Marc Veasey, a candidate for District 33 Texas Congress, is campaigning to increase jobs, improve education, offer affordable healthcare for Texans, and fight childhood obesity. Photo from campaign site. (Courtesy of Flicker)
On Nov. 6 the residents of District 33 will line up to vote for the first congressman of their new district. The candidates include Chuck Bradley, a Republican, Ed Lindsay from the Green party, and Marc Veasey, a Democrat.
“To be honest with you, there is a lot of talent running for Congress,” said Veasey.
Veasey is campaigning to increase jobs, improve education, offer affordable healthcare for Texans, and fight childhood obesity. Those issues are important to the electorate, he said.
“The first thing I want to do is to make sure President Obama is reelected because he’s done a great job,” said Veasey.
Texas’s 33rd Congressional District was created as a result of the 2010 Census. The redistricting allows for more economic and racial diversity among the voters. The district includes parts of Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Irving. The map, approved by Gov. Rick Perry, is currently under appeal and has been taken to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Veasey hopes to work with Obama on their top priority to increase jobs and to turn the economy around. In Texas, Veasey has been helping Obama turn out the votes. Even though Texas has traditionally been a red state, Veasey is doing everything he can to remind people to get out and vote in the upcoming Presidential election.
Leaders such as Martin Frost, a former North Texas congressman, and Eddie Bernice Johnson, a current Texas congresswoman representing Texas district 30, back Veasey. Johnson believes that Veasey knows the importance of building and protecting jobs in America.
“Marc Veasey is running a strong, positive campaign that inspires and motivates voters,” said Johnson.
One of Veasey’s top priorities is to help in the fight against childhood obesity. He said that young children, especially African American and Latino children, need help in eating enough fruits and vegetables. Childhood obesity has increased from 7 percent in 1980 to nearly 20 percent in 2008.
“I want to work on changing the way this country views exercise and nutrition. I really want to do something to make our lives healthier,” said Veasey.
Veasey wants to work with Michael Obama in her program in the United States Department of Agriculture called “Let’s Move”. This program allows congressmen to implement programs into their districts to fight childhood obesity.
Born and raised in North Texas, Marc Veasey has been part of the Texas State Legislature since 2004. When Veasey was in the 8th grade at Arlington Heights High School, he said that watching his uncle working for a U.S. majority leader spurred him to seek out politics. Veasey was elected in District 95, which included parts of the Forth Worth area. He has elected by his colleges as the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and also served as the party leader and a coalition builder.
Veasey earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Texas Wesleyan University. He then held jobs as a substitute teacher, newspaper clerk and script writer for an advertising agency, according to news reports. Then, in 2004, Veasey married his wife Tonya and ran for Texas House representative for District 95.
Veasey also helped in establish District 33. There are more than 2.1 million African Americans and Hispanics livings in Tarrant and Dallas counties. The Lone Star Project, the NAACP and the national League of United Latin American Citizens made a case in court that the size and density of the minority population in Tarrant and Dallas counties allowed for the creation of two additional minority opportunity districts in the area. As a result of this redistricting District 33 was created.
Veasey is excited about meeting new supporters and individuals in the district. “When you go out and meet new people, you can come up with new ideas and be enlightened and help the country become a better place,” said Veasey.
One of the things that Veasey said helped his career as a politician was the guidance he received while working as a staffer for congressman Martin Frost. By working under Frost, Veasey said he was able to understand that the life of a congressman is not glamorous. The bottom line is that they are there to serve the people, said Veasey.
“I encourage all young people who are interested in government to try and apply to work for a congressman or some other elected official because you get very good experience,” said Veasey.
Martin Frost is excited that the young men and women who have worked with him through out his 26 years representing North Texas in Congress have gone on to become leaders in their own communities. Frost said that Veasey is the best example of this.
“Texas and our nation badly need the type of hardworking, trustworthy and talented leadership Marc will bring to Congress,” said Frost in a letter he addressed to Texas voters.
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