Don Minton

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Don Minton

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 1, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

United States Military Academy, 1990

Graduate

University of Texas at El Paso, 2016

Law

University of Texas School of Law, 1996

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1990 - 2001

Personal

Birthplace

Beaumont, Texas

Religion

Roman Catholic

Profession

Business executive

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Don Minton (Republican Party) ran for election for Texas Land Commissioner. He lost in the Republican primary on March 1, 2022.

Minton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Don Minton was born in Beaumont, Texas. Minton served in the U.S. Army from 1990 to 2001. He earned a bachelor's degree from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1990, a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1996, and a graduate degree from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2016. Minton's career experience includes working as an investor, chief legal officer, and acting chief financial officer for a mineral extraction company.

Elections

2022

See also: Texas Public Lands Commissioner election, 2022

General election

General election for Texas Land Commissioner

Dawn Buckingham defeated Jay Kleberg, Alfred Molison, and Carrie Menger in the general election for Texas Land Commissioner on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dawn Buckingham (R)	56.2	4,463,452
		Jay Kleberg (D)	42.1	3,350,291
	Submit photo	Alfred Molison (G)	1.7	133,034
		Carrie Menger (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	1,812

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,948,589
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Texas Land Commissioner

Jay Kleberg defeated Sandragrace Martinez in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas Land Commissioner on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jay Kleberg	52.9	254,273
		Sandragrace Martinez	47.1	225,964

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 480,237
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Texas Land Commissioner

Dawn Buckingham defeated Tim Westley in the Republican primary runoff for Texas Land Commissioner on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dawn Buckingham	68.8	595,554
		Tim Westley	31.2	270,365

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 865,919
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Land Commissioner

Sandragrace Martinez and Jay Kleberg advanced to a runoff. They defeated Jinny Suh and Michael Lange in the Democratic primary for Texas Land Commissioner on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sandragrace Martinez	31.8	313,780
✔		Jay Kleberg	26.0	257,034
		Jinny Suh	21.9	216,238
		Michael Lange	20.2	199,764

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 986,816
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Land Commissioner

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Texas Land Commissioner on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dawn Buckingham	41.9	679,125
✔		Tim Westley	14.8	239,473
		Jon Spiers	12.6	203,879
		Don Minton	10.6	171,001
		Victor Avila	7.5	121,998
		Weston Martinez	6.6	107,219
	Submit photo	Rufus Lopez	3.1	49,475
		Ben Armenta	3.0	48,029

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,620,199
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green convention

Green convention for Texas Land Commissioner

Alfred Molison advanced from the Green convention for Texas Land Commissioner on April 9, 2022.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Alfred Molison (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Don Minton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Minton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Judge Don W. Minton is a graduate of West Point and a former Texas District Court Judge (twice appointed by Gov. Rick Perry, who now serves as General Counsel and acting CFO of All American Lithium, a critical mineral extraction company. Don has also served as the Director of Participant Services, Retirement Division, at ADP as a FINRA licensed Financial Principal. As a Texas Veteran, Don is ready to lead on Day 1 to discharge the six core missions of the Texas General Land Office. 1. Don will make the Texas VLB mortgage a better option than a simple VA loan. 2. Don will bring his critical minerals expertise and a commitment to bring the Texas Permanent School Fund into the 21st century by monetizing Texas natural resources. 3. Don has firsthand knowledge of the need to preserve the magnificent Texas Coast, as a Galveston resident. 4. Texas made a commitment to educate, for free, all Texas residents, knowing that an informed and educated populace is the only kind that is responsible enough for self-government. As Chairman of the Texas Land Board, I will ensure that maximum funding for education is achieved through excellence in land stewardship. 5. Preservation of the Alamo as the birthplace of Texas Liberty requires allowing all who have a story to be told to have their chance. 6. Real Disaster Relief means no bureaucratic red tape or political infighting. Don will work with both federal and local officials to ensure Harvey-like funds make it to those in need.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Texas Veterans deserve something better than a VA Loan. Don will make it happen.
• Todays modern economy requires that we re-evaluate all our natural resources on Texas public lands to ensure we are monetizing our critical minerals. Don will make it happen.
• The Alamo is the birthplace of Texas liberty. Every soul that has graced that sacred space has a special story. Don will make it happen.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about Veterans issues, preservation of individual liberties and elimination of current political warfare which precludes civilized discourse.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

