Shekhar Sinha is headed into election season looking to unseat Republican incumbent Steve Allison to represent District 121 in the Texas House of Representatives.
The Dallas Express was able to speak with Sinha about his platform, specifically his positions on the southern border, gun violence, school choice legislation, and abortion.
Sinha is an immigrant from India who came to the United States with his wife and two children in the 1980s as a graduate teaching assistant. He holds a master’s degree in math and computer science from Penn State University, as well as a master’s in business administration and a master of science in global supply chain management from Indiana University.
Sinha has worked in the IT business in technical and management positions for over 30 years, including eight years in the oil and gas industry. Now retired as of a year and a half ago, Sinha has been able to dedicate more time to supporting Democratic Party initiatives through volunteer work. He is currently the coordinator for the party in Bexar County Precinct 3201 in San Antonio.
When asked about his stance on border security, Sinha said that the issue was far-reaching with a circular impact that has nothing to do with building a wall at the southern border. For example, guns are being purchased in America and smuggled into Mexico, being used by the cartels and consequently driving crime and instilling fear into the population. He claimed that families wish to stay in their homeland, but it is no longer safe. As a result, they look to flee the turmoil and find safer alternatives for their family, thus coming to America, even unlawfully.
“The wall is not going to solve the problem — you have to address the source,” argued Sinha. “In 70% of crimes involving firearms in Mexico, the firearm was imported from the United States — 40% from Texas.”
By not addressing the source, we keep the problem alive, claimed Sinha. Additionally, he said the United States needs to address the demand caused by domestic labor shortages, such as in farming, by allowing foreign nationals to fill the demand.
“[They] do not need to come in as asylum seekers, having to cross the river,” he said, adding that unlawfully crossing into the United States can be perilous.
“There is an enormous demand for that labor here in America,” said Sinha. He argued that employers should have the opportunity to get migrant labor legally.
The Dallas Express also asked Sinha about his position on gun violence.
“Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death of children in the United States. No other developed country has this problem,” said Sinha, claiming that blaming mental illness does not address the purported source of the issue.
“Mental illness is not unique to the USA — mental illness exists everywhere. It’s the easy access to firearms,” argued Sinha. “For smoking, you have to be 21, but for buying an AR-15 or AR-47, which are designed for warfare to kill as many people as quickly as possible, you only have to be 18.”
“We have seen a massacre of children one after another, and we have somehow become immune — it is heartbreaking,” said Sinha. “These … firearms are designed to cause maximum damage. I am for common sense gun safety reform. I don’t think we need these high-caliber weapons.”
Speaking on children and the need to serve their best interests, Sinha tackled the topic of school choice legislation, another big issue this election cycle.
School choice proposals like education savings accounts purportedly take “money away from the public schools which are already underfunded.”
“We need to invest more money into our public schools and make sure we compensate our teachers properly so that we can get the best talent to provide excellent education to all our kids,” claimed Sinha.
In addition to addressing the border, anti-gun restrictions, and school choice, Sinha mentioned his stance on abortion.
“I think the decision for the Supreme Court to reverse Roe vs. Wade after 50 years of precedence was incorrect,” said Sinha.
Sinha referenced a heavily-discussed study that estimated 26,000 women in Texas “conceived their rapist’s child” following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
He went on to note that all these topics and more are being raised this election cycle and that people need to be aware of what is at stake.
“Vote, even in the primaries,” said Sinha. “It is important to invest time and to make sure the primary process results in the right candidate emerging.”