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This Op-Ed originally appeared in the Times Record News on July 17, 2017

When I launched my first campaign for governor of Texas four years ago, I laid out a vision for building a better future for our state. I promised to protect our freedoms and elevate Texas to new heights by cutting taxes, improving education, and taking action to secure our border.

I am proud to say we delivered on these promises and so much more.

 Since I took office, we cut taxes by nearly $4 billion dollars, and more than 450,000 new jobs have been created.

Texas now has the third highest high school graduation rate in America, and more public high schools are ranked in the top 100 than any other state.

I signed the toughest border security law of any state to fight the drug cartels and human traffickers importing crime into Texas. And we banned sanctuary cities in Texas.

Together, we have put Texas on a path to prosperity, but we have more work to do. We must fight to preserve the Texas brand of liberty and keep Texas the most exceptional state in America.

That is why I am running for re-election as governor of the great state of Texas.

I am running to rein in skyrocketing property taxes. I have heard from seniors across the state who say they are being taxed out of their homes. That is unacceptable. I want to cut your property taxes and prevent the government from raising them without approval from taxpayers.

To build a better Texas we must continue to improve our schools. To recruit and retain the best and brightest teachers in our classrooms, we should give our underpaid teachers a well-deserved pay raise and create a pathway for the very best teachers to earn the most in the nation.

And to further improve education we must recognize that not all students are the same. A one-size-fits-all approach simply does not work. We must empower parents to choose the school that best fits their child’s needs.

I’m running to make sure our students are not only smarter, but also safer. Three months ago, I launched an Anti-Gang Strike Force in Harris County uniting federal, state, and local law enforcement to crack down on violent crime and gangs like MS-13. Already, we’ve arrested more than 1,000 criminals. As governor, I will expand these crack-downs on violent criminals and gangs across Texas to ensure we keep our communities safe.

I’m also running to create even more job opportunities for our veterans. To help our veterans get a job or start a business, we have already waived occupational license requirements and we cut taxes on small businesses started by veterans. We must continue to show our veterans the gratitude they deserve by helping them get the jobs they need.

Texas is exceptional. We now have an opportunity to make it even better. Texas will be better if we improve our schools. Texas will be better if we keep our communities safe from crime. And Texas will be better if we cut regulations and taxes and create more jobs.

Texas is the Lone Star State for a reason. We have charted a course that has elevated Texas to the premier state in the greatest nation in the history of the world.

I am asking Texans to re-elect me as governor to keep Texas the most exceptional state in America. Working together, we will write the next chapter in our extraordinary history.