Darren Hamilton

Darren Hamilton was born in Spokane, Washington. Hamilton's professional experience includes working in data management. He has been an actor, radio personality, motivational speaker, and club DJ. Hamilton served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1984 to 1992.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

First, let me be very clear about this: I am many things, but one thing I am NOT is a politician. By profession, I am a data analyst, statistician, and database engineer. I am a Marine, a husband, father, and grandfather. I am an autistic and a video gamer. I am a polymath and an autodidact.

Let me assure you that I am not blinded by naivete, or by wearing rose-colored lenses. Being a candidate from an alternative political party, it's not the high probability of losing this election that bothers me. It's the idea that no one else has even suited up for the fight. As Texans, we deserve better than to be represented in our halls of government by ONLY two wildly divergent political ideologies. If there is one thing that I learned from my time in the Marines, it's that we fight for a cause that we hold sacred. We don't just fight the battles that we know we can win; we fight the battles that NEED fighting regardless of the circumstances.

I believe that people should decide the laws, not government agents or political parties. I believe that if people are not harming others, they should be free to live their own lives and pursue their own interests free from intrusion or interference by the government into their personal lives, family lives, and business decisions. I am running for House District 57 because I believe that it is long past time for there to be a consistent voice for liberty and accountability in Austin.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Immigration - What we really should be discussing is "comprehensive immigration reform".

If Americans want immigrants to enter the United States through legal channels, then immigration laws should address making those legal channels fair, reasonable, and more accessible to potential immigrants. The point that I am trying to make here is that we should be talking to each other about how to accomplish this.

Libertarians like me believe that most American families came to the United States from somewhere else, whether long ago or relatively recently, and as long as they have no credible plan for, a history of, or perform acts of violence within our country, they should be welcome to immigrate to the United States.Repeal of Prohibition Laws - Prohibition is the act of forbidding something, especially by law. It's basically the government telling people what they cannot do and claiming that these laws are in place "for the public good", but they're not.

Laws covering censorship, abortion elimination, and recreational cannabis are just a few existing prohibitions that should be heavily scrutinized and repealed. We should not be trying to control anyone else's personal choices or decisions, especially through lawEducation and School Choice - Education is one of the most expensive government services and should be expected to provide some of the best returns on our investment.

Unfortunately, the discussions on improving education typically revolve around throwing more money at a system that was designed well before the current information age. Parents, teachers, AND students should be able to determine for themselves the best course for their education, not the government.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about returning a sense of personal responsibility and accountability to public offices.

I believe that each person is unique - an individual with individual thoughts and dreams, and individual needs. As such, I believe that each person is best suited to decide for themselves what to do for themselves and their families, not big government. As long as they are not hurting anyone else, my job as a Texas Representative is to remove the obstacles that have been put in the way of Texas's citizens living and working in a way that best achieves their hopes and dreams. Nothing will change unless someone stands up and says something.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

In my opinion, personal integrity and personal accountability. After all, whether in business or in the halls of government, but especially as a person who represents other people, being honest with your word to your family, to your friends, or in your career really means very little if you are not honest with yourself. Personal integrity implies trustworthiness and holding yourself to the same (or higher) standard to which you hold others.

As a leader, personal accountability is one of the most important traits to possess. It allows you to take responsibility for your own actions and decisions, and it builds trust with the people around you. Having personal accountability allows you to focus on your goals rather than spending time trying to defend yourself. Being able to "lead by example" is an aspect of personal accountability. It allows you to remain consistent with your personal values and guides you when making difficult decisions.

Maybe I'm just being naive, but it seems to me that if our elected officials exhibited more personal integrity and personal accountability, there might not be as much generalized mistrust of our government and its officials.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

There is only one core responsibility in being elected to this (or any) office: represent the people of my district in the state legislature. Anything else is inconsequential. As a Libertarian, one of my guiding principles, especially as it realtes to laws and government, is "liberty"; it's in the name. As a representative, my sole purpose is to uncover any nuance of present or future state law that seeks to limit the freedom or liberty of my constituents and ensure that their voices are heard over the din of partisan bickering. In this office, my responsibility is to serve ALL of the people, not just the ideals of any one political party.

The motto of most police forces is "to serve and protect". The intent of the phrase refers to serving the physical needs of the people and protecting them from physical harm. The primary difference here is that officials at the state representative level are intended to serve and protect the people from laws that restrict, infringe, or cause harm.

