Texas — 17th District

Casey Shepard

Supports compassionate reform and workforce visas

Casey Shepard advocates for compassionate immigration reform that balances humanitarian values with economic needs. She proposes updating immigration policy to allow trained foreign medical workers and construction workers to legally serve in local communities and lower housing costs.

• Supports compassionate immigration reform.
• Advocates updating immigration policy to allow trained foreign construction workers to legally enter and build housing.
• Proposes expanding legal immigration pathways for trained medical personnel to address healthcare shortages.

“I will work with Democratic coalitions that support Democratic priorities like compassionate immigration reform, racial justice and DEI, bodily autonomy, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, expanded voter access”

“updating immigration policy so trained foreign construction workers can legally help build more homes.”

Pete Sessions

Supports border wall and strict enforcement

Pete Sessions prioritizes completing the southern border wall and tightening interior enforcement. He characterizes recent border crossings as an invasion caused by executive dereliction of duty and pledges to advance America First immigration policies. Sessions holds an 'A' rating from NumbersUSA.

• Supports building the southern border wall to secure the border.
• Attributes illegal immigration surges to executive dereliction of duty.
• Holds an 'A' rating from NumbersUSA for his enforcement voting record.

“The surge of illegal immigrants crossing our border is a direct correlation to Biden’s derelict of duty inviting millions of people to invade our country”

“Pete Sessions defends our gun rights, protects our religious liberty, and stands with President Trump to build the border wall.”

Casey Shepard

Supports checking executive power and accountability

Casey Shepard makes checking executive branch overreach and defending the separation of powers a primary campaign pillar. As a criminal defense attorney, she pledges to scrutinize federal agencies, investigate misconduct, and utilize agency funding controls or constitutional remedies including impeachment when leaders exceed their authority.

• Pledges to use congressional oversight, funding adjustments, and impeachment to check executive overreach.
• Advocates defending judicial independence to review executive branch actions.
• Calls for rigorous vetting and accountability for executive branch agency leaders.

“I will fight an executive branch that has grown far beyond its proper limits and I’m committed to restoring the balance of power on which our democracy depends.”

“Protect the separation of powers by making sure Congress can fully check the actions of the executive branch.”

Pete Sessions

Supports expanding Republican majority and Trump

Pete Sessions focuses on expanding the Republican House majority to advance conservative legislative goals. He highlights a 100% voting support record for Donald Trump and aims to use House committee authority to reduce federal agency spending and eliminate burdensome regulations.

• Pledges to expand the Republican House majority and advance America First policies.
• Maintains a 100% voting support record with Donald Trump.
• Focuses House oversight authority on cutting federal spending and rolling back agency regulations.

“Pete has supported President Trump 100% of the time.”

“Leading Republicans in expanding the Republican majority”

Casey Shepard

Supports expanding ACA subsidies and mental healthcare

Casey Shepard advocates strengthening public healthcare programs, expanding ACA premium subsidies, and restoring funding for Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and SAMHSA. She places a personal emphasis on expanding mental health initiatives to improve economic and public health outcomes.

• Supports improving ACA subsidies, Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and SAMHSA.
• Advocates recognizing nurse practitioners as eligible professionals for federal student aid.
• Highlights mental health expansion as both a moral imperative and economic necessity.

“Mental health is extremely important to me.”

“Restore support for Medicaid and Medicare to ensure seniors, families, and people with disabilities receive the care they need.”

Pete Sessions

Opposes Obamacare and supports market healthcare reforms

Pete Sessions opposes government-managed healthcare systems and previously led House efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He authored legislation proposing tax credits and Roth Health Savings Accounts to replace federal ACA mandates with market-based choices.

• Opposes the Affordable Care Act as an unsustainable government takeover.
• Authored alternative healthcare legislation featuring $2,500 individual tax credits and Roth Health Savings Accounts.
• Promotes free-market solutions to give individuals control over healthcare spending.

“From day one, I have led the fight in the House to stop the ObamaCare train wreck”

Casey Shepard

Supports addressing wealth inequality and ending tariffs

Casey Shepard focuses her economic strategy on reducing the extreme wealth gap through job training and broader education. She also calls for repealing tariffs that raise consumer prices on basic necessities like food and construction materials.

• Advocates addressing the extreme wealth gap through education and job training opportunities.
• Calls for ending tariffs that drive up consumer costs for food and building materials.
• Supports mutually beneficial trade policies to protect working families.

“addressing the extreme wealth gap in this country.”

“ending tariffs that raise food prices.”

Pete Sessions

Supports balancing budget and reducing spending

Pete Sessions emphasizes balancing the federal budget and eliminating unnecessary spending. He highlights his previous role in helping balance the budget four years in a row during the late 1990s and promotes a free-market economic model.

• Pledges to balance the federal budget and reduce federal spending.
• Highlights past participation in balancing the federal budget four consecutive years in the 1990s.
• Maintains a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

“In the late 1990s, Pete was part of the House Republican team that balanced the budget four years in a row.”

“Helping balance the budget and reduce unnecessary socialist government spending”

Casey Shepard

Supports bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom

Casey Shepard identifies bodily autonomy as a fundamental freedom under threat. She aligns with Democratic coalitions to defend reproductive rights and healthcare choices.

