Republican John Ratcliffe is running for re-election for U.S. representative, District 4. Ratcliffe will face Democrat Catherine Krantz and Libertarian Ken Ashby in the Nov. 6 election. Community Impact Newspaper sent Ratcliffe a series of questions on his candidacy. His written responses, edited for publication style, are below. Q: Why did you decide to run for re-election? A: I spent my first term in Congress as a leading conservative voice, where I focused on combatting the failed policies of the Obama administration. This past term, I have been working with President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress to restore the promise of this great country. Together, we have worked to reduce the regulatory burden imposed on American families and businesses, strengthen our military and deliver once-in-a-generation tax cuts for the people of Northeast Texas. I believe this is only the beginning of the conservative impact to be made by bringing Texas values to our nation’s capital. I want to continue this incredibly important work on behalf of the 700,000 constituents who sent me to Washington on their behalf. Q: What experience—professionally or politically—do you have that would prepare you for this position? A: I am proud to have a proven voting record as a member of Congress that reflects the priorities of the constituents I represent. Serving on the Homeland Security Committee and Judiciary Committee gives me an opportunity to lead on the important issues of border security, illegal immigration and defending the Constitution. These are all areas where I have previous subject matter expertise as a U.S. Attorney and federal terrorism prosecutor, and I believe my existing familiarity with the issues these committees have jurisdiction over has allowed me to dive in and make an immediate impact. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to chair the Cybersecurity Subcommittee on the Homeland Security Committee since my first term in Congress. As we have seen from an ongoing string of cyber-attacks against private industry and the federal government, cybersecurity is national security. My previous experience prosecuting cyber-crime has enabled me to use my cyber chairmanship to advance meaningful legislation in the cybersecurity space, as it continues rising to the forefront of our national priorities. I am proud that my bill, the Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017, was recently signed into law by President Trump to advance this goal and lead to dozens of prosecutions of child predators in Texas’ 4th District. I have had 20 bills and amendments pass the House during my two terms in Congress, with two of them being signed into law on behalf of state and local law enforcement and to strengthen our partnership with our ally, Israel. I [also] take pride in being an accessible and transparent member of Congress. I truly enjoy engaging with constituents all across the 18 counties I represent. By participating in community events and speaking to civic groups, I am able to really connect firsthand with the folks I’m so grateful to represent in Washington. Listening to their concerns is a very top priority of mine that I plan to continue carrying with me throughout my entire service on behalf of Texas’ 4th District. Q: If re-elected, what would be your top priorities? A: I want to continue building upon the major wins of the past couple of years since President Trump took office. We have put thousands of dollars back into the bank accounts of hard-working families in Northeast Texas through major tax cut legislation, we are righting to build up a border wall that will keep out dangerous terrorists and human traffickers at the U.S.-Mexico border and we are still rolling back Obama-era regulations on a daily basis. On top of this, we must continue the strong support for our allies, [such as] Israel in the Middle East, as we push forward in the fight against ISIS and radical Islamist extremism. Much hard work remains to be done, but I am up for the [fight]. I plan to continue my focus on cybersecurity issues as chairman of the House Homeland [Cybersecurity] subcommittee. It has become much more evident how important this cybersecurity really is on the national scale in recent years, given very high-profile concerns over election security, but it is also impacting folks right here at home. We can not wait until our power grids are [compromised] or critical infrastructure is put in jeopardy, to act. I will also continue my work to hold the bad actors at the [Department of Justice] and FBI under the Obama administration accountable for their actions leading up to the 2016 presidential election. I have been appointed to an exclusive task force led by the House Judiciary and Oversight committees to ensure that justice is served. Q: What else do you want voters to know about you and your background? A: Voters should choose me because there is no doubt about what kind of representative I will continue to be. This re-election is simply a chance for me to remind voters about the work I’ve done on their behalf over the last several years, and to reinstate my commitment to working tirelessly on behalf of their top priorities. Voters do not need to wonder if I’m serious about protecting America from terrorist threats. My record tells them that before coming to Congress, I was a U.S. Attorney and terrorism prosecutor who put terrorist sympathizers in federal prison. In Congress, I have voted against the Iranian nuclear deal, voted to pause our Syrian refugee program, and voted to close security gaps in our country’s visa waiver program. Voters do not need to wonder whether I am pro-life. My record tells them that I have refused to support any single funding bill which contains funding for Planned Parenthood. Voters do not need to wonder if I believe in conservative health care solutions and a lower tax burden on the American people. My record shows that I have voted to repeal Obamacare and voted in favor of the historic tax reform that was recently enacted into law. To put it simply, I will win this race on my conservative record. More information about Ratcliffe's campaign can be found at www.ratcliffeforcongress.com.