North Texas Sun sent questions to all candidates listed on the ballot in the Republican and Democratic primaries, which are being held on March 3. Early voting runs Feb. 17 through Feb. 27, including Sunday.

Check the Denton County Elections Administration website see who is on your ballot and where to vote on Election Day.

Republican primary

Brandon Gill (incumbent) did not return the questionnaire.

Name: Robert Chick

Age: 31

Occupation: Owner/Operator, Healthcare Recruitment

Website: www.StickWithChick.org

What made you want to run for office?

After Charlie Kirk was assassinated, I was hoping we were going to learn the lesson I believe the Lord was intending: We are all Americans, countrymen & children under Christ. We need to start working together and stop with this animosity. We unfortunately missed that opportunity to come together as a nation.

What experience do you bring to the office?

None, the same as Brandon Gill when he ran in 2024. I only ask my constituents to hold me to the same standards they had then.

Republicans currently have a tight margin in the House of Representatives. Are you willing to work across the aisle to pass legislation? How?

Yes. It seems that I'm going to be working in the minority. That doesn't mean I'm not going to solve problems for Texans and Americans. How? I'm going to put solutions on the table that are too good to refuse. Like banning foreign & domestic private equity firms from owning single-family residential homes. That's going to give young Americans a fair shot at the American Dream and lower my constituents property taxes. That's not a red or blue issue, that's a red, white, & blue issue.

If elected, what legislation would you pursue that would directly impact your constituents?

We're bringing a VA Medical Center to Denton County so that veterans in NTX don't have to travel 2 hours south to get a full service care. It's a problem I speak with many veterans across NTX about and I believe we can get funding secured and shovels in dirt by the end of my term.

What will be your biggest priorities in Congress?

In this order: Affordability. If we can figure out how to split the atom, we can figure out how to lower your grocery bill. Youth Homeownership/Property Taxes. These issues have the same solution as I mentioned above. We also need to work on making sure quality, low-cost starter homes are being built in desirable areas across Texas and across the nation. Division in America. We are countrymen, not enemies. We sometimes have different solutions but we all have roughly the same problems. We're going to have to work together to solve them.

What do you think is the biggest issue the country is facing?

Trust in institutions, with good reason. I look forward to working with Thomas Massie to expose and bring to justice anyone involved in crimes as it relates to the Epstein files. Along and seemingly tied into that is foreign influence within our government. America is not a client state to foreign whims.

Democratic primary

Name: Ernest R. Lineberger, III

Age: 67

Occupation: Retired Naval Officer, Retired Engineer (Semiconductor Manufacturing)

Website: https://www.linebergerforuscongress.com/

What made you want to run for office?
I am extremely disappointed in our Republican majority Congress for their direction of serving the top 1% economically vs. All Americans, embarrassing America internationally, and driving up the national debt with their ‘cash-in’ agenda.  They show no effort to check or constrain the overreaching Executive branch and actively work to empower and condone this overreach.  Our nation was not built to serve politicians or the powerful.  No, it was quite the opposite.  The officials are empowered to serve the people. The current level of chaos, corruption, cruelty, and consequences is too much and must be countered.
In 2020, I was contacted by several candidates for office looking for support.  In 2022, after redistricting, I was surprised to learn that there was no Democratic candidate running for US House.  We were not giving voters any alternative.  Had we quit?  In 2023, I went to a candidate forum to learn who would be on the ballot, and once again there was going to be no Democratic candidate for US House for the 2024 election.  After some checking and research, I jumped in 'To Give Voters a Better Choice'.  It was a steep learning curve and a lot of work.  I got over 138,000 votes but lost to the Republican.  Instead of quitting, I stayed in the race, working for improved name recognition and message reach for the 2026 election.

What experience do you bring to the office?

