Published: July 19, 2008 05:37 pm      

Hopson, Walker agree to battle of ideas; topics are sought

By Kelly Young

kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com

The Political Spirit is making a comeback. During the previous election cycle for House District 11, back in 2006, the Jacksonville Daily Progress began a weekly political column — called The Political Spirit — which gave the two major candidates in the election an opportunity to share their platforms with the public. Each week we posed several policy questions on a given topic to both candidates and then reported their responses.

We are glad to report that both Chuck Hopson and Brian Walker’s campaigns have very willingly committed to participating in the endeavor again this year. Beginning next month, The Political Spirit will start up once again, appearing once per week for approximately 10 weeks. This should result in the column winding down just in time for the Nov. 4 elections.

Democratic incumbent Chuck Hopson is attempting to win his fifth term in the Texas House of Representatives. Hopson has been serving Cherokee, Houston, Rusk and Panola counties in the state legislature since 2000. Republican Brian Walker, an attorney and adjunct professor at Panola College, hopes to break into state government with his stances as both a fiscal and social conservative.

Hopson won re-election in 2006 by defeating opponent Larry Durrett by a margin of 17,588 to 15,900.

Two years ago, topics covered by the articles included illegal immigration, abortion and stem-cell research, property rights, taxes, economic development, the environment, education and sundry social issues.

While many of the topics this year will be the same or similar to the ones covered in the past, the Daily Progress needs your help to come up with the rest of the questions. If there are any general topics or specific questions you would like the candidates to answer, e-mail them to kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com and we will try to include as many as possible.

Please limit the submissions to policy questions that both candidates can answer equally. Personal attacks will not be published.

Judging by reader feedback in 2006, The Political Spirit column was a success, and we hope it will again serve to educate voters and offer a more complete view of both candidate’s political platforms.