Meet The Candidates: Ernest Lineberger For Texas Congressional District 26

A veteran, an engineer, and a neighbor. Not a culture warrior.

This series is called Meet The Candidates. Over the next fourteen months, I’ll spotlight a handful of Democratic races each month, mainly in the Legislature and in Congress. These aren’t endorsements. They’re introductions, a way to understand who’s running, the districts they hope to represent, and what’s at stake for people across Texas.

Who is Ernest Lineberger?

Ernest Lineberger is a man who has built his life around service as a way of being. The son of a Navy chaplain, he grew up in a family where community and faith were daily practices. His childhood was spent moving from base to base across the country and overseas, but no matter where they lived, church, service, and looking out for others were constants. That foundation has guided every chapter of his life.

He went on to serve for over 15 years as a US Naval Officer in the Nuclear Propulsion Program. After retiring from active duty, Linebergert brought those same values into civilian life, spending more than 27 years at Texas Instruments, helping to expand semiconductor manufacturing capacity here in North Texas. He’s someone who understands how global competition affects workers, how technology shapes our future, and what it means when companies invest in the communities where they operate.

At the center of Lineberger’s story is his faith. It informs how he leads, treats people, and approaches public service. His understanding of “public office” isn’t about grandstanding or picking fights. It’s about listening, solving problems, and working toward the common good. He believes our rights mean something only when we honor the rights of others, and that communities thrive when we build together rather than against one another.

Now, Lineberger is running for Congress in Texas’ 26th District because he believes we need leadership grounded in integrity, experience, and care for the people who call this place home.

The District.

Last time I said, “new maps/old maps, it all makes me cry.” Someone suggested going with the new maps until we know otherwise, so that’s what this ⬆️ is.

TX26 is anchored in Denton County and pairs those fast-growing exurban communities with two more rural counties to the north and west. By population share, it contains 74% of Denton County, all of Cooke County, and 85% of Wise County. That mix includes growth corridors around I-35/US-380 plus small-town/rural precincts and defines both its political math and message terrain.

At the district level, TX26’s total population is 55.6% Anglo/44.4% non-Anglo, with notable communities that often get overlooked in this “North Texas” area. Asian 10.2%, Black 11.6%, and Hispanic 20.3% (Hispanic-alone); 31.3% Hispanic if you include Black-and-Hispanic overlap. Translation: The electorate is diversifying but still has an older/Anglo skew at the ballot box.

In 2024, TX26 reported a 67.8% turnout rate vs. registration. In 2022, turnout was 52.6%. Presidential years pull strong participation; midterms leave a ~14–18 point turnout gap on the table, almost entirely in Denton-side growth precincts. Obviously, increasing midterm Democratic turnout in Denton County will be the biggest challenge.

The path for a Democrat runs through maximizing growth in Denton County’s precincts, narrowing margins in Wise, and finding persuadables in Cooke (veterans, small-business owners, and service-economy families).

A realistic coalition layers (1) Denton-side commuters and new-build subdivisions, (2) renters and first-time buyers priced out of inner-DFW, (3) Asian/Black/Hispanic professionals and service workers in Denton County, and (4) veterans/faith-community persuadables in Cooke and Wise.

The incumbent.

Brandon Gill is the face of political grifting. Well, one of them anyway. Gill was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, received an Ivy League education, and launched a career in investment banking before marrying the daughter of famed Conspiracy Theorist Dinesh D’Souza. Gill even worked on marketing D’Souza’s bullshit, full of lies, movie, 2000 Mules.

Gill with his wife and in-laws:

And here is Brandon Gill on Fox News talking about immigrants’ “cultural incompatibility” with America:

Actually, I could probably give you about twenty clips of Brandon Gill saying blatantly racist things about immigrants, because it’s one of his main drivers. But like all Republicans, who he is on TV appears to contradict who he is in real life. One big grift.

It should also be noted that he only moved back to Texas shortly before the residency requirements to run for Congress. Before that, he was living in Washington, DC, serving as the editor-in-chief of some far-right trash heap media outlet.

In Ernest Lineberger’s own words.

Below are some questions I asked Lineberger, based on previous reader polls, and how he answered:

Q: Do you support a Green New Deal or similar large-scale federal climate action plan?