As a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer, specialized in nuclear power, I served tours on multiple warships including the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. These were years of service, long hours, few personal comforts, and hard work requiring dedication and responsibility.
After retirement, I manufactured semiconductors at Texas Instruments in Dallas for over 29 years. This helped keep high paying jobs in this critical industry here in America and North Texas. 
Long before that, I was the youngest in a family of six where my father was a navy chaplain and Lutheran Minister.  We traveled a lot, lived in a lot of different places, and interacted with a wide variety of people.  As I grew up listening to my father’s sermons, my faith developed.  It boils down to ‘Love your neighbor and we are all neighbors’. 
I have been active in my community with philanthropy and volunteering in roles including hospice volunteer, wheelchair ramp building, sewing for Capes for Kids, and more.

Republicans currently have a tight margin in the House of Representatives. Are you willing to work across the aisle to pass legislation? How?

Whether the margin is tight or overwhelming, we should always work towards bipartisan solutions.  The difficulty is that the Republican goal is to serve big business and the top 1% economically, while Democrats are focused on the people’s needs and advancing peace at home and abroad.  To garner votes, Republican Candidates have used division, fear and hate to pit Americans against their neighbors.  This puts these two groups at odds.  However, it may be possible to find ways to come to agreement, for example Senator Langford was able to cobble a bipartisan bill on Immigration and Border policy (killed by Trump).  With respect, I plan to burn no bridges, find common ground, and build together.  This is key to building joint ownership for long lasting progress.

If elected, what legislation would you pursue that would directly impact your constituents?

The John Lewis Voting rights act.
Healthcare as a human right – Medicare for All
Balance Budget and Tax the wealthy sufficiently
Executive Overreach Control including Tariffs, War Powers, and more
Minimum wage increase
Fair pricing regulations – ensuring adequate supply
Housing reform to restore market availability  and affordability
Federal Education Standards including funding guidelines
Roe v. Wade standards for women’s reproductive health care
Immigration reform and border security
Monopoly restrictions for business and farming
Interstate Water Management
Human equality regardless of category
Weapon safety and security standards
and more

What will be your biggest priorities in Congress?

Not to be funny, but these are the same answer. 
They are my biggest priorities because they impact my constituents and the nation.
The John Lewis Voting rights act.
Healthcare as a human right – Medicare for All
Balance Budget and Tax the wealthy sufficiently

Executive Overreach Control including Tariffs, War Powers, and more
Minimum wage increase
Fair pricing regulations – ensuring adequate supply
Housing reform to restore market availability  and affordability
Federal Education Standards including funding guidelines
Roe v. Wade standards for women’s reproductive health care
Immigration reform and border security
Monopoly restrictions for business and farming
Interstate Water Management
Human equality regardless of category
Weapon safety and security standards
and more

What do you think is the biggest issue the country is facing?

Our country is facing the biggest issue possible, and that is that the top office holders in the country don’t care about the people, or the nation, or the world.  They have no concern for the chaos, corruption, cruelty, and consequences that they create, directly and indirectly.  They refuse to take responsibility.  They cling to power through lies, coercion, division and threats.  No government is perfect, but the Trump 2.0 administration along with their minions and empowerers in Congress, the Supreme Court, and even many state governments like Texas, have taken greed and corruption to a whole ‘nother level.
Fortunately, in 2026 we have a large group of Democratic candidates with service in their hearts and many with service in their past (veterans) who are not looking for personal gain, but are ready to put in to practice their answer to JFK’s question, “Ask not what your country will do for you – Ask what you can do for your country”.

Name: Steven Shook

Age: 45

Occupation: Nurse Practitioner

Website: https://shookforcongress2026.com/

What made you want to run for office?

I decided to run for office because I’ve spent my career on the front lines of crisis, and I’ve seen firsthand what happens when leadership fails people who are doing everything right.

As a healthcare provider, I’ve cared for North Texans at their most vulnerable, families working hard, paying their taxes, and still getting squeezed by rising costs, broken systems, and political dysfunction they didn’t create. In that world, excuses don’t save lives. Showing up does.

