As part of our commitment to serving to Texas families, THSC vets candidates running for political office in Texas. We also issue endorsements of candidates who demonstrate the following:
- Unwavering support of homeschooling
- Commitment to defending family rights
- Clear political philosophy of limited government
THSC believes that the best way to hold candidates accountable is through a community-driven political vetting process. We partner with local leaders to establish vetting committees that interview every candidate before an endorsement is issued. The interview focuses on identifying a candidate’s heart for service and convictions about political and social issues.
THSC relies on the integrity of these committees, detailed questionnaire results, and background research to ensure that every candidate is thoroughly vetted before they receive an endorsement from THSC.
How Does the Political Vetting Process Work for Candidates?
THSC strives for a simple, yet thorough endorsement process. To seek the endorsement of THSC, a candidate must follow these three simple steps:
- Request a THSC candidate questionnaire. The questionnaire is customized to the type of office that an individual is running for. Included are questions about policies, political philosophy and values.
The questionnaire should be completed by the candidate and submitted by the deadline stated on the first page of the questionnaire in order to be considered for endorsement by THSC.
Current Questionnaire Submission Deadline: December 11, 2017
- Schedule a committee interview. Candidates should speak with the chairman or scheduler from the nearest THSC Vetting Committee to schedule an interview.
The local THSC Vetting Committee schedules interview slots incrementally during a given month based on predetermined committee meeting dates. The candidate will be assigned to a slot based on scheduling availability. These slots are limited, so we recommend making your interview a high priority on your schedule.
- Interview with the THSC Vetting Committee. THSC requires that every candidate who is being considered for an endorsement from THSC be interviewed by a committee.
These interviews will be conducted by committee members from the local community. They will spend time getting to know the candidate and ask deeper questions about your policies and core values.
Next THSC Candidate Vetting Interview Deadline: December 15, 2017
The Final Result of the Political Vetting Process
After completing the interview with a candidate, the THSC Vetting Committee will compare notes on the responses from the candidate. The committee will then make a formal recommendation of whether THSC should issue a public endorsement to the candidate.
If THSC approves the candidate for an endorsement, we will send an email with THSC’s endorsement statement. We will also include several versions of THSC’s logos to be used in media to highlight your endorsement.
Please note that THSC will conduct candidate vetting interviews during most elections. This includes primary elections, primary runoff elections, general elections and municipal elections. However, THSC will not issue endorsements for every office that is on the ballot even though our committees might interview candidates in these races.
THSC often endorses candidates in statewide executive races, state legislative races, statewide judicial races, local judicial races, county races and municipal races. THSC only endorses candidates that either commit to or have a proven record of protecting family rights and promoting homeschool freedoms.
If THSC chooses to endorse in a race, we will only endorse one candidate; THSC never releases dual endorsements. However, THSC’s endorsement of one candidate in a race should not necessarily be viewed as a criticism of the other candidates.
Get Involved: Join a Vetting Committee
– THSC is very selective about who is invited to a THSC Vetting Committee. If you are interested in serving on a local committee, please email elections@thsc.org to get started on qualifying to join a committee.
– Do you personally know of a candidate running for public office that you think should be endorsed by THSC? Let us know about it!
Please email elections@thsc.org to inform us of candidates in your community who demonstrate the values we protect and uphold. We will contact the campaign to begin the political vetting process, including asking if they are interested in pursuing an endorsement from THSC.
