Josh Winegarner stops by Pampa as run-off election draws nearer

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While the 24-hour news cycle continues to provide coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the July 17 run-off election between Josh Winegarner and Ronny Jackson for United States Representative District 13 (the seat to be vacated with Mac Thornberry’s retirement) may have been forgotten by some voters.

Winegarner recently came to Pampa and stopped by The Pampa News to talk about the run-off election.

Winegarner, who grew up in Spearman and currently lives in Randall County, says he is the local candidate and believes that puts him ahead of Jackson.

“He (Jackson) has been in D.C. for the last several years,” Winegarner said. “My campaign hasn’t changed much as I want people to know that I’m the local candidate. I grew up in Spearman and I have lived/worked in Amarillo for the last 14 years and have been working for the Texas Cattlefeeder’s Association for the farmers/ranchers that are an intricate piece of our economy.

“I just want to be that rural voice that understands the issues that impact us day-to-day in this whole district.”

Winegarner has worked in Washington, D.C. under politician Phil Gramm and senator John Cornyn, but stresses his home and his background are rural Texas.

“I was up there (in D.C.) right after college and was working and learning the legislative process along with the things Congress does or doesn’t do,” Winegarner said. “Since then I’ve been back in the Texas Panhandle and have lived in Randall County for the last 14 years. 

“I wouldn’t say I wasn’t affected by it (living in D.C.) but it was a learning experience and I am ready to utilize what I’ve learned in conjunction with being a Texas Panhandle-native to represent the people of this district.”

Winegarner added he has no intention to move to Washington should he be elected as he wants his children to grow up in the Texas Panhandle.

While the bulk of District 13 is rural, it still contains the cities of Amarillo and Wichita Falls and Winegarner said they and the rural areas are partners for the greater economy.

“Those two cities are hubs for the rest of us in rural areas,” Winegarner said. “We go to Amarillo on a regular basis. They are part of our district and part of our economy. The Amarillo/Wichita Falls economies are reliant on the rural residents also. I think they work really well together.”

Winegarner said the disconnect that typically exists between large metropolises and rural areas doesn’t exist in District 13 because many of the Amarillo/Wichita Falls residence grew up in a rural area.

As with other areas, COVID-19 has impacted the political arena, limiting what candidates can or can’t do. But he has also used this opportunity to help his potential constituents where they are hurting the most.

“We made a decision early on that during the first couple of months of COVID-19 we transitioned to how we can help the community we live in and not just campaign,” Winegarner said. “We started the neighbor-to-neighbor program where we provided resources to people on our website, provided a way for someone who needs assistance to sign up and those who want to volunteer to do the same so we can connect those two entities. We wanted to really provide a service in addition to being in a campaign.”

Winegarner also helped by delivering masks, gowns and more gear to area hospitals and medical facilities.

Winegarner and his team didn’t stop campaigning, however. They continued to take phone calls and push information to the public.

“It transitioned from face-to-face interactions to interactions through digital means,” Winegarner said.

Winegarner, should he be elected, will have big shoes to fill as Thornberry is on several committees, most notably the Armed Forces Committee.

“Another distinction between me and my opponent is my learning curve is going to be a lot less because I already understand the process,” Winegarner said. “Having worked both with the Senate and the Texas Cattlefeeder’s Association, my areas I want to work on are the areas that will be most impactful to the people in this District.”

Winegarner added he also wants to serve on the Armed Forces Committee because of the presence of Pantex, Bell Helicopter and Sheppard Air Force Base.

The need for rural infrastructure in regards to internet, cell phone coverage and more technology is another need Winegarner wants to focus on upon election.

“We’ve invested those federal tax dollars but we don’t see the return on investment from that money,” Winegarner said. “While my wife and I were on Zoom calls for work and our kids were on Google Classroom for school, our rural internet (while pretty good) through our rural telephone provider couldn’t always keep up. The drain was a little bit much.”

The importance for a stronger digital infrastructure also emerges when trying to bring businesses to the area.

“It’s not only for the work for what we continue to do at home, but also attracting new companies to move here,” Winegarner said. “They want to see there is the connectivity and bandwidth to run their businesses. Another way to stimulate our rural economy is through broadband and getting rid of some of the regulatory burden.”

Election Day for the run-off is July 14 with early voting to begin June 29. 

Those interested in connecting with Winegarner on social media can visit his Facebook page “Josh Winegarner” follow him on Twitter @WinegarnerTX or visit his website at www.joshwinegarner.com. Questions can be sent to josh@joshwinegarner.com.

“I grew up in this district and have lived in this district,” Winegarner said. “I’ve raised my family here and have been a part of the community. I’m ready to represent the people of District 13 to make sure they have a voice in Congress. When I say represent, that’s the key term. I’m not running to be a congressman, I’m running to be representative.”