My Platform

Leadership Matters. And Right Now, We Need It.

I’m J Gordon Mitchell, a veteran, a former school board trustee, a disaster responder, a public health advocate, and a proud Texan running for Congress in TX-17.

For too long, we’ve been told to settle. Told to settle for representation that shows up for donors, not communities. Told to settle for leaders who talk tough but vanish when it matters most. Told to settle for policies that protect profits while working families fall behind.

I don’t settle, and neither should any of us.

Leadership means showing up when it’s hard. It means knowing what it means to serve, not just in title, but in action. I’ve led in crisis, in classrooms, on the front lines of disasters, and through community heartbreak. I’ve sat across from grieving parents, displaced families, and young people fighting to be heard. What I’ve learned is this: real leadership listens. Authentic leadership leads from the front. Real leadership delivers.

That’s why I’m running.

Below are the 10 priorities I’ll take with me to Washington. These aren’t talking points, they are commitments.

My Commitments to TX-17

Leadership Matters. Service Counts.

These are my truths, and they’re backed by experience, action, and a lifetime of standing up for others. As your next representative in Congress, I will fight for:

🔹 Reproductive Freedom  

No politician should come between a person and their doctor. I will fight to restore federal protections for reproductive healthcare, including the right to abortion.

🔹 Healthcare You Can Count On   

Everyone deserves care they can afford and access. I support Medicare for All or a strong public option that puts people first, ahead of profits, and at the center of the system.

🔹 A Fair Economy for Working People 

Workers deserve a living wage, period. We must protect unions. No more tax loopholes for billionaires. I will advocate for investing in working families, small businesses, and the communities that built this country.

🔹 Protecting Our Kids, Not Gun Lobby Profits 

As a gun owner, I join my fellow Texans in their calls for increasing the minimum age to purchase weapons, universal background checks, and red-flag laws. Common-sense gun reform is long overdue, and for me, it is a non-negotiable. I also support restrictions on bump stocks, high-capacity magazines, and suppressors. These items are not designed for hunting or protection, but for rapid-fire mass casualty events. We need policies that actually protect our children.

🔹 Climate Action Now 

Texans are living the consequences of extreme weather and corporate negligence. I support bold investments in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and environmental justice.

🔹 Fighting for Fully Funded Public Education 

We must commit to fully funding our public schools. We must also pay teachers what they deserve. Finally, we must protect the freedom to learn and end political attacks on our classrooms and our kids.

🔹 Dignity and Rights for Every American 

From LGBTQIA+ rights to disability justice to racial equity, civil rights are human rights. I will defend every community’s right to exist, thrive, and be safe.

🔹 Immigration with Humanity 

We need fair, functional immigration reform. That starts with a path to citizenship, ending family separation, dismantling abusive practices in our communities, and holding federal agencies accountable.

🔹 Real Accountability in Government 

Ban corporate PAC money. End dark money. Pass term limits. Elected officials should answer to the people, not the highest bidder. It is time to end the special treatment for members of Congress.

🔹 Mental Health Is Public Health 

Mental health care must be accessible, affordable, and fully integrated into our healthcare system. That includes crisis response, suicide prevention, and substance use recovery.

🔹 Housing Is a Basic Human Right 

Everyone deserves a safe, stable place to live. I support national rent stabilization, increased investment in public and affordable housing, and protections for tenants and families facing displacement. Additionally, it is time to end speculative buying of housing units by hedge funds.