Ballotpedia, Melissa McDonough

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Melissa is originally from Marietta, Ohio. She is a kids ministry leader at Salem Lutheran Church. She lives with her husband, Tim, in Houston and they have 2 children.

Melissa currently works as a realtor and small business owner. 

Melissa McDonough's campaign for US Representative in Congressional District 38 in Texas is her first run for public office. 

Candidate website

Believes inflation is driven by supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and corporate greed.

Believes supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and corporate greed contributed to inflation in the past years. 

Supports investing in affordable housing.

Believes bad foreign trade can negatively affect relationships with trading partners and cause financial damage.

- Believes supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and corporate greed contributed to inflation in the past years. 
- Want to invest in affordable housing.
- Believes bad foreign trade can negatively affect relationships with trading partners and cause financial damage.

Economy

Wants to address gun violence and hold gun owners responsible for their firearms.

Believes Texas is "more dangerous than it has been in decades" due to Governor Abbott enabling "Constitutional Carry."

Believes Texas is "more dangerous than it has been in decades" due to constitutional carry, which allows carrying a gun without a permit.

- Wants to address gun violence and hold gun owners responsible for their firearms.
- Believes Texas is "more dangerous than it has been in decades" due to constitutional carry, which allows carrying a gun without a permit.

Public Safety

Wants to expand Medicaid as a cost-effective way for people to get access to healthcare. 

Supports abortion access, stating Texas has "become a danger place for women."

- Wants to expand Medicaid as a cost-effective way for people to get access to healthcare. 
- Supports abortion access, stating Texas has "become a danger place for women."

Healthcare

Believes inadequate public education funding contributes to the "school to prison pipeline" and that education can perpetuate "systemic oppression against targeted groups" if misused.

Believes inadequate public education funding contributes to the school to prison pipeline, with education perpetuating "systemic oppression against targeted groups" if misused.

Advocates for college tuition and college accessibility for everyone.

Believes in not banning books and classes that teach about culture.

Said, "Instead of banning books and classes that teach about culture, we should be focusing on the future while learning from the past."

- Believes inadequate public education funding contributes to the school to prison pipeline, with education perpetuating "systemic oppression against targeted groups" if misused.
- Advocates for college tuition and college accessibility for everyone.
- Said, "Instead of banning books and classes that teach about culture, we should be focusing on the future while learning from the past."

Education

Supports the development of renewable energy.

Supports the use of both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources.

Believes the petroleum industry is important, but using renewable energy sources will help mitigate environmental disasters on power sources.

Wants to make responsible decisions on land development and water retention to reduce the risks of flood damage.

- Supports the development of renewable energy.
- Believes the petroleum industry is important, but using renewable energy sources will help mitigate environmental disasters on power sources.
- Wants to make responsible decisions on land development and water retention to reduce the risks of flood damage.

Energy & the Environment

Supports making mail-in voting easier, allowing county-wide voting, and having more accessible polling locations.

Believes democracy is "under attack" and criticizes Texas for low voter turnout and Republicans for "baseless claims about election fraud."

Said, "Republicans have made baseless claims about election fraud but have been unable to prove it."

- Supports making mail-in voting easier, allowing county-wide voting, and having more accessible polling locations.
- Said, "Republicans have made baseless claims about election fraud but have been unable to prove it."

Voting & Elections

Supports continuing to provide military aid to Ukraine, but wants to avoid sending troops.

Believes the U.S. should streamline the immigration process to reduce illegal immigration.

Advocates for streamlining the immigration process to reduce illegal immigration.

Believes addressing immigration issues requires fixing root causes of instability due to decades of foreign intervention.

Believes addressing immigration issues requires fixing root causes of instability in Latin America due to foreign intervention.

Supports Israel's right to defend itself but calls for a "proportionate" response and accountability for war crimes.

Supports the Two State Solution, which would create one Jewish and one Arab state from the territory of Palestine. 

- Supports continuing to provide military aid to Ukraine, but wants to avoid sending troops.
- Advocates for streamlining the immigration process to reduce illegal immigration.
- Believes addressing immigration issues requires fixing root causes of instability in Latin America due to foreign intervention.
- Supports the Two State Solution, which would create one Jewish and one Arab state from the territory of Palestine. 
- Wants to end veteran homelessness.

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Instagram

Melissa McDonough

Avery earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. He is a member of the Community of Believers in Christ Church.

Avery currently works as a paralegal for the Kelly P. Joseph & Associate Law Firm which specializes in criminal, family, and personal injury law. He served in the U.S. Air Force for seven years and was honorably discharged. 

Ballotpedia, Avery Ayers

Avery Ayers previously ran for US Senate in 2014, but did not win.

Advocates for policies that support small businesses, particularly for the formerly incarcerated.

Advocates for tax incentives for businesses that hire the formerly incarcerated.

Supports the creation of a Houston Tech Center with a focus on space exploration.

- Advocates for policies that support small businesses, particularly for the formerly incarcerated.
- Advocates for tax incentives for businesses that hire the formerly incarcerated.
- Supports the creation of a Houston Tech Center with a focus on space exploration.
- Advocates for a simpler tax code.

Supports the reintegration of the formerly incarcerated into society following rehabilitation.

Supports the right of the formerly incarcerated to own guns.

Advocates for increased funding for police.

- Supports the reintegration of the formerly incarcerated into society following rehabilitation.
- Advocates for better prison conditions.
- Supports the right of the formerly incarcerated to own guns.
- Advocates for increased funding for police.

