Daniel Betts is a criminal defense attorney who lives in Dripping Springs. He ran unsuccessfully for Travis County District Attorney in 2024. Betts is in a crowded Republican primary to replace U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Dripping Springs), who is running for Attorney General instead of seeking reelection in 2026.
Hear from the candidate
1. Please tell voters about yourself.
I’m 40 years old and one of the few candidates in this race who lives in the district and votes in Republican primaries; my wife Piper and I live in Dripping Springs and are blessed to homeschool our three boys, ages 8, 5, and 9 months.
I was homeschooled growing up and received my college degree in Chemistry from University of Chicago, immediately moving to central Texas to attend UT Law, graduating with a JD in 2010. Since then I started a small law firm, where I have practiced criminal defense for the past 16 years.
I previously ran for District Attorney of Travis County to try to unseat the Soros-backed DA there, and I am a former candidate to the Republican state convention. In my spare time I enjoy gardening, cooking, playing saxophone, and I am the president of Hope Lutheran church, and a lifelong conservative Christian.
2. Briefly describe your top policy priorities.
Stabilize our grid and maintain energy independence by getting rid of green new deal subsidies to eliminate battery energy storage system projects, while clearing regulatory burdens for nuclear to be paired directly with desalination and data centers where necessary, to eliminate the need for high voltage power lines destroying the natural beauty of the district by placing power generation directly where it is needed.
Solve water issues with desalination coupled with preparation for major storms including enhanced low water crossings, real time geotargeted text alerts, and real time river gauges, and a plan to capture and use the rain when it comes and inject it back into our aquifers. Eliminate the income tax and move to a consumption tax model to eliminate government inefficiencies and keep wealth where it was generated.
3. What should Congress be doing to rein in inflation and/or stabilize/boost the economy?
Government involvement always results in increased inefficiency, which affects affordability. Eliminating the income tax will supercharge our economy. Washington needs to get out of the way with central planning initiatives and allow power to flow back to the states where market conditions are most felt and can be acted on most nimbly. Tax cuts must be paired with fiscal restraint to slim the size of government and the costs it imposes on all aspects of our lives.
4. What should Congress be doing to reform immigration laws?
Congress should pass the PAUSE Act, stopping all forms of immigration while we get a handle on the 20 million illegal immigrants here, it should repeal H1B, and it should pass a Constitutional amendment and send it to the states eliminating birthright citizenship. When we do start legal immigration again, it should be a merit-based system that prioritizes our needs as a country, and not a random lottery with quotas.
5. At a time when the White House is asserting more control over national security and spending without Congress’ input, how would you handle disagreements over the division of power?
Congress has long abrogated its responsibilities, surrendering them to the executive branch but primarily to the administrative state. Congress needs to repeal the War Powers act to re-establish the Constitutional framework under Article I and II, and learn to legislate again through single topic bills, not ambiguous grants of power to unelected regulatory agencies. As they fall down on the job, other agencies like the executive have taken up the torch and we need to re-enforce an originalist Constitutional framework. When Congress does its job and disputes arise, the courts are best situated to call balls and strikes on where the line lies.
6. The past year has brought tremendous uncertainty to many Americans surrounding rising health insurance premiums and lack of access to medical care near their homes. What do you believe Congress should be doing to make health care affordable and accessible to residents in your state?
Subsidies will never solve this problem. The need for health care is inevitable, so why do we use insurance to treat it?
I am endorsed by Senator Rick Santorum because like him I support the use of HSA’s instead of insurance, coupled with a government issued catastrophic plan that covers wellness visits so we don’t wait until we are sick to take healthcare seriously. To mediate costs we need to regulate pharmacy benefits managers to prevent them from double dealing to support the large pharmacies that own them, and we need to incentivize telemedicine for rural healthcare, removing burdens on it in Medicare.
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