2026 Lieutenant Governor Campaign
I am not running because I wanted another title. I am running because the work I was already doing showed me how easily government power can move away from the people when citizens are not watching.
Political advertising paid for by Stephen Samuelson.
WHY I'M RUNNING
This Campaign Is Built on Work Already in Progress
I review Texas legislation beyond the summaries and headlines. I follow bills through their amendments and compare how the language changes.
When I identify provisions that appear to shift power away from the people, I document them, explain them in plain English, and contact the lawmakers involved to ask why those provisions were included.
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT
My candidacy did not begin with a campaign. It began with questions.
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Why can a citizen speak at a public meeting, yet the government prevent the people watching online from hearing that speech?
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Why do provisions appear in legislation that transfer authority away from individual Texans and toward government agencies, companies, or corporations?
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And when citizens identify those problems, who is willing to ask the questions publicly?
Those questions led me into a federal First Amendment case, a detailed examination of Texas legislation, and eventually into this campaign for Lieutenant Governor.
I believe Texans deserve leaders who are willing to read the law, question the government, show the evidence, and explain their decisions to the people.
I am currently pursuing a federal First Amendment case involving public speech and the government's official livestream of a public meeting.
The issue raises an important question: as government increasingly communicates with citizens through digital platforms, should constitutional protections disappear simply because a citizen is watching from a screen instead of sitting inside the room?
FOLLOWING THE LAWS
THE OFFICE SHOULD WORK FOR THE PEOPLE
The Lieutenant Governor holds enormous influence over what legislation moves through the Texas Senate. I believe that power should be exercised with transparency, restraint, and accountability.
CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHTS
LEGISLATIVE
TRANSPARENCY
GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY
Protect the rights of Texans, even when doing so is inconvenient for government.
Make it easier for Texans to understand how bills change, what amendments do, and who benefits from those changes.
Government agencies and elected officials should be able to explain the authority they exercise and the decisions they make.
POWER BELONGS
WITH THE PEOPLE
PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION
COMMON SENSE
LEADERSHIP
When legislation unnecessarily transfers authority away from citizens, those provisions deserve scrutiny.
Texans should not have to be attorneys, lobbyists, or political insiders to understand or participate in their government.
Focus on solutions that strengthen families, communities, and the freedoms that make Texas strong.
MY STANDARD FOR LEGISLATION
DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT
WHY WRITE-IN?
BEFORE I SUPPORT A LAW, I WANT TO KNOW:
You are not required to trust a politician.
You are not required to trust me.
Look at the documents.
Read the legislation.
Review the court filings.
Examine the evidence.
Then decide for yourself.
Elections should give Texans a meaningful choice.
My previous campaign introduced me to thousands of Texans who were looking for something different from traditional politics. I chose to continue that work rather than simply disappear after an election ended.
Running as a write-in candidate allows me to continue putting constitutional rights, government transparency, and legislative accountability in front of the people.
Whether someone ultimately votes for me is their decision. My responsibility is to give them something worth considering.
✓ What problem does it solve?
✓ What new authority does government receive?
✓ What authority does the individual lose?
✓ Who benefits?
✓ Who becomes responsible if something goes wrong?
✓ What changed between the original bill and the final version?
✓ Can the people affected by the law actually understand it?
Texans should not have to discover the consequences of legislation after it has already become law.
ABOUT STEPHEN SAMUELSON
I am a U.S. Army veteran, father, public advocate, and Texan.
My military service taught me that an oath to the Constitution means something.
My experiences navigating government systems taught me that rights written on paper only remain meaningful when people are willing to defend them.
I did not enter this work through the traditional political system.
I entered it by asking questions, requesting records, reading laws, challenging government decisions, and refusing to accept that ordinary citizens should simply trust what they are told.
CORRUPTION OR FREEDOM
THE CHOICE IS OURS. THE TIME IS NOW.
I am asking Texans to do more than vote.
Read. Question. Verify. Participate.
Government belongs to the people only as long as the people remain involved in it.
STEPHEN SAMUELSON
Official Write-In Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Political advertising paid for by Stephen Samuelson