Claire Campos-O'Neal
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Claire Campos-O'Neal (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 51. She lost in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2022.
Campos-O'Neal completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Claire Campos-O'Neal was born in Michigan. She earned a bachelor's degree from Wheaton College in 2007. Her career experience includes working as a realtor.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Texas House of Representatives District 51
Maria Luisa Flores defeated Robert Reynolds in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 51 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Maria Luisa Flores (D)  | 84.4 | 42,393 |
| Robert Reynolds (R) | 15.6 | 7,818 | |
| Total votes: 50,211 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 51
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 51 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Maria Luisa Flores | 60.3 | 8,113 |
| Cynthia Valadez-Mata | 11.4 | 1,528 | |
 | Matthew Worthington | 10.5 | 1,412 | |
| Claire Campos-O'Neal | 7.4 | 992 | |
| Albino Cadenas | 4.7 | 636 | |
| Mike Hendrix | 3.7 | 499 | |
 | Cody Arn | 2.0 | 269 | |
| Total votes: 13,449 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 51
Robert Reynolds advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 51 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Reynolds | 100.0 | 1,615 |
| Total votes: 1,615 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2022
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released Feb 1, 2022 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Claire Campos-O'Neal completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Campos-O'Neal's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I’m Claire Campos-O’Neal, a proud progressive Democrat, daughter of a first generation Mexican-American and I’m running for Texas State Representative for House District-51. As a mom to two young boys, lifetime volunteer, and public education advocate, I am passionate about my community. I believe that Texas is at its best when we come together as neighbors and ask how we can help one another. House District 51 is a fast growing district that for far too long has lacked infrastructure, food access, healthcare and active leadership. I am committed to standing up for residents' needs and working to provide a better life for all Texans.
- Public Education - Every Texas student deserves access to a high quality public school education. For schools to thrive, they need well supported teachers and staff, well-maintained facilities and community engagement. COVID-19 further strained educators by asking them to do more with less resources and staff members. The Texas legislature must make education spending its top priority. Schools are so much more than a place to learn basic subjects. It’s where kids build friendships, problem solve, collaborate, nurture creativity and in some communities, it’s where they get their basic needs met. I will push legislators to make education spending a top priority.
- Healthcare - Texas has the highest number of uninsured people in the nation. Sadly this number has continued to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic as many people have lost their jobs. The federal government has money available to expand Medicaid and get more Texans the health insurance they desperately need. Texans overwhelmingly support Medicaid expansion and we need leaders who will continue to challenge the few conservative legislators who stand in the way of progress. We must also ensure that women have access to reproductive healthcare and agency when it comes to family planning.
- Housing - As a Realtor in Austin for the past 10 years, I have had a front-row seat to the fast growth in Central Texas. The average home price in the Austin area is $500K+. Families should make at least $165,000 per year to afford the median home. It is becoming incredibly difficult to afford a place to live - for rent or purchase - because our housing inventory is so low. The state could provide relief by investing in affordable housing and updating zoning laws. Our laws should incentivize developers to create communities with all types of dwellings - single-family homes, auxiliary dwelling units, multi-family, apartments. District 51 residents like walkable, park-friendly communities and we can encourage them with the right legislation.
For me, my reason for running is public education. Public education is at a breaking point in America. Our educators do not feel supported and they are leaving the profession in record numbers. I believe the fight starts here. We need to support our children and their families, especially the most vulnerable, and the best place to do that is in public schools. We know school is where many children get their meals, receive healthcare, develop good relationships with peers and adults and learn. I want to help the helpers. This is my passion and reason for running.
I look up to Brene Brown and Adam Grant and their work on leadership. Brene Brown speaks about being a wholehearted leader, someone who is self-reflective and inspiring. She says that a wholehearted leader 'takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.' She also speaks about choosing courage over comfort and this is a mantra to live by as an elected leader who is faced with tough decisions. Adam Grant is another thought leader who understands the importance of curiosity, creativity, and dynamism. He says that 'a hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it’s time to abandon some of your most treasured tools-and some of the most cherished parts of your identity.' This is so relevant to keep in mind in our hyper-partisan political climate.
A book that I recently read and admire when it comes to my political philosophy, especially around public education matters is Democracy in Chains. The author historian Nancy MacLean explains how economist James McGill Buchanan made the idea of 'public choice economics' so popular. LacLean explores how Buchanan made the argument against the public good by claiming the government cannot be trusted and therefore, we should leave almost all matters up to the market. As someone who deeply believes in the importance and need for the public good, I think it's important to understand why there's such distrust of government now so we can try to correct the ship.
I think the most important characteristic for an elected official to have is to have intellectual humility. Legislatures are tasked to make decisions on a wide variety of matters that affect millions of Texans. It's impossible to be an expert in all of these realms and therefore so necessary to rely on the expertise of others. I think legislators should always be seeking out more knowledge and updated information so that they can make the best, most informed decision.