100%! I (and many in my District) live in a body that breathes the air, drinks the water, eats the food, lives in a home, and goes outside for activities. All of these (and more) are subject to the climate. Many of us have chosen our living location at least partially based on the normal climate. As things change —like rainfall, storm severity, air pollution, sun intensity, and more —our way of life is affected. If we can see that we are part of the problem, we need to do what we can to reduce our impact. It all has to be managed in a reasonable cost-benefit analysis, but it must still be done. I personally have driven a hybrid car since 2003, and installed solar panels and a battery in my home. My yard equipment is all electric, even solar, due to the power source for recharging. It’s past time that we just exploit and take from the planet. We need to manage it correctly.

Q: Should Congress pass a federal $17/hour minimum wage, indexed to inflation?

In Texas, the minimum wage is still $7.25. Shameful. Babysitters won’t work for that. It is totally unrealistic and exploitive to even have such a number on the books. On the other hand, California had a problem when it raised its minimum wage to $22, I believe. I like to say that anyone working full-time (~2000 hours per year) should be able to afford a good quality of life. At $17/hour, that’s $34,000 per year. The poverty level in Texas is $15,650 for an individual and $32,150 for a family of four. So, yes, it seems that $17 per hour minimum wage, plus some aggressive work on lowering the cost required to live, is a step in the right direction.

Q: Do you support universal, publicly funded healthcare (i.e., Medicare for All or a similar single-payer system)?

Yes. Our current system has too many flaws that allow people and their health (or financial stability) to suffer. Everyone needs healthcare at some point. It’s a universal need that needs a universal program. When I was in the military, it was covered and not abused. When I was working with a large company, I saw things change a lot from year to year. Employees were beholden to the company to offer them something, and they had little choice but to accept, and still pay significant premiums. In my mind, this just shifts the payment from premiums to taxes, with the benefit that now everyone is covered without the major games played to try to get a better deal.

Q: Would you support major tax reform, including raising taxes on billionaires and large corporations?

Yes. Yes. Yes. We need major tax reform! Enough with the many confusing changes and tons of loopholes. We need to make sure that it’s fair and reasonable. Plus, it has to bring in enough taxes to cover the full budget. We cannot continue with a deficit. This may have to be implemented in steps to allow people time to adjust to a new tax system, but it must be done. This includes the drastic reduction or removal of tariffs that form a harsh tax on consumers.

Q: Should the U.S. demilitarize the southern border and repeal harmful immigration policies?

First, we need to decide what our immigration policy should be. Then we should manage all access points accordingly. America actually needs immigrants. We need to counter the right-wing immigrant phobia and embrace the role played by immigration. And yes, that includes removing harmful policies and replacing them with correct ones.

The Southern Border is a major focus, but not the only location for illegal immigration. We need to have adequate amounts of the correct resources, like border patrol, but also asylum courts, to more rapidly process those with claims. The current level of fear, hate, and concern whipped up by politicians (right-wing) has led us to overspend and over-militarize portions of our border. We need to be smarter.

Bonus Question: How will you engage and energize disillusioned or low-turnout voters, especially young people, communities of color, and the working class?

By being there! By showing up! By giving them a real person with a real heart for service and concern for the people. By being steadfast and consistent.

For those who will listen, I can explain the dangerous path we are on, pointing out the milestones that we have already passed, but reassure them that it is not too late if we act now.

For others, sometimes you have to wait until they are ready. I would ask them to take their time and really consider what they see in the world as getting better and worse, trying not to rely on media hype or political speech, but on what they see and feel. I’d ask them to share that with me so I can take it on as a challenge.

I want to work for all people. No divisions among us. Remove and reduce hate, fear, and bad feelings. Working to relevel the economy to make it more fair to the working and middle class. To make life more affordable, through better wages and benefits, but also through reduced costs and better communities. I can’t make them drink, but I can sure show them a clean, clear opportunity.

TX26 is not an easy district.

No one needs to pretend it is. But the story of this District is the story of North Texas itself. Growth, change, a shifting electorate, and the widening gap between the people who live here and the people who claim to represent them. The Republican Party chose a manufactured culture warrior with a media brand and a donor network built on outrage. Ernest Lineberger is offering something very different. His life is defined by service, rooted in faith, responsibility, and the belief that public office should be about improving the lives of the people who live here.

This campaign will be won by neighbors talking to neighbors, by church parking lots and union halls and front porches, by patient conversations with people who are tired of being treated like background extras in someone else’s ideological performance.

Lineberger’s answers show clarity, seriousness, and a grounding in the real material conditions of people’s lives.

And in a district like TX-26, that alone makes this race worth paying attention to.

You can learn more about Ernest Lineberger on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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