Will Fisher Looks to Unseat Michael Burgess

Will Fisher said a blue wave is coming over the country in 2018 – and, he predicts it will hit Texas’ 26th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. With the right organizing, constant block-walking, late nights in his campaign office and an endorsement from Wendy Davis on his side, he believes he can be the strong Democratic candidate who unseats current Republican Rep. Michael C. Burgess.

Fisher said the district is in need of a representative who will put checks on the executive branch. Although the district has historically been red, Fisher said there are more than enough Democrats who, with the proper care and the correct candidate, are willing to fight against the agenda in Washington that is propped up by local representatives.

“If a person is willing to stand up to authoritarianism when they see it, that’s somebody we need in Congress,” Fisher said. “And, Michael Burgess is not that.”

Will Fisher answering questions at a Town Hall meeting at Denton County Brewing Co. on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Photo by Tanner Tovar

Fisher said to beat out Burgess will take more than party unity and ideology politics.

“It’s really about someone who has the ability to speak forcefully and argue our values in a way that can really resonate with this district,” Fisher said.  “As an attorney, I think I bring the skills and experience and the progressive family values to speak to the heart of this district.”

Fisher started organizing with the Flower Mound Democrats about a year ago after the 2016 Presidential Election. He, like many people, said this election caused him to become more politically active.

“Immediately my concern was for my family, but I mean look at me, I’m a white man in middle-class America so the thought then turned to, well, if I’m worried about my family and my kids, think about all the people who don’t have the position of privilege that I do,” Fisher said. “All the possible risks and fears that I didn’t have to worry about suddenly became worrisome for me because I care about my community, I care about the people that around me, I care about other Americans.”

He said he believes that people should have the ability to work hard to get ahead in life and wants to remove barriers that prevent people from it. Values he believes he shares with the Democratic party despite its flaws.

“The Democratic party has warts. I could sit on the outside of it and throw rocks at it and hope it changes, I don’t think that’s very effective,” Fisher said. “So, my approach was get in that car and fix it as its going down the road. That’s how you effect real change.”

So, he said he has been putting energy into creating change in the congressional district. Most of his concerns and passions are heavily associated with money. With the seat, he hopes to fight harder for universal healthcare, reversing Citizens United and fighting for economic justice.

Citizens United is a law that allows for corporations to spend unlimited sums of money to convince people to vote for a certain candidate.

“Those who have more money have more speech,” Fisher said. “It’s a problem that money corrupts almost universally. So, we can’t just rely on the ‘good will’ and ‘good nature’ or our representatives, we have to address this systematically.”

He said this means returning to the topic of economic justice. A fundamental idea in his campaign is to return to our “shared values” as Americans. He said we tell a story of our system being based on merit. Everyone believes if you work hard enough, you should get ahead. He said the focus is to level the field in order to give everyone an equitable shot at the American dream. Under this umbrella is reproductive justice, protecting immigrants and combatting police brutality.

Fisher said Burgess, who wrote the healthcare bill that would have taken healthcare away from 23 million people, told the district to trust him because he was a doctor. But, he didn’t care about his constituents.

“[Burgess] He’s more interested in what his insurance donors want him to do than what is good for the American people and his constituents and that’s why he is done,” Fisher said. “Once you start forgetting your constituents are people with lives to be wrecked or rewarded by the actions that you take in Washington, you should be done.”

Fisher grew up in Portland, Oregon, but moved to Texas to work as an attorney for Mission Foods. Currently, Fisher works as an attorney for Commercial Metals. He said he is proud to work for the company as it is a coal-free steel mill that picks up steel scraps off the road and creates jobs. He said his experience as an attorney will only help him if he holds public office.

“To me, being an effective legislator is someone who can advocate for a position and do so effectively and then write the law,” Fisher said. “I touch the law every day, I feel it, I read it, I interpret it, I apply it.”

Fisher’s main goal: to be a representative who represents.

“My vision for this district – give the people a chance again to say, ‘you know what, this is what we think,’ and have a representative listen to them,” Fisher said.

Photos by Tanner Tovar
Header image layout designed by Mateo Granados