If you want your representative to promote a specific ideology regardless of its cost to others who do not share that ideology, you should probably vote for someone else.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Asking a bibliophile to choose a favorite book is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. There is never a single one, and all of them have their own individual appeal. As an autistic, I find immense satisfaction in re-reading the collective works of multiple authors. A short list of these authors includes Piers Anthony (primarily the "Xanth" and "Incarnations" series), Orson Scott Card (the Ender's and Mither Mages series, and "Pastwatch"), David Eddings (the "Belgariad" and "Mallorean"), C.S. Lewis ("Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters", Anne McCaffery ("Dragonriders"), Neil Peart (if you know, you understand why), Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling (never underestimate the quality of teenage literature), J.R.R. Tolkein ("Lord of the Rings" and associated works), and Mark Twain (as a satirist, his work is unparallelled).

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Many years ago (as an adult), I received an official diagnosis of having Asperger's Syndrome (abbreviated to "AS" when that was still an official diagnosis; now it's simply defined as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder). The biggest disadvantage that comes with this form of autism (at least for me) has been my inability to recognize common social cues that most neurotypical people seem to take for granted.

I think it's important for people to understand AS (and autism in general). Even though the DSM no longer includes AS as a separate diagnosis, it's still a useful way to identify people with low social skills but generally higher intelligence - along with higher than normal rates of manic-depression and suicide. Unfortunately, most non-autistic people tend to perceive most things in a strictly binary context making it difficult to understand something in shades of gray - especially something as complex as autism.

When it was first suggested to me that I had AS, I went to the library to look up the diagnosis. I furiously wrote down, word for word, all of the diagnostic markers - one of which is writing down information for later use - in an effort to present evidence that I did not, in fact, have AS, all the while not realizing that by doing this, I was actually proving her point.

It's easy to see that a person in a wheelchair has a physical impairment and may require help and support. As a neurological condition, the indictors of autism are generally behavioral in nature, and so are often invisible to the rest of the world. We are not stupid, but because we don't always "fit in" socially, we are often teased, bullied, or otherwise vilified for our behaviors. We don't often have many friends even though we want to, and those who care about us - family, and those we consider 'family' - are often concerned that we are not taken advantage of for our 'gifts'.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Compromise is absolutely necessary for policymaking, and anyone who believes otherwise probably has a pretty craven way of looking at politics. It is the epitome of foolishness to believe that a individual person, or political party, has all of the answers necessary for every political issue that comes down the line.

While virtually all Americans agree that destructive partisan divisiveness is a huge problem (according to a 2021 poll), an overwhelming majority (71%, from that same poll) agree that there is more common ground among the American people than is commonly acknowledged by either of the major political parties or by the media.

Compromise, as a general idea, allows people like me, who see compromise as beneficial, to take the best parts of each partisan solution and compile something that will work for everyone. The reality of partisan politics is that everybody talks AT each other, but few actually say anything substantial, and still nothing ever seems to get done.

I believe that if the citizens of Texas really want to get anything done, then they deserve a representative who is not going to get stuck in the stalemate of partisan politics.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A hunter is quietly going through the woods when he surprises a bear. The bear takes a swipe at him sending the hunter's rifle spinning away to be lost in the woods, and sending the hunter into a tree which knocks him out for a few moments. The hunter comes to his senses just in time to see the bear lumbering over to place one of his huge paws on the man's chest, holding him in place on the ground. Figuring that he doesn't have much time, the man closes his yes and silently prays, "Dear God, I know I haven't been a very good man, but please make this bear a Christian!" The next moment, the man feels the bear's paw lift from his chest. Opening his eyes, he sees the bear place his two front paws together in a prayerful motion and say, "for what we are about to receive..."

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

The first bill I would introduce into the Texas legislature is a bill intended to alter the allocation of Electoral College votes in Texas from the current "winner-take-all" system to a more fair and balanced system that shows that Texas does NOT belong to any single political faction, but is also willing (like Maine and Nebraska) to show the rest of the nation that ALL voices matter in the selection process of our President.

My own preference is to allocate Electoral College votes based on the majority of votes within each of Texas's 38 congressional districts (Maine and Nebraska do this) leaving the final two electoral votes to be cast for the candidate who achieves a statewide majority. The intent of this bill is to allow Texas's disenfranchised voters to have a voice in electing the President regardless of the majority view.

Video for [the profile publisher]

Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased May 31, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

First, let me be very clear about this: I am many things, but one thing I am NOT is a politician. By profession, I am a data analyst, statistician, and database engineer. I am a Marine, a husband, father, and grandfather. I am an autistic and a video gamer. I am a polymath and an autodidact.

Let me assure you that I am not blinded by naivete, or by wearing rose-colored lenses. Being a candidate from an alternative political party, it's not the high probability of losing this election that bothers me. It's the idea that no one else has even suited up for the fight. As Texans, we deserve better than to be represented in our halls of government by ONLY two wildly divergent political ideologies. If there is one thing that I learned from my time in the Marines, it's that we fight for a cause that we hold sacred. We don't just fight the battles that we know we can win; we fight the battles that NEED fighting regardless of the circumstances.

