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Donna Campbell and John Courage Debate for Texas Senate District 25

State of Texas District Viewer

Following the primaries, Tea Party favorite Dr. Donna Campbell and Democrat John Courage emerged as the contenders for the Texas Senate District 25 seat.

The primary knocked longtime Senator Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, out of the running, along with challenger, former Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones.

Perhaps one of the only issues Campbell and Courage agree upon is opposition to toll roads, but they have vastly different views on health care, education, and energy.

So how does a physician plan to serve full time in the Senate?

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TPR
Tea Party candidate Dr. Donna Campbell.

"I believe it keeps me grounded, helps me know what's going on in the communities in Texas to continue working, so I will work part time," said Campbell. "I'm going to scale it way back, but I do plan to work just a little part time, and in the busy times of the session I won't work at all."

Courage says he plans to step down from his teaching position.

"When I'm elected, I'm going to be a full time Senator," said Courage. "The state says you can't collect two paychecks from the state of Texas , so when I'm elected I will resign from my teaching position and just be your full time Senator."

Campbell admits many policies, like the Republican-led effort to institute a state-wide Voter ID law, screams big government.

"It's important for a democracy to have some security of voters," she said. "Nothing supports our constitution more than to maintain our democracy and we need to have security of the integrity of our voting. That's not a non- Conservative issue."

On healthcare, Courage says it's a moral imperative that every Texan has insurance.

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Democratic candidate John Courage.

"I want to create a Texas solution that'll work for Texas," Courage said.

Campbell says she's opposed to the president's plan to expand Medicaid.

"It is not a good idea to expand the Medicaid program. It is using up so many dollars and there's waste, fraud and abuse," said Campbell. She says the president's health care plan is sandwiching government between doctors and patients and will cost the country billions that it can't afford.

Courage says he's a hometown man who understands the needs and concerns of the community because he's lived and worked in the district. Campbell says she's a fiscal conservative who wants the business climate and economic resources to continue making Texas strong.

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Ryan Loyd was Texas Public Radio's city beat and political reporter. He left the organization in December, 2014.