I think the most important characteristic for an elected official to have is to have intellectual humility. Legislators are tasked to make decisions on a wide variety of matters that affect millions of Texans. It's impossible to be an expert in all of these realms and therefore so necessary to rely on the expertise of others. I think legislators should always be seeking out more knowledge and updated information so that they can make the best, most informed decision.
My initial inclination to this answer was 9/11, but I think the first big historical event that I remember was Columbine. I was a freshman in high school and I recall the feeling of fear of going back to school. The media at the time kept going on and on about the Trench Coat Mafia. I remember being suspicious of certain kinds of kids in school because I was being told that they were the ones to watch. Now that I'm a parent, it's so disheartening to know that school shootings have become even more prevalent and accepted as a part of American life.
My first job was at Kev's Grille in the Del Rio mall. It was a fast-food snack stand where we sold ice cream, popcorn, burgers, nachos, and pickles. I had that job for one year. I enjoyed working there but had to end my employment because I was in a horrible T-bone car crash in high school. My pelvis was fractured in five places and I had to use a wheelchair and crutches to get around. It took many many months to heal.
I think that both the governor and state legislature should have mutual respect for each other and try to find consensus when possible. They should have an open-door policy and want to find areas of agreement to better the lives of residents.
I am concerned about the lack of investment in the public sector in Texas. Many state departments are understaffed as well as underpaid. When people do get onboarded to different state agencies, the turnover rate is high. We need to create a better work culture for state workers and offer more competitive pay. There are certain areas that the government is best set up to manage such as our police and fire services, public education, utility services, providing clean water, and traffic networks. When we fail to invest in our state services and infrastructure, we pay the price. The bill came due last February during Winter Storm Uri when millions of Texans were without power, hundreds of Texans died needlessly and our economy came to a halt.
The benefit of a unicameral state legislature is that more things can be accomplished. You don't have to deal with the back and forth of a bilateral state legislature. The drawback and that it's hard to show down legislation if less a fewer places to stop it.
I think there are benefits and drawbacks to state legislators having previous experience in government or politics. The benefit is that those representatives have a sense of the mechanics of how the government works. They also might know of the key players and how to engage with them. The drawback is that with anything you have a strong familiarity with and feel highly competent at, it becomes harder to think creatively and be willing to rethink your approach. Many of our legislators serve for decades at a time. The public more often than not is frustrated by the lack of collaboration and forward momentum from its leaders. I would like to see more state legislators from outside the political establishment.
It is not only beneficial to build relationships with other legislators, it is necessary to accomplish anything worthwhile. At the end of the day, anyone serving in government is a person who brings their unique perspective to the table and their emotional milieu. The legislative process should be one of collaboration and compromise. The best way to create fertile soil for good policy, is to first invest in knowing and caring for those who you work with.
I believe that redistricting should be managed by a non-partisan, independent redistricting commission. That commission must be sure to have strong checks and balances. It would also need to have transparency, independence and the opportunity for public input.
Honestly I would find meaning and purpose in any committee that I would be assigned to. The best part of campaigning for me, has been speaking with legislative experts from different groups. I love the process of learning about their priorities and how the legislator either helps advance or hinder their cause.
I really admire Wendy Davis. I have heard from past staffer that she was a joy to work with and a kind person. I am also so impressed by her tenacity and resilience to block Senate Bill 5. She stood for thirteen hours to filibuster a bill that would have had extremely restrictive abortion regulations in Texas. Ultimately the bill did pass, but her willingness to stand up for women's rights was inspiring.
Not at this time
When I think about the people in the district and the most impactful personal stories, my mind goes to the stories that have been shared with me by school staff members. For the past six years, I have volunteered with a program called FIT (Food in Tummies). We deliver backpacks full of food to schools in Del Valle ISD where there is a high number of students on the free or reduced lunch program. We work with the schools’ Parent Community Liaisons (PCL). The PCL at one school told me about how necessary our program is to families. She told me about a grandmother who was caring for her young elementary-aged grandson. She lives on a fixed income and money is extremely tight. The grandmother shared that without the food from the FIT program, her grandchild would not eat. I am grateful that I can give back and help families like hers, but it also breaks my heart that she is so dependent on us. What if we lost our funding and could no longer provide? The state should be doing more for our most vulnerable.
Yes. There are exceptional times when the legislature should have a hand in using emergency powers. For instance, the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic when the public was still struggling to understand the proper response to an unknown virus.
I do believe that some level of compromise is necessary when it comes to policy making. What you can do to help your position is know how much to ask for. I come from a Real Estate background and my first broker told me that the person with the most information wins. You also learn in real estate that a win-win situation is ideal, you want everyone to walk away feeling like they were heard and got some of what they wanted. It's important for elected leaders to seek out a wide range of information when it comes to policymaking and build a diverse coalition of supporters.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 3, 2022