I believe that people should decide the laws, not government agents or political parties. I believe that if people are not harming others, they should be free to live their own lives and pursue their own interests free from intrusion or interference by the government into their personal lives, family lives, and business decisions. I am running for House District 57 because I believe that it is long past time for there to be a consistent voice for liberty and accountability in Austin.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Immigration - What we really should be discussing is "comprehensive immigration reform".

If Americans want immigrants to enter the United States through legal channels, then immigration laws should address making those legal channels fair, reasonable, and more accessible to potential immigrants. The point that I am trying to make here is that we should be talking to each other about how to accomplish this.

Libertarians like me believe that most American families came to the United States from somewhere else, whether long ago or relatively recently, and as long as they have no credible plan for, a history of, or perform acts of violence within our country, they should be welcome to immigrate to the United States.Repeal of Prohibition Laws - Prohibition is the act of forbidding something, especially by law. It's basically the government telling people what they cannot do and claiming that these laws are in place "for the public good", but they're not.

Laws covering censorship, abortion elimination, and recreational cannabis are just a few existing prohibitions that should be heavily scrutinized and repealed. We should not be trying to control anyone else's personal choices or decisions, especially through lawEducation and School Choice - Education is one of the most expensive government services and should be expected to provide some of the best returns on our investment.

Unfortunately, the discussions on improving education typically revolve around throwing more money at a system that was designed well before the current information age. Parents, teachers, AND students should be able to determine for themselves the best course for their education, not the government.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about returning a sense of personal responsibility and accountability to public offices.

I believe that each person is unique - an individual with individual thoughts and dreams, and individual needs. As such, I believe that each person is best suited to decide for themselves what to do for themselves and their families, not big government. As long as they are not hurting anyone else, my job as a Texas Representative is to remove the obstacles that have been put in the way of Texas's citizens living and working in a way that best achieves their hopes and dreams. Nothing will change unless someone stands up and says something.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

In my opinion, personal integrity and personal accountability. After all, whether in business or in the halls of government, but especially as a person who represents other people, being honest with your word to your family, to your friends, or in your career really means very little if you are not honest with yourself. Personal integrity implies trustworthiness and holding yourself to the same (or higher) standard to which you hold others.

As a leader, personal accountability is one of the most important traits to possess. It allows you to take responsibility for your own actions and decisions, and it builds trust with the people around you. Having personal accountability allows you to focus on your goals rather than spending time trying to defend yourself. Being able to "lead by example" is an aspect of personal accountability. It allows you to remain consistent with your personal values and guides you when making difficult decisions.

Maybe I'm just being naive, but it seems to me that if our elected officials exhibited more personal integrity and personal accountability, there might not be as much generalized mistrust of our government and its officials.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

There is only one core responsibility in being elected to this (or any) office: represent the people of my district in the state legislature. Anything else is inconsequential. As a Libertarian, one of my guiding principles, especially as it realtes to laws and government, is "liberty"; it's in the name. As a representative, my sole purpose is to uncover any nuance of present or future state law that seeks to limit the freedom or liberty of my constituents and ensure that their voices are heard over the din of partisan bickering. In this office, my responsibility is to serve ALL of the people, not just the ideals of any one political party.

The motto of most police forces is "to serve and protect". The intent of the phrase refers to serving the physical needs of the people and protecting them from physical harm. The primary difference here is that officials at the state representative level are intended to serve and protect the people from laws that restrict, infringe, or cause harm.

If you want your representative to promote a specific ideology regardless of its cost to others who do not share that ideology, you should probably vote for someone else.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Asking a bibliophile to choose a favorite book is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. There is never a single one, and all of them have their own individual appeal. As an autistic, I find immense satisfaction in re-reading the collective works of multiple authors. A short list of these authors includes Piers Anthony (primarily the "Xanth" and "Incarnations" series), Orson Scott Card (the Ender's and Mither Mages series, and "Pastwatch"), David Eddings (the "Belgariad" and "Mallorean"), C.S. Lewis ("Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters", Anne McCaffery ("Dragonriders"), Neil Peart (if you know, you understand why), Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling (never underestimate the quality of teenage literature), J.R.R. Tolkein ("Lord of the Rings" and associated works), and Mark Twain (as a satirist, his work is unparallelled).

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Many years ago (as an adult), I received an official diagnosis of having Asperger's Syndrome (abbreviated to "AS" when that was still an official diagnosis; now it's simply defined as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder). The biggest disadvantage that comes with this form of autism (at least for me) has been my inability to recognize common social cues that most neurotypical people seem to take for granted.

I think it's important for people to understand AS (and autism in general). Even though the DSM no longer includes AS as a separate diagnosis, it's still a useful way to identify people with low social skills but generally higher intelligence - along with higher than normal rates of manic-depression and suicide. Unfortunately, most non-autistic people tend to perceive most things in a strictly binary context making it difficult to understand something in shades of gray - especially something as complex as autism.

