TX-01: Nathaniel Moran (R)

REPLACING:

Louie Gohmert (R)[i]

WORK HISTORY:

Smith County, Texas (County Judge); Nathaniel Moran Law Firm PLLC (Founding Partner); Ramey & Flock PC (Partner); Snow Fogel Spence LLP (Associate Attorney); Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce (Board Member); City of Tyler, Texas (Mayor Pro Tem); City of Tyler, Texas (Councilmember, District 5); Tyler Economic Development Council (Executive Committee Member); Cander Foundation for Life (Board Member); Catalyst 100 Community Leadership Program (Member); The Discovery Science Plan (Board Member); Whitehouse ISD Education Foundation (Founding Board Member)[ii]

EDUCATION & TRAINING:

BA, US Military Academy; BA, Texas Tech University; MBA, Texas Tech University; JD, Texas Tech University[iii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Stopping Government Overreach; Protecting the Second Amendment; Illegal Immigration; Preventing Abortions; Election Security[iv]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Moran believes life begins at conception and has pledged to protect “the life of every unborn child to the furthest extent of the law so they can fulfill their specific calling in life.” Moran supports the Heartbeat Law in Texas.[v]

ECONOMY, JOBS & TAXES:

Moran decreased property taxes in Smith County during the pandemic and plans to advocate for similar policies in Congress. Moran believes the “out of control” federal deficit has led to threats from foreign creditors. He intends to reduce government spending, cut waste and decrease regulations in order to control the deficit.[vi]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Moran has stated that the “government should stop mandating healthcare decisions” and intends to fight for “choice and competition” in health insurance options.[vii] Moran is also opposed to both mask and vaccine mandates, believing they are examples of government overreach.[viii]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

Moran has accused the Biden Administration of “refusing to act to secure our border” and has characterized border security as a “full-scale national security issue.”[ix] Moran has stated he will take “strong action to secure our border.” Moran considers border security one of his policy priorities and has said that “good fences make good neighbors.”[x]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

Moran describes himself as a “strong supporter” of law enforcement. He opposes the Defund the Police movement, saying that “we should ‘re-fund’ law enforcement rather than defund it.” He raised law enforcement salaries while serving as a Smith County Judge.[xi]

GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS & ELECTION SECURITY:

Moran has claimed that “election fraud is real.” He invested in new voting machines and commissioned a review of voter data while serving as Smith County Judge. Moran has raised questions about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, according to FiveThirtyEight.[xii]

EDUCATION:

Moran is opposed to teaching Critical Race Theory in schools, characterizing it as a “Marxist” policy. He believes that state governments should oversee education policies and would prioritize ensuring the federal government is not dictating education policy decisions.[xiii]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Moran is a strong proponent of the oil and gas industry, calling oil and gas executives in Texas “heroes” that “keep America running.”[xiv] Moran plans to fight for American energy independence, which he has called “critical to our national security,” further stating “Drill, baby, drill!” [xv] [xvi]

GUN SAFETY:

Moran is a strong defender of the Second Amendment. He spearheaded the effort to have Smith County, Texas declared a “Sanctuary County for the Second Amendment.” He has stated that he believes the right to bear arms is essential for protecting citizens “from each other and from the government.”[xvii]