• Identifies bodily autonomy as a core campaign priority.
• Supports working with Democratic coalitions to protect reproductive healthcare access.

“I will work with Democratic coalitions that support Democratic priorities like compassionate immigration reform, racial justice and DEI, bodily autonomy, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, expanded voter access”

Pete Sessions

Opposes abortion and supports pro-life legislation

Pete Sessions is a pro-life conservative who strongly opposes abortion access. He holds a 100% lifetime voting record with National Right to Life and is endorsed by Texas Alliance for Life.

• Maintains a 100% lifetime voting record with National Right to Life.
• Endorsed by Texas Alliance for Life.

“Pete has a 100% lifetime voting record with National Right to Life.”

Casey Shepard

Supports LGBTQ+ rights, DEI, and expanded education

Casey Shepard supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights as part of her civil rights platform. She advocates expanding educational access and job training opportunities for all citizens.

• Supports racial justice, DEI initiatives, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights.
• Advocates broader education and job training opportunities across all communities.

“I will work with Democratic coalitions that support Democratic priorities like compassionate immigration reform, racial justice and DEI, bodily autonomy, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, expanded voter access”

Pete Sessions

Supports parental rights and opposes far-left school curricula

Pete Sessions advocates for parental involvement in public education and opposes what he characterizes as radical far-left indoctrination. He criticizes school district curricula that teach transgender lifestyles as normal and vows to protect parental rights.

• Promotes parental involvement and parental rights in public education.
• Opposes school curricula teaching that transgender lifestyles are normal.
• Vows to stop legislation or school district policies that undermine parental authority.

“Curricula in many school districts are teaching children that transgender lifestyles are “normal.””

“Republicans will promote parental involvement, abundant educational opportunity, and stop laws that take away parental rights.”

Casey Shepard

Supports farm subsidies and loan assistance

Casey Shepard links agricultural support directly to food security. She advocates strengthening farm subsidies, loan assistance programs, and federal initiatives that bolster agricultural producers.

• Supports farm subsidies and loan assistance programs.
• Integrates agricultural support into broader food stability and hunger initiatives.

“I’ll work to strengthen SNAP, WIC, school meals, farm subsidies, loan assistance, and USAID food programs.”

Pete Sessions

Supports farmers and Texas Farm Bureau

Pete Sessions highlights his long-standing backing of Texas farmers and ranchers. He holds a 100% lifetime voting record with the Texas Farm Bureau.

• Maintains a 100% lifetime voting record with the Texas Farm Bureau.

“Pete has a 100% lifetime voting record with the Texas Farm Bureau.”

Casey Shepard

Supports renewable energy and climate action

Casey Shepard advocates transitioning to a renewable-energy economy and implementing proactive climate change solutions in partnership with Democratic coalitions.

• Supports transitioning to a renewable-energy economy.
• Advocates legislative action to combat climate change.

“a renewable‑energy economy, climate change action”

Pete Sessions

Supports traditional energy and reining in EPA regulations

Pete Sessions supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy centered on market-driven fossil fuel and natural resource development. In past platforms, he championed lifting crude oil export bans and rolling back EPA environmental regulations.

• Supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy prioritizing free-market oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear production.
• Favors reining in EPA environmental rules to spur energy development.

“Energy plays a key role in the Texas economy and creates jobs in the 32nd Congressional District. I strongly support a “all-of-the-above” energy policy that would allow the free market to unleash America’s vast natural resources”

Casey Shepard

Supports tax incentives and fully funding housing assistance

Casey Shepard makes affordable housing one of her core legislative priorities. She advocates tax incentives to encourage affordable housing development, full funding for Section 8 and rental assistance, and lower construction costs by removing tariffs on materials and updating foreign construction worker visa policies.

• Proposes tax incentives for developers to build affordable housing.
• Supports full funding for Section 8, HUD programs, public housing, and rental assistance.
• Advocates ending tariffs on materials and updating immigration rules for foreign construction labor.

“Encourage new housing development by offering tax incentives that make it easier to build affordable homes.”

“Lower construction costs and grow the workforce by ending tariffs that raise material prices and updating immigration policy so trained foreign construction workers can legally help build more homes.”

Casey Shepard

Supports expanding SNAP, WIC, and global food aid

Casey Shepard views food access as a basic human right and prioritizes fully funding federal nutrition programs like SNAP, WIC, and school meals. Internationally, she advocates restoring the USAID Food Program and eliminating food tariffs.

• Advocates protecting and expanding SNAP, WIC, and school breakfast and lunch programs.
• Supports farm subsidies and loan assistance programs to bolster domestic food stability.
• Calls for restoring the USAID Food Program and ending food tariffs.

“Protect and expand food programs so every person has access to the basic right to food.”

“Rebuild global food stability by restoring the USAID Food Program and ending tariffs that raise food prices.”

Pete Sessions

Supports gun rights and opposes gun control

Pete Sessions is a staunch defender of Second Amendment rights and opposes federal restrictions on firearms. He is a lifetime member of the Texas Rifle Association, holds an 'A' rating from the NRA, and is endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund.

• Lifetime member of the Texas Rifle Association.
• Holds a solid 'A' rating from the National Rifle Association.
• Endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund.

“Pete is a lifetime member of the Texas Rifle Association and maintained a solid “A” rating from the NRA for his votes in Congress.”