I’ve been involved for several years on the citizen side as an advocate for various legislative initiatives in Austin. I’ve hade the privilege of being involved in some tremendous successes, including the Convention of States resolution in 2017, Property Tax reforms in 2019, and Constitutional Carry in 2021.
I’ve been on the losing side of banning taxpayer-funded lobbying, but I’m not giving up, and Hayden supports banning it as well.
In my experience, a few of key things are crucial to have a meaningful impact in the state legislature:
- A sound understanding of the issues, their nuances, and the obstacles to enacting legislation
- An ability to have meaningful discussions with people who may not align with you politically or ideologically
- The courage and the will to stand by your principles
I believe Hayden meets all of these requirements. It’s not an overstatement to say that I’ve grilled him extensively on the issues. He’s very knowledgeable about them, and on the very few areas we don’t align, he was very open and forthright about his position and clear in his explanation. That’s what makes someone not a politician.
I have faith that Hayden will serve in Austin not as a politician, but as a citizen advocate who learns to navigate the legislature in a way that gets real results to the greatest extent possible.
Early voting starts next Monday, Valentine’s Day. Please join me in supporting Hayden Padgett for Texas State Representative for HD 70.
