From restructuring LP&L to dealing with Snow Storm Goliath, in his past four years as mayor, Glen Robertson, R-Texas, has seen it all. Now, he is hoping to hold a new office in Washington, D.C.
Robertson is one of two candidates vying for the District 19 congressional seat in the May 24 runoff election. He hopes his mayoral experience will make him a successful representative if elected.
Glen Robertson. Photo provided by Robertson’s Facebook.
“That’s not something you’re born with,” Robertson said in a phone interview. “You have to learn how to bring people together. And I think that’s the number one job of a congressman.”
A Lubbock native, Robertson has been a businessman in the city since he was 19 years old. Understanding the importance of hard work and determination, he said he is ready to face the new challenges being a congressman could present.
If elected, Robertson has 10 goals he would like to accomplish. He said he came up with about 20 initiatives when he first decided to run for Congress, but knew he needed to cut them down.
Robertson hopes to tighten border control, but help those trying to come to the U.S. legally to provide a better quality of life for their families. If elected, Robertson would also fight to overhaul the health system, abandoning the Affordable Care Act while fighting to keep a few of the aspects he thinks work, such as allowing parents to keep children on their insurance for a longer amount of time.
Robertson would also like to simplify tax codes, making them easier to understand.
“There are more pages in the tax code than there are in the Bible,” Robertson joked. “Which, if you think about it, is a little bit mind-blowing.”
Providing for the military and veterans and increasing national security are other issues important to Robertson. He is also a pro-life advocate.
Robertson considers himself a Constitutional Conservative and hopes to give state and local government more power, decreasing the role of the federal government. Robertson is also in favor of term limits for politicians. He plans to uphold individual liberties that were outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
As for issues facing college students, Robertson would like to see tuition rates and student loan debt go down.
“We are burying these young men and women in debt by the time they get through school,” Robertson said. “Their chance of paying back that debt in a job market that’s weak right now, it’s just getting worse and worse. We have to address that issue.”
If elected, Robertson said he will represent all of his constituents equally, including Texas Tech students.
Robertson presenting at the annual State of the City earlier this year. Picture provided by Robertson’s Facebook.
Houston native Katie Main changed her voter registration so she could vote for Robertson in the congressional election. The freshman journalism major has volunteered for his campaign, encouraging other Texas Tech students to vote for the candidate.
“I did a lot of research about what he stood for and what he was running for, and a lot of my beliefs lined up with his, so I decided to get involved,” Main said in a phone interview.
Main said Robertson does a lot to reach out to the Texas Tech community, something she greatly admires. Robertson said he hopes more young voters will show interest in local politics and truly make a difference.
“The younger you get engaged, the more likely you are to actually alter the course of the country,” Robertson said. “We’re raised to believe we have the right to vote. I argue that and say we have a responsibility to vote.”
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