Texas candidates opposed to higher taxes.

WASHINGTON - The primary elections in Texas on March 9 th resulted in a run-off for the Republican nomination in four district seats: the first, tenth, fifteenth, and seventeent h. The results for the taxpayers of Texas were phenomenal, as an overwhelming majority of these candidates have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge offered by Americans for Tax Reform, in which a candidate formally commits himself or herself to tax reform. All pledge signers put their promise into writing, and vow to the taxpayers to "oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses.and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing taxes."

ATR has offered the Pledge to all federal candidates since 1987. To date, President George W. Bush, 42 U.S. Senators and 216 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as eight governors and over 1,190 state representatives have taken the ATR Pledge. Additionally, 11 State Senators and 24 members of the State House of Representatives have signed the state-specific version of the Pledge. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Senator John Cornyn, as well as sixteen incumbent U.S. Representatives from Texas , have taken the pledge.

" America needs leaders who are committed to protecting taxpayers, and signing our Pledge demonstrates that kind of leadership," said Grover Norquist . "I strongly encourage every candidate for federal and state elective office to sign the Pledge," Norquist continued.

Texas Congressional Run-Off Candidates who have signed the Pledge:

John Graves (1 st )
Louie Gohmert (1 st )
Michael McCaul (10 th )
Ben Streusand (10 th )
Dot Snyder (17 th )
Arlene Wohlgemuth (17 th )