Kristin Hook is a biological scientist who studied animal behavior and worked at the National Institutes of Health. Most recently, she worked as a biologist at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, moving back to Texas in 2022. She was Democrat’s nominee for Texas’ 21st Congressional District in 2024 and is now in a three-way primary for that position in 2026.
Hear from the candidate
1. Please tell voters about yourself.
I’m 41 years old and moved from San Antonio to San Marcos last year. I grew up in Corpus Christi and was raised by a single mom who lived paycheck to paycheck and never went to college.
Because of taxpayers like you, I had a chance in life – Pell grants helped me attend UT-Austin to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in 2007 and a National Science Foundation award supported my graduate studies to earn a PhD in behavioral biology at Cornell University in 2016.
A career in public service is how I chose to give back – first as a middle school teacher for underserved students, then as a science and technology expert in the federal government helping Congress make fact-based decisions, and most recently as the 2024 Democratic nominee in our district working to improve lives.
2. Briefly describe your top policy priorities.
I’m running to fight for affordability, demand accountability, and expand opportunity for working Texans.
As a working-class Democrat, I believe hard work should be rewarded and that our economy should work for all of us – not billionaires or special interests. To make life more affordable, I will fight to lower the cost of housing, health care, child care, elder care, and groceries. I support raising the federal minimum wage, unrigging our tax code so the wealthy pay their fair share, and strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security so everyone can live and retire in dignity.
Before running, I protected your hard-earned taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse in the U.S. Government Accountability Office and held the Trump administration and corporate CEOs accountable as an oversight investigator for Senator Elizabeth Warren. In Congress, I will continue to fight corruption and hold powerful interests accountable – especially those putting profits over people and abusing their power to undermine our democracy.
Finally, I will protect civil and human rights, strengthen public schools and workforce training programs, and safeguard our environment and clean water so every Texan has a fair shot to thrive on a liveable, healthy planet.
3. What should Congress be doing to rein in inflation and/or stabilize/boost the economy?
Congress plays a critical role in expanding economic opportunity for Americans. As a scientist, I am committed to federal policy that is driven by facts and evidence – not ideology.
To rein in inflation, we must lower the cost of living for people. That means building more affordable housing, expanding child care and health care supply, allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and cracking down on corporate price gouging and monopolies. Combined with responsible fiscal policy, these evidence-based steps can reduce inflation while protecting workers and boosting the economy.
To support economic growth, we need to (1) lower costs and provide certainty so businesses can invest and expand, (2) build a well-trained and educated workforce through strong employer- education partnerships; and (3) strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation, and small businesses by expanding access to capital and investing in infrastructure, research, and technology that drive productivity and long-term economic growth.
4. What should Congress be doing to reform immigration laws?
I believe a more humane and pragmatic immigration system is possible. Congress needs to modernize our current immigration laws to balance national security, economic needs, and the human rights of immigrants and asylum seekers. If elected, my top three priorities will include:
(1) Putting a stop to the weaponization of ICE and ensuring that immigration enforcement operations are transparent, accountable, and consistent with constitutional protections for all persons in the U.S.
(2) Providing a path to citizenship or legal status for undocumented immigrants, particularly for Dreamers or those who have Temporary Protected Status.
(3) Incentivizing legal immigration by making the process better and more efficient – such as by modernizing our current visa system, expanding worker programs in industries with labor shortages, and moving toward community-based case management systems for asylum seekers and refugees instead of inhumane detention practices.
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?
The Constitution is clear – we have separation of powers for a reason. The role of Congress is not to capitulate to the president or executive branch of government, it’s to hold them accountable to we the people.
Having worked in congressional oversight in the U.S. Senate and U.S. GAO, I know how to demand answers, enforce reporting requirements, and build bipartisan coalitions to defend checks and balances and fight corruption.
Congress should serve as a critical check on the power of the executive and judicial branches. If elected, I would assert Congress’s authority through rigorous oversight investigations, transparent hearings, and the responsible use of Congress’s power of the purse – especially when national security or taxpayer dollars are at stake.
I believe accountability is essential to a healthy democracy, and any disputes over power must be resolved by facts and the rule of law – not ideology or political pressure.
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?
Like so many of you, I’ve struggled with rising health care costs – reducing my coverage, skipping medications, and facing surprise bills. I believe healthcare is a human right and that no one should go bankrupt, delay care, or risk their life because they can’t afford to see a doctor or fill prescriptions.
To make healthcare more affordable and accessible, Congress should: strengthen primary care; expand the healthcare workforce; reform pricing; protect and expand the ACA, CHIP, Medicare, Medicaid, and tele-health; and remove barriers for low-income, rural, and veteran communities.
Importantly, Congress must get profits out of healthcare. Big Insurance adds layers of cost and complexity that make our health care system far more expensive without delivering better outcomes. When elected, I will use negotiation, competition, regulation, and public options to shift incentives from profits to patient-centered, affordable care – so every Texan can get the care they need without financial hardship.
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