The Endorsement Process. Texas Parent PAC evaluates candidates before primary, general, and certain special elections.  Board members and PAC supporters research and interview candidates.   Previously, most interviews were in person, although some were over the phone.  Since spring of 2020, interviews commonly take place over Zoom.  Rather than simply using a questionnaire to assess candidate viewpoints, PAC volunteers find one- to two-hour face-to-face interviews of first-time candidates most elucidating.   Final decisions on endorsements are made by the Board of Directors.

A Select Number. Texas Parent PAC endorses a select number of legislative candidates because in some races: (1) there is more than one strong education advocate; (2) there is no candidate who we believe would be a consistent supporter for public education; (3) the preferred candidate does not have a viable campaign effort; (4) candidates did not seek Texas Parent PAC’s endorsement, as well as other reasons. Endorsement of a select number allows the PAC to concentrate its financial resources and volunteer time.

Bipartisan Endorsements. In each election cycle, Texas Parent PAC strives to financially support an equal number of candidates from both major political parties, as public education should not be a partisan issue.

Financial Contributions and Expenditures. Texas Parent PAC makes direct financial contributions and in-kind donations to many of its endorsed candidates. Texas Ethics Commission reports listing PAC contributions and expenditures may be viewed online at the Texas Ethics Commission’s web site by doing a Simple Search for Filer ID 57682.  

Low Overhead, Volunteer Effort. About 95 percent of funds contributed to Texas Parent PAC are spent in support of campaigns. The PAC has low operating overhead, with no headquarters office and no salaried staff. PAC board of directors members volunteer their time to provide day-to-day leadership, and both board members and volunteers help with campaigns and fundraising. As needed, the PAC contracts with professionals having specialized skills to accomplish specific tasks.

Texas Parent PAC seeks to be transparent in its endorsement and financial processes. If you have questions, please send a note to info@txparentpac.com, and a volunteer will respond.