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Opinion

No recommendation in the race for Texas’ 3rd Congressional District

With no incumbent running, Republican Keith Self takes on Democrat Sandeep Srivastava.

Since we’ve launched our editorial emphasis on The American Middle, this board has heard from dozens of readers, contributors and wary voters about the dire need for a voice to counterbalance the partisan extremes in our political system. Those voters will not be well represented by either major party candidate in the race for Texas’ 3rd Congressional District. Knowing that, we can’t recommend either of them.

District 3 includes much of Collin County. Redistricting added rural Hunt County areas, making this a safer district for Republicans. The seat is currently occupied by Republican Van Taylor, who is stepping down following a personal scandal. Keith Self, who was runner up to Taylor in the primary this spring, is a retired Army officer and former Collin County judge.

Self, 69, represents the most caustic branch of his party. He touts endorsements by disgraced National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and the Texas Eagle Forum, whose recommendation of him calls the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol a “peaceful gathering.”

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Self told us his personal view on abortion is that there should be no exceptions to its ban, even in cases of rape or incest. He opposes any new gun control measures, and he complains about social media censorship, saying companies like Facebook and Twitter should be treated like public utilities rather than publishers.

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Self’s website says President Joe Biden’s border policy is “an intentional act of destabilization.” He told us his immigration plan is to: “Build the wall. Walls work. They worked in Berlin. They work in Israel.”

If that rhetoric sounds particularly dystopian, Democratic candidate Sandeep Srivastava is doing his best to match it. Srivastava said he won’t support any ban on abortion up until the moment of natural birth. That alone likely makes him unelectable in this conservative district.

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Srivastava praised President Joe Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan and other expensive nods to the progressive left. His solution to soaring national debt seems to be more spending.

Srivastava, 54, is an immigrant from India and an entrepreneur. He owns a chain of child care centers. But his immigration policy is thin. He suggests more resources for a visa program for unskilled workers which, while laudable, seems unlikely to address a crisis of the magnitude we’re seeing at the border.

Libertarian Christopher Claytor is also running in this race. He opposes any background checks on the sale of firearms, proposes ceasing all welfare and aid programs, wants to retreat from all foreign entanglements, and opposes any law regulating abortion.

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Voters in this district deserve a serious legislator with real, workable ideas to represent their interests. Sadly, they won’t find that on the ballot Nov. 8.

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