Editorial: In District 37 primaries, Doggett for Democrats, Sharon for Republicans

After serving a congressional district based in Austin since 1995, including a decade as the representative in District 35, Democrat Lloyd Doggett is seeking a new title: Congressman in U.S. House District 37.

Republicans in charge of redrawing congressional boundaries last year drew District 37 to concentrate as many Democrats as possible into one Austin-based seat, a bid to increase GOP chances of winning in other Central Texas districts.

At 76 and seeking a 15th term in Congress, where he is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, Doggett has championed issues important to the Austin district, from voting rights to environmental protections. He has earned voters' support in the March 1 primary. Early voting ends Friday.

Doggett remains a conscientious presence in Washington, waging opposition to the Trump administration’s policy of separating migrant families at the border and, more recently, fighting to expand Medicaid coverage. He is a staunch supporter of abortion rights and vows touse his position in Congress to thwart Gov. Greg Abbott's attempts to divert federal funding from public schools in Texas. Doggett has described Republican attempts to restrict voting as "the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime" and vows, if re-elected, to work to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Doggett's seat on the House Ways and Means Committee -- he's also chairman of its health subcommittee -- gives him sway in congressional negotiations on issues includingfederal tax policy, trade, Social Security and Medicare. He successfully led a charge last year to force the release of $18 billion in federal COVID-19 funds intended for Texas public schools.

Donna Imam, a computer engineerfrom Austin who lost to Republican Rep. John Carter in a 2020 race for the Round Rock-based U.S. House District 31 seat, is vying to unseat Doggett.

Imam shares many of Doggett's positions, including support for abortion rights, expanding federal health care and ensuring that military veterans get the benefits they have earned.

Imam also proposes a national plan to tackle homelessness, an issue that has vexed Austin. Imam demonstrates a thoughtful, earnest command of the issues (her websiteoffers detailed policy proposals), but she can't match Doggett's experience or seniority in Congress. We hope Imam will continue to seek an opportunity to serve in elective office, but we recommend Doggett in this primary.

Chris Jones and Quinton ‘Q’ Beaubouef also are running in the Democratic primary.

Sharon is best choice for Republicans

Three Republicans are running in the District 37 primary. Jenny Garcia Sharon, who won a Republican runoff election in District 35 in 2020, and then lost to Doggett in the general election, offers the best choice for Republican voters. Sharon is running on a standard Republican Party platform that includes opposition to abortion rights and mask mandates, strengthening voting regulations and support for taxpayer-funded vouchers that parents could use to send their children to private or parochial schools. She wants the federal government to finish building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and says she supports legal immigration.

Rod Lingsch, a self-employed pilot who lives in San Antonio, and Jeremiah Diacogiannis, a pilot and a commissioned officer in the United States Navy Reserve, also are running in the Republican primary.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Editorial: We recommend Doggett and Sharon in District 37 primaries