60 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • Early Summer 2018 TheCoastalBend.com VS GOING POLITICAL With District 27’s Congressman, former Rep. Blake Farenthold, having resigned from office amid a sexual harassment controversy, the race to replace him is in full swing. A special election will be held June 30th to determine who will serve out the remainder of his term, and thus who will compete as the incumbent in the November 6 general election. We take a look at each candidate’s official posi- tions, and what we intend to ask in one-on-one interviews. ERIC HOLGUIN - DEMOCRAT Holguin comes from deep roots in the Coastal Bend—his grandfather was Justice of the Peace in Jim Hogg County, his father is a teacher and football coach, and his mother is a nurse. Holguin graduated from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and worked for a U.S. Congresswoman from New York, and the New York City Comptroller. Looking at the“Issues”pages of his and his opponent’s websites, one would think that neither candidate is aware that Donald J. Trump is Presi- dent of the United States, while there is no argument that the 2018 mid- terms will be a referendum on the president, as it was in 2010. We intend to ask Mr. Holguin about his opinion of Trump, personally and as president, including his views on impeachment, the Trump economy and North Korea. Holguin believes that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and endorses a single-payer federal system. He supports spending on storm-resilient infrastructure, new schools, and the continued expansion of the Port of Corpus Christi. Holguin wants to protect NAS Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Army Depot from“for- profit companies;”he wants to spend on vocational and apprenticeship programs, supports tax credits that attract new industry, and is strongly pro-union. Holguin supports lowering the voting age to 17, is against any privatization of either the Veteran’s Administration or Social Security, and strongly supports LGBT rights. EricForUS.com MICHAEL CLOUD - REPUBLICAN Clouds lives in Victoria and runs a marketing and advertising company. While President Trump is mentioned only twice on his opponent’s website, Cloud’s does not contain the word at all, at least not in context of“Issues.” Cloud is a man of faith and has a beau- tiful family, so we will ask him about the role personal character should play in choosing our elected officials. His positions include reducing the federal deficit by cutting spending; boosting the economy by cutting regulations; a strong national defense, and declares that the 2nd Amendment protects us from government tyranny. On Healthcare, Cloud states that health insurance does not lower the cost of healthcare, and that govern- ment has caused costs to soar. He says he will fight government discrimina- tion against people of faith, and that some politicians are anti-family. We intend to ask him about these po- sitions, a border wall, and more, in our next edition. CloudforCongress.com