When it was first suggested to me that I had AS, I went to the library to look up the diagnosis. I furiously wrote down, word for word, all of the diagnostic markers - one of which is writing down information for later use - in an effort to present evidence that I did not, in fact, have AS, all the while not realizing that by doing this, I was actually proving her point.

It's easy to see that a person in a wheelchair has a physical impairment and may require help and support. As a neurological condition, the indictors of autism are generally behavioral in nature, and so are often invisible to the rest of the world. We are not stupid, but because we don't always "fit in" socially, we are often teased, bullied, or otherwise vilified for our behaviors. We don't often have many friends even though we want to, and those who care about us - family, and those we consider 'family' - are often concerned that we are not taken advantage of for our 'gifts'.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Compromise is absolutely necessary for policymaking, and anyone who believes otherwise probably has a pretty craven way of looking at politics. It is the epitome of foolishness to believe that a individual person, or political party, has all of the answers necessary for every political issue that comes down the line.

While virtually all Americans agree that destructive partisan divisiveness is a huge problem (according to a 2021 poll), an overwhelming majority (71%, from that same poll) agree that there is more common ground among the American people than is commonly acknowledged by either of the major political parties or by the media.

Compromise, as a general idea, allows people like me, who see compromise as beneficial, to take the best parts of each partisan solution and compile something that will work for everyone. The reality of partisan politics is that everybody talks AT each other, but few actually say anything substantial, and still nothing ever seems to get done.

I believe that if the citizens of Texas really want to get anything done, then they deserve a representative who is not going to get stuck in the stalemate of partisan politics.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A hunter is quietly going through the woods when he surprises a bear. The bear takes a swipe at him sending the hunter's rifle spinning away to be lost in the woods, and sending the hunter into a tree which knocks him out for a few moments. The hunter comes to his senses just in time to see the bear lumbering over to place one of his huge paws on the man's chest, holding him in place on the ground. Figuring that he doesn't have much time, the man closes his yes and silently prays, "Dear God, I know I haven't been a very good man, but please make this bear a Christian!" The next moment, the man feels the bear's paw lift from his chest. Opening his eyes, he sees the bear place his two front paws together in a prayerful motion and say, "for what we are about to receive..."

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

The first bill I would introduce into the Texas legislature is a bill intended to alter the allocation of Electoral College votes in Texas from the current "winner-take-all" system to a more fair and balanced system that shows that Texas does NOT belong to any single political faction, but is also willing (like Maine and Nebraska) to show the rest of the nation that ALL voices matter in the selection process of our President.

My own preference is to allocate Electoral College votes based on the majority of votes within each of Texas's 38 congressional districts (Maine and Nebraska do this) leaving the final two electoral votes to be cast for the candidate who achieves a statewide majority. The intent of this bill is to allow Texas's disenfranchised voters to have a voice in electing the President regardless of the majority view.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Darren Hamilton and I am running to represent central Denton County in the Texas House of Representatives. I am primarily driven my a sense of service to my family, my country, and my community, and I am committed to taking that dedication to Austin. I moved to Houston with my family at the age of 14. It was there that I learned the value of service, a consistent work ethic, and respect for others , but most of all for liberty. These are all principles that I still carry with me today. Like many others from Texas throughout the years, I chose to serve in the armed forces and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at 19. After concluding eight years of active duty service with the Marines, I eventually returned to Texas.

I believe that people should decide the laws, not government agents or political parties. I believe that, as long as people are not harming others, they should be free to live their own lives and pursue their own interests free from intrusion or interference by the government. I am running for House District 57 because I believe that it is long past time for there to be a consistent voice for liberty and accountability in Austin.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Immigration - What we really should be discussing is "comprehensive immigration reform". If Americans want immigrants to enter the United States through legal channels, then the immigration laws (and their reforms) should address making those legal channels fair, reasonable, and more accessible to potential immigrants. The point that I am trying to make here is that we should be talking to each other about how to accomplish this. Libertarians like me believe that most American families came to the United States from somewhere else, whether long ago or relatively recently, and as long as they have no credible plan for, a history of, or perform acts of violence within our country, they should be welcome to immigrate to the United States.Repeal of Prohibition Laws - Prohibition is the act of forbidding something, especially by law. It's basically the government telling people what they cannot do and claiming that these laws are in place "for the public good", but they're not. Laws covering censorship, abortion elimination, and recreational cannabis are just a few existing prohibitions that should be heavily scrutinized. We should not be trying to control someone else's personal choices or decisions, especially through law.Education and School Choice - Education is one of the most expensive government services and should be expected to provide some of the best returns on our investment. Unfortunately, the discussions on improving education typically revolve around throwing more money