Dr. Donna Campbell Debates, Outshines Opponent

Dr. Donna Campbell’s opponent asked for more debates and she delivered. Republican Donna Campbell and John Courage, her Democratic opponent for Texas Senate, squared off Wednesday on Texas Public Radio, followed by a Thursday debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Wimberley.

“I’ve been doing these type of events for nearly a year,” Donna Campbell said. “The voters of the district know me and they know the values I represent. Now they are learning about my liberal opponent. We can’t afford his plans to expand government, increase runaway spending, and put Texas jobs at risk.”

The forum on Texas Public Radio, hosted by Ryan Loyd, marked the third time the two candidates have met in the past ten weeks. They also had a feisty debate in September in front of the San Antonio Express News Editorial Board. The League of Women Voters event in Wimberley marked the fourth debate and fifth event where they have appeared on stage together.

The candidates sparred on issues ranging from education and health care to transportation and securing the border.

Dr. Campbell, an emergency room physician, said she would fight ObamaCare and questioned the wisdom of spending billions to expand Medicaid, which is projected to eat up nearly 40% of the Texas budget by 2025. Mr. Courage defended ObamaCare and the program’s costly expansion.

Both candidates said they wanted to improve education, but Mr. Courage offered no specifics other than more spending. Dr. Campbell said she wanted to drive more dollars to the classroom by cutting administrative costs and eliminating unnecessary testing. She also said that Taxpayer Savings Grants should be one option on the table.