Rick Noriega for US Senator from Texas

Background:

I grew up in working class Houston, graduated from public school and started college at Houston Community College. I enlisted in the military after the Iran Hostage Crisis. I graduate from the University of Houston and continued my military career and community organizing.
In 1998, I was elected to the first of five terms in the Texas House of Representatives. My day job has been as a manager for Centerpoint Energy, working on economic development that creates jobs for regular Texans.
I later graduated from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and earned a certificate in Advanced International Affairs from the George Bush School at Texas A&M University.
As a Lt. Col. in the Texas Army National Guard, I served in Afghanistan for one year. When I came back, the Mayor of Houston asked me to serve as Incident Director at the George R. Brown Convention Center, leading the effort to take care of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. I have also served on our nation’s border.
Today, I am a proud husband, father, and candidate for United State Senator from Texas.

Goals:

I never thought I’d run for any office higher than the Legislature. It was only after serving in Afghanistan and seeing with my own eyes the terrible cost of our blunder into war, coupled with seeing the human tragedy of Hurricane Katrina as the City of Houston’s Incident Director, that I contemplated running for higher office to address these huge issues.
My first goal is put an end to this misguided war. I want to help bring accountability back to Washington. I want to restore America’s reputation abroad and bring some type of civility back to our political discourse

Issues:

Stop the War.
Bring universal healthcare to hard working Americans.
Combat global warming, protect our environment and make sure America is a leader in the green economy of tomorrow.

Grassroots Support:

I am a candidate for this office because of the grassroots. During the 2007 legislative session a group of bloggers and my fellow Texas House colleagues initiated a Draft Noriega movement. I answered their call to serve.
Our campaign is driven by the grassroots. I am proud of our support in the blogosphere and among the netroots. I’m proud to have won the endorsement of Democracy for Texas with over a three to one margin (and better than 86.2%. And I am humbled to be seeking the endorsement of Democracy for America.
I came out of the grassroots, doing nuts and bolts community organizing in working class Houston. I have never been a big dollar politician, and I never will be.

DFA Values:

I am proud of my record in the Texas Legislature. For 10 years I have cast votes that have earned me the continued support of my constituents. I have a 100% pro-choice voting record. I was one of just 29 state representatives to vote against the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. I have always had a strong record on the environment, labor, and other issues of vital concern.

I believe being fiscally responsible means prioritizing our needs and always voting for the future and for our most vulnerable. That is why I have consistently opposed efforts to cut funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and why I have always voted for funding for our public schools and higher education.
The Bush Administration has taken “borrow and spend” to new heights. As a Senator I want to vote for balanced budgets that reflect our core values as Americans. That means everyone has to do their share. After all, we’re all in this together.