A Pragmatic Republican Makes His Case: Will Hurd

A PRAGMATIC REPUBLICAN MAKES HIS CASE: WILL HURD

Centrist Republican Will Hurd insists that across the country “there is more that unites us than divides us.” The former GOP Congressman threw his hat into the ring in June with a video announcement that he’s running for President of the United States. Our latest episode of “Let’s Find Common Ground” re-visits our interview with Will Hurd, recorded one year ago.

Hurd stresses the need for both pragmatism and nuance when tackling guns, immigration and other hot button issues. But don’t call him a squishy moderate. “In the media in Washington DC…moderate means middle of the road,” he says. “But in reality, moderates are the ones that do the hard work and get things done because they’re the ones that are having to take a philosophy to people that may not identify with it.”

Will Hurd served as a CIA agent overseas and conducted briefings for members of Congress. This experience inspired him to run for Congress in Texas’ 23rd Congressional district, which he won in 2014. Texas’ 23rd Congressional district includes Uvalde, TX, where a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in May 2022 and killed 19 students and two teachers. He was elected three times in a swing district where Democrats often win. Hurd says in our podcast interview that he succeeded by engaging with voters from both sides, not just voters who shared all his beliefs.