhood in ways that could criminalize standard fertility treatments, restrict patients’ choices, or interfere with decisions made between families and their physicians.
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Elective abortion should remain legal, particularly before fetal viability, with later care available when necessary to protect the life or health of the patient or in cases of severe fetal complications. These decisions should be made by patients and their healthcare providers, not politicians.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Yes. I support allowing qualified healthcare providers, including Planned Parenthood, to receive public funding for eligible services such as contraception, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and other preventive care. Federal funds should continue to follow existing law regarding abortion services.
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Strongly Agree
No. I do not support using the Comstock Act to restrict access to FDA approved abortion medication or other reproductive healthcare. Decisions about medication abortion should be governed by current medical evidence, federal drug safety standards, and the patient provider relationship, not a 19th-century law.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Yes. Free enterprise and private property are fundamental to a strong economy, but markets work best when there is fair competition, strong consumer protections, and clear rules that prevent fraud, exploitation, and monopolistic abuse.
People who can afford to pay more taxes should do so in order to provide relief for working families.
Strongly Agree
Yes. I support a fair tax system in which wealthy individuals and large corporations pay a greater share so we can reduce the burden on working families, invest in essential services, and strengthen the middle class.
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Agree
Yes, but spending cuts should be targeted and responsible. I support eliminating waste, fraud, unnecessary subsidies, and ineffective programs while protecting Social Security, Medicare, healthcare, education, and other essential services working families depend on.
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
1. Eliminate fraud, improper payments, and duplicative federal programs. 2. End unnecessary corporate subsidies and tax loopholes that do not serve the public interest. 3. Strengthen oversight of federal contracts and require greater transparency in government procurement. 4. Reduce wasteful administrative spending while protecting frontline services. 5. Hold agencies accountable with regular audits, measurable outcomes, and stronger inspector general independence.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Agree
Yes, when operating in the public marketplace, businesses should generally follow nondiscrimination laws and provide equal service to customers regardless of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected status. Religious freedom is important, but it should not be used as a license to deny others equal access to goods and services.
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
It means government should neither establish nor favor a religion, while protecting every person’s right to practice a faith, or no faith at all. Religious freedom is strongest when government remains neutral and no one is required to live under another person’s religious beliefs.
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.
A) Healthcare should be guaranteed as a right and publicly funded so every American has access to comprehensive care without premiums, deductibles, or fear of medical bankruptcy. I support universal coverage that puts patients and providers, not insurance companies, at the center of the system.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Strongly Disagree
No. Government should collect deidentified public health data to understand disease burden and improve policy, but it should not maintain unnecessary personally identifiable databases of individuals’ medical conditions. Patient privacy and strict limits on how health data is collected, shared, and used are essential.
NATIONAL SECURITY
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
B) The United States should selectively support countries defending democracy and resisting aggression, but military intervention should be a last resort. Our foreign policy should emphasize diplomacy, alliances, humanitarian assistance, and congressional oversight before committing American forces.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
Yes. China presents serious military, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and economic challenges that require a strong, coordinated response. The United States should strengthen cyber defenses, protect critical technology and supply chains, enforce fair trade rules, and work closely with allies while avoiding unnecessary military escalation.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
The United States should significantly distance itself from the current Israeli government. I believe Israel’s conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide, and the United States should not provide unconditional military or political support for it. Our policy should prioritize an end to civilian suffering, accountability under international law, humanitarian assistance, and a lasting political solution that guarantees Palestinians self-determination and Israelis security.
Islamic terrorism is a threat to the United States' national security.
Neutral
Violent extremism, including terrorism carried out by groups claiming an Islamic justification, can threaten U.S. national security. But terrorism should be confronted based on conduct and credible threats, not by treating Islam or Muslim Americans as suspect. Our response should focus on intelligence, law enforcement, international cooperation, and preventing radicalization while protecting constitutional rights and religious freedom.
IMMIGRATION
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
People should be allowed to immigrate to the United States through a fair, orderly legal system that includes family reunification, employment-based immigration, humanitarian protection, and asylum for those fleeing persecution. We should secure the border, conduct appropriate background checks, expand lawful pathways, and provide due process rather than relying on mass detention or indiscriminate deportation.
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Agree
Yes. I support local policies that allow police and city governments to focus on public safety rather than acting as an extension of federal immigration enforcement. Undocumented residents should still be held accountable for serious crimes, but local cooperation with federal authorities should not come at the expense of due process, community trust, or access to essential services.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Disagree
No. I support keeping the U.S. Department of Education. States and local communities should retain substantial control over schools, but the federal government has an important role in protecting civil rights, supporting students with disabilities, funding low income schools, and ensuring every child has access to a quality public education.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Agree
Yes, foreign governments should not be allowed to secretly influence American schools or universities through undisclosed funding. Any foreign financial support should be fully transparent, subject to strict disclosure rules, and prohibited when it compromises academic independence, national security, or public trust.
VALUES
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Disagree
No. I do not believe gender affirming care or social transition, by itself, constitutes child abuse. Decisions involving a minor’s healthcare should be made carefully by families and qualified medical professionals using evidence based standards, with the child’s safety and well being as the priority.
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 Disagree
No. I support marriage equality. Civil marriage is a legal institution, and government should protect the equal right of consenting adults to marry regardless of sex or sexual orientation, while also protecting the freedom of religious institutions to define marriage according to their own beliefs.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
My spiritual values center on compassion, service, human dignity, humility, and treating others as I would want to be treated. I believe faith should inspire us to care for the vulnerable, serve our neighbors, seek justice, and respect the freedom of every person to follow their own beliefs or no religion at all.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Neutral
I believe voters should provide a basic form of identification, but it should not have to be a specific photo ID. States should accept reasonable alternative forms of identification and provide free, accessible IDs so election security is protected without creating unnecessary barriers for eligible voters.
EQUALITY
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 Disagree
I do not support a blanket rule that treats every situation the same. Sports, schools, shelters, prisons, and other facilities raise different safety, privacy, and fairness considerations. Policies should be based on evidence, age, competitive level, individual circumstances, and legitimate safety needs while respecting the dignity and civil rights of everyone involved.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
A diverse mix is best: nuclear for dependable baseload power, natural gas for reliability, and expanded wind, solar, storage, and transmission. No single source can meet growing demand while keeping power reliable and affordable.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No. I have never been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No. I have never been convicted of a felony.
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?
Liberal
I consider myself liberal overall, but pragmatic in how I approach policy. I strongly support reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, civil rights, workers’ rights, and a fairer tax system, while also supporting secure borders, basic voter identification, fiscal responsibility, a strong energy grid, and a restrained, accountable foreign policy.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
Yes. Government has a responsibility to protect children from online sexual exploitation through strong laws, effective enforcement, platform accountability, age appropriate safeguards, and better tools for parents and law enforcement, while also protecting privacy and constitutional rights.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I support universal background checks, red flag laws with due process, closing gun show and private sale loopholes, safe storage requirements, and stronger enforcement against illegal trafficking. These measures can reduce violence while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners.
