Ted Brown, the Libertarian Party's candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, says other candidates don't reflect his views. Brown is running on a platform of personal freedom, limited government and a peaceful foreign policy.
"We need a completely independent senator who is not beholden to any special interest groups or corrupt party leaders," Brown said in his response to a Surround Sound News questionnaire.
Brown faces Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot.
Candidate information
- Party: Libertarian
- Born: 1960, Steubenville, Ohio
- Residence: The Wells Branch area near Austin
- Education: Bachelor's in political science from UCLA, with a concentration in constitutional law (1984)
- Family: Married to Laura, a retired teacher, for 42 years. They have an adult daughter, Katie, who is a fundraiser for a major university hospital.
- Career: Retired after 40 years as a self-employed independent insurance claims adjuster and investigator
Experience and public service
Brown has never held elected office but has served in leadership roles within the Libertarian Party at the local, state and national levels. He chaired the Libertarian Party of California and served on the Libertarian National Committee. In Texas, he has been vice chair of the Libertarian Party of Travis County, a member of the Texas State Libertarian Executive Committee and candidate coordinator for the Libertarian Party of Texas.
He joined the party in 1979, according to his Libertarian Party profile.
Brown received more than 267,000 votes in the 2024 Texas U.S. Senate race, a record for a Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate in Texas, Houston Public Media reported.
On the issues
Presidential power and the Constitution
Brown identified reining in presidential power as his top priority. He said Congress needs to reclaim its legislative powers from what he called the "imperial presidency," which he said has led to more foreign military intervention, executive orders and emergency declarations.
He said the separation of powers exists for a reason and that the presidency should be "a much less powerful position."
Federal spending and the economy
Brown said Congress needs to cut federal spending across the board, citing a $2 trillion annual deficit and an "unsustainable $40 trillion national debt." He argued the deficit drives inflation because the Federal Reserve prints more money.
He said he would cut military spending, noting the Pentagon cannot pass an audit, and called for ending "crony capitalism," where government subsidizes big business.
Brown said President Donald Trump's tariffs have raised costs by about $1,100 per family per year and that he would repeal them. On taxes, Brown supports repealing the federal income tax and abolishing the IRS, according to his campaign website.
Immigration
Brown said he favors an "Ellis Island-style" immigration entry system. Under his proposal, immigrants would come to a proper port of entry, identify themselves, undergo screening, and if they are not criminals or terrorists, be allowed in to start working immediately.
"We need to welcome immigrants and make it easier to come here legally, which is almost impossible right now," he said in his questionnaire response.
Health care
Brown said there is too much federal involvement in health care and called for repealing the Affordable Care Act. He supports allowing insurance purchases across state lines, importing drugs from other countries, expanding health savings accounts and opening more medical school slots to increase the number of doctors.
Iran war and foreign policy
Brown said he opposes the war with Iran, which he said Trump started as a war of choice. He said Congress, not the president, has the constitutional power to start wars and should cut off all funding. He called for closing all U.S. military bases in the Middle East and withdrawing all troops.
He called decades of U.S. involvement in the region a disaster. "Enough is enough!" Brown said in his questionnaire response.