Advocates for increased access to mental health services, especially for the formerly incarcerated.

Advocates for investment in substance abuse treatment programs.

- Advocates for increased access to mental health services, especially for the formerly incarcerated.
- Advocates for investment in substance abuse treatment programs.

Supports initiatives like after-school programs that keep youth from entering the criminal justice system.

Supports school choice and voucher programs.

- Supports initiatives like after-school programs that keep youth from entering the criminal justice system.
- Supports school choice and voucher programs.

As of June 13, 2025, Avery Ayers’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports restoring the right of the formerly incarcerated to vote in elections.

Supports term and age limits for Congress and the Judicial branch.

- Supports restoring the right of the formerly incarcerated to vote in elections.
- Supports term and age limits for Congress and the Judicial branch.

Supports immigration reform that strengthens border security.

- Supports a strong national defense.
- Supports immigration reform that strengthens border security.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Houston man sentenced to 5 years in prison for fraud scheme

In 2015, Avery was sentenced to five years in prison after he pled guilty to a wire fraud scheme.

- In 2015, Avery was sentenced to five years in prison after he pled guilty to a wire fraud scheme.

Ethics & Conduct

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Avery Ayers

LinkedIn

Wesley is from Houston, Texas. He earned his bachelor's degree in leadership and management from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He earned a master's degree in business administration, a master's degree in public administration, and a master's degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University. He and his wife, Emily, have 3 children.

Wesley previously worked for Perry Homes and was a mortgage loan originator for OnteTrust Home Loans. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army for 5 years. 

Wesley Hunt currently serves as the US Representative for Texas' 38th Congressional District. He was first elected in 2022 and is serving his first term. He previously ran for US Representative for Texas' 7th Congressional District in 2020 but did not win.

Believes the "single greatest existential threat" to the U.S. is its national debt, currently over $34 trillion, predicting that interest payments will soon exceed annual military spending.

Opposes the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and the $1.75 trillion "socialist wishlist" saying it adds to the nation's debt.

Opposes Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan, believing it is "the single largest step our country has taken towards socialism."

Opposes President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan, believing it is "the single largest step our country has taken towards socialism."

- Supports reducing the national debt.
- Opposes excessive government spending.
- Believes the "single greatest existential threat" to the U.S. is its national debt, currently over $34 trillion, predicting that interest payments will soon exceed annual military spending.
- Opposes the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Opposes President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan, believing it is "the single largest step our country has taken towards socialism."

- Opposes efforts to defund police.
- Opposes gun control.

Believes access to affordable healthcare is crucial, saying "Some Americans now have to choose between gas in their tank or life-saving insulin."

- Opposes vaccine mandates.
- Opposes access to abortion.
- Believes access to affordable healthcare is crucial, saying "Some Americans now have to choose between gas in their tank or life-saving insulin."

Believes Biden should reverse the ban on new oil and gas leases and restart the Keystone pipeline.

Believes President Biden should reverse the ban on new oil and gas leases and restart the Keystone pipeline.

Believes U.S. leaders should focus on "energy addition, not energy transition," advocating for increased domestic oil and gas production.

Opposes the methane fee in the Inflation Reduction Act, believing it will "cause irreparable harm to an industry that Americans rely upon each and every day."

Opposes the methane fee in the Inflation Reduction Act, believing it will "cause irreparable harm to the oil and gas industry"

Believes Congress should address Houston's flooding by constructing tunnels to direct excess water into the Houston Ship Channel, rather than expanding the Buffalo Bayou.

- Believes President Biden should reverse the ban on new oil and gas leases and restart the Keystone pipeline.
- Believes U.S. leaders should focus on "energy addition, not energy transition," advocating for increased domestic oil and gas production.
- Opposes the methane fee in the Inflation Reduction Act, believing it will "cause irreparable harm to the oil and gas industry"
- Believes Congress should address Houston's flooding by constructing tunnels to direct excess water into the Houston Ship Channel, rather than expanding the Buffalo Bayou.

Supports voter ID laws and believes in election integrity.

- Supports voter ID laws and believes in election integrity.

Supports keeping Title 42, re-enacting Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, investing in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and technology, and enforcing existing immigration laws.

Supports keeping Title 42, re-enacting President Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, investing in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and technology, and enforcing existing immigration laws.

Supports calling out the "ongoing genocide in China" and holding President Xi Jinping accountable for rounding up ethnic minorities and forcing them into slave labor concentration camps.

Supports holding the Chinese government accountable for actions taken against Uyghur people.

Supports Israel and believes it has "every right to defend itself against hostile actors, including Hamas."

- Supports keeping Title 42, re-enacting President Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, investing in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and technology, and enforcing existing immigration laws.
- Supports holding the Chinese government accountable for actions taken against Uyghur people.
- Supports Israel and believes it has "every right to defend itself against hostile actors, including Hamas."

Wesley P. Hunt

- Your US Representative represents the interests of your district in the US House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Texas currently has 36 US Representatives.
- US Representatives can author, sponsor, debate, and vote on bills that become national law.
- Representatives may serve on congressional committees. Committees focus on certain policy areas, such as transportation, education, or labor. They may also run for higher positions within their party, such as the Speaker of the House or Majority/Minority Leader.
- Representatives are elected to two-year terms. To hold this office, a candidate must be a legal resident of Texas for at least seven years before their election. US Representatives are paid a salary of $174,000/year.