I’m running because North Texas deserves representation that understands the real-world consequences of policy decisions, not as talking points, but as lived experience. We need leaders focused on solving problems, lowering costs, protecting rights, and putting people over politics. That’s how I’ve served my community, and that’s how I intend to serve in Congress.

What experience do you bring to the office?

I bring decades of frontline experience serving North Texans where decisions have immediate, real-world consequences. As a healthcare provider, I’ve worked in high-pressure environments where lives depend on teamwork, preparation, and accountability, not ideology or excuses.

Beyond clinical care, I’ve managed complex systems, coordinated across disciplines, and advocated for patients navigating insurance, access to care, and rising costs. That experience translates directly to legislating: understanding how policy affects people on the ground and how to build workable solutions across competing interests.

I also bring deep roots in North Texas and a record of public service focused on results, integrity, and showing up when it matters most. Congress needs more leaders who’ve actually done the work, solved problems, and been accountable to the people they serve.

Republicans currently have a tight margin in the House of Representatives. Are you willing to work across the aisle to pass legislation? How?

Yes, working across the aisle isn’t optional in a closely divided House, it’s required. Real people don’t care which party gets credit; they care whether problems get solved.

I’ve spent my career working in environments where teamwork across differences is the only way outcomes improve. In healthcare, you don’t ask about politics in an emergency, you focus on the patient and the solution. I’ll bring that same mindset to Congress.

Practically, that means focusing on areas where common ground already exists, lowering healthcare and prescription drug costs, supporting veterans, strengthening infrastructure, protecting rural hospitals, and holding the federal government accountable. I’m willing to work with anyone who’s serious about results, transparent negotiations, and policies that materially improve life for North Texans.

Bipartisanship doesn’t mean compromising your values. It means being competent enough to turn them into law.

If elected, what legislation would you pursue that would directly impact your constituents?

My legislative priorities would focus on lowering costs and strengthening the systems North Texans rely on every day. First, I would pursue legislation to reduce prescription drug prices and healthcare costs by expanding price negotiation, capping out-of-pocket expenses, and protecting access to care, especially for seniors, veterans, and rural communities.

Second, I would work to protect and stabilize rural and community hospitals across North Texas, where closures and staffing shortages threaten access to emergency care. That includes targeted funding, workforce support, and fair reimbursement so hospitals can keep their doors open.

I would also prioritize infrastructure investments that directly affect daily life in this district, roads, bridges, broadband, and energy grid reliability, so families and small businesses aren’t paying the price for federal neglect or political gamesmanship.

Finally, I would support legislation that lowers everyday costs, strengthens worker protections, and restores accountability in Congress so the government works for constituents, not special interests.

What will be your biggest priorities in Congress?

My biggest priorities in Congress will be lowering the cost of living, strengthening access to healthcare, and restoring competence and accountability to government.

That starts with taking on the drivers of high healthcare and prescription drug costs, protecting access to care in rural and underserved parts of North Texas, and making sure working families aren’t one illness away from financial ruin.

I will also prioritize investments in infrastructure; including transportation, broadband, and energy grid reliability; that support growth, safety, and economic stability in our rapidly growing region.

Finally, I will focus on protecting civil rights, defending democratic institutions, and ensuring Congress actually works for the people it represents, not special interests or political theater.

What do you think is the biggest issue the country is facing?

The biggest issue facing the country is the growing disconnect between the decisions made in Washington and the lived reality of working Americans. Too many families are doing everything right and still falling behind, while political dysfunction prevents meaningful action.

This disconnect shows up in rising healthcare costs, housing affordability, infrastructure failures, and the erosion of trust in democratic institutions. When government stops delivering basic results, people lose faith and that’s dangerous for a democracy.

Fixing this requires restoring competent governance focused on solving real problems, lowering costs, protecting rights, and holding leaders accountable not feeding division or political theater.