Democrat Lee Bausinger looks to take on US Rep. Tony Gonzales for District 23 seat

Devine, Texas-based engineer Lee Bausinger is mounting a campaign for the U.S. House District 23 seat currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales.

He'll face off against primary challenger Santos Limon on Super Tuesday, March 5. And with a crowded Republican primary field for the District 23 seat, it's still uncertain who the Democratic contender will face in the Nov. 5 General Election.

Though this is the first time he has ever run for office, Bausinger believes the tragedy that unfolded at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in May 2022, which had a dramatic impact on his wife — herself an educator — made it necessary for him to jump into the race as a staunch proponent of gun reform.

"It hit her so hard," Bausinger recalled. "Uvalde is only an hour and a half away from us in Devine ... she was in tears for days over that."

"She fully supports me in all of this," he added, "which has been extremely helpful."

And though he concedes that he lacks Gonzales' experience and the deep pockets and connections of Limon, he believes his engineering background and connection to the district will prove to be an asset.

"Whatever I do in Washington is going to affect me and my family (in Devine)," he said, "which I think is the ideal situation. If I do something wrong, I want it to affect me; if I do something right, I want it to affect me. I think we need to see more of that in politics."

A 'jack of all trades'

Born into a military family, Bausinger started in Fayetteville, Arkansas, but moved all over the country, a tradition he would follow when he joined the U.S. Navy.

Bausinger said he and his family moved 11 times over five years.

"I've seen a lot of the country," Bausinger said. "It's annoying to be moved that many times, but I look at it as an advantage. I've been able to see so many places and meet so many people."

After serving in the Navy, Bausinger took several jobs, from an electrician and a welder to his current job as a municipal water engineer.

"You name it, I was doing it," he said, "a jack of all trades."

Bausinger and his wife of 34 years have lived in Devine for the last 15 years.

'The big five'

Bausinger's priorities if elected to the District 23 seat break down along five main points he called "the big five" — healthcare reform, gun reform, immigration reform, education and water infrastructure — and he looks at each one from an engineer's perspective.

When it comes to gun reform, a tough nut to crack in a decidedly pro-gun Texas, Bausinger is driven by his memories of the school shooting in Uvalde.

"I don't want to take guns," Bausinger said. "I want to reform and control what guns can be sold, what guns can be manufactured, and what guns can be imported into the United States."

For Bausinger, the biggest issue is the short amount of time it takes for a high-powered, assault-style rifle to fire dozens of shots, giving law enforcement precious little time to respond before there is a significant loss of life, as was evidenced by the delayed response in Uvalde.

"There are engineering solutions you can put in place to give people time in these situations and I think that's something that's not being discussed," Bausinger said. "That doesn't infringe on gun ownership for sport, but it also reduces the likelihood of criminals having these weapons."

"It breaks the heart to know kids and teachers bled to death because police were afraid to enter the space because of a powerful weapon," he added.

While women's reproductive rights are high on his agenda, Bausinger's position on healthcare leans more toward the need for more access to health services in rural parts of Texas.

"In Devine ... we have one clinic that's only open Tuesdays and Thursdays and no emergency care," he said, "and there are towns that are even more remote. In those areas, if someone gets hurt, it could be an hour drive or a helicopter ride (to the nearest hospital). I very much want to improve that situation if I can."

On immigration, Bausinger called for hiring more employees to bolster the efforts of local law enforcement, who in many towns are being called away from policing duties to assist in screening and processing incoming asylum-seekers.

"We want people to be welcome into this American experience," he said. "I think the focus is on pushing them away. No, let's bring them in and make them a part of America ... and do it in a way that treats them like people."

Bausinger noted that District 23 covers roughly 880 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border, making immigration reform of particular concern for the area.

"It's a big issue," he said. "We need more people on the ground out there, which, coincidentally, would increase employment."

Along those miles of border, water is likewise a big issue and one that Bausinger is getting more harried by the policies of Texas Republicans, which continue to strain relations with Mexico. Current treaties require each nation to contribute to the flow of the Rio Grande, but Texas policies are causing some in Mexico to push back.

"These draconian immigration laws Texas has been coming up with ... that gives the representative counterpart across the border an opportunity to not provide water and they're already pushing for that," he said. "Immigration impacts water infrastructure and ranchers and farmers in Texas and a lot of people don't realize it, don't even think about it."

Where education is concerned, Bausinger said a concerted effort has to be made to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and part of that means reevaluating the state-mandated STAAR test.

"COVID broke the education system here in Texas and elsewhere," he said. "It's hard to get kids engaged because they're used to unlimited screen time and "the Texas Education Agency) doesn't seem to understand that. If the kids don't care, they don't care, it doesn't matter how rigorous the test is. We're not setting our kids up to succeed."

No matter the issue, Bausinger hopes to bring his solution-driven engineering experience to the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I want to be the guy who comes up with solutions to real-life problems," he said. "That's why I'm running for the position I am because I want to get in there and hopefully do some good."

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Democrat Lee Bausinger eyeing race against US Rep. Tony Gonzales