This office provides the opportunity for the office holder to be the steward of all that makes Texas great - indeed, what makes it uniquely the Lone Star State. The confluence of Veterans, Land Management, Coastal Management and education, coupled with the pinnacle of responsibility of protecting and preserving the Alamo makes this position unlike any other.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Recognition that public office is a public trust and no one has a vested right to any position. While you hold that trust, you must act selflessly and with an eye to preservation of individual liberty.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I care about the six core missions of this office more than I care about politics as usual or my own advancement.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

1. Veteran Land benefits.

2. Management of public lands natural resources to grow the permanent school fund.
3. Management of the Magnificent Texas Coast.
4. Disaster recovery and mitigation.
5. Education and funding to keep Texas public education free for all Texas residents.

6. Stewardship of the Alamo.

What legacy would you like to leave?

He made this place a heck of a lot better than he found it.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

In 1973 or so, I remember watching US service members landing on the tarmac in California and being greeted by their loved ones. Only later did I learn they were POWs, some of them having been in North Vietnamese prison camps for more than six years. I have no doubt that this event led in part to my desire to go to West Point. I was no hero in the Army, but I served with thousands who were, and we owe them all a debt that can never be repaid.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Lone Star, by Fehrenbach. It tells the whole story of Texas up to the year of my birth.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Cool Change

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Being content with the status quo.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Harnessing the great natural resources of this State through its public lands to translate into dollars for a free public education for all Texas residents.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Too much emphasis in this race has been on the Rio Grande, while it is the management of the magnificent Texas Coast that is a core responsibility of the Texas Land Commissioner.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

It depends. I learned a lot serving in the government (US Army) and know personally many of the men and women who are now generals in the US Army Corps of Engineers. Those relationships will be beneficial. I have also served as a Judge. Exercising good judgment is an excellent way to prepare for service in the executive branch. I am very proud of my judicial record in which my name appears on more than a thousand final orders, with less than a 0.01% error rate on appeal.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I get things done well and with efficiency. The diversity of tasks at hand is a plus, not a negative, and the six core tasks which fall to the Texas Land Commissioner to discharge can be discharged in harmony with each other.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Minton's campaign website stated the following:

“	SIX MISSIONS READY TO BE EXECUTED ON DAY 1 Veterans' Benefits Second to None Texas Veterans have earned and deserve First in Class Benefits from the moment they receive their DD214. This includes mortgages better than a VA loan, Veterans' Homes superior to civilian counterparts, and places of repose befitting of heroes of our Great State and the United States of America. Managing Texas Public Lands Texans recongize that in addition to Oil & Gas, the 21st century has shown us that water and critical minerals provide a clear path for the growth of the Permanent School Fund. As the steward of Texas land holdings, I intend to execute sales, trades, leases and other transactions to maximize the monetization of these resources for the benefit of Texas and its core commitment to a free public education. Managing the Magnificent Texas Coast Texas has two international borders. While the Rio Grande is important, the next Texas Land Commissioner needs to return our focus to the other border - the vast and magnificent Texas Coast which stretches from Brownsville to Sabine Pass, and every island from South Padre to Galveston. Helping Texans in the Face of Natural Disasters Texans have a proud history of enduring natural disasters and coming out on top. From Isaac's Storm to Hurricane Harvey, and countless catastrophes in between, we have demonstrated that we are a resilient people. Part of that recovery comes from effective relief efforts after the disaster, as well as balanced actions to mitigate against future disasters. Lessons learned from Hurricane Harvey have shown us that the General Land Office is instrumental in helping Texans get back on their feet. Education As the Chairman of the Texas School Land Board, the Commissioner provides leadership in both the growth of the Real Estate Special Fund Account, as well as the natural partnership between the General Land Office and all educators. As your Commissioner, I will work with all stakeholders in the education field to help deliver what was promised in the Texas Declaration of Independence, for "unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self government." Stewardship of the Alamo The birthplace of Texas freedom, the Alamo remains perhaps the single most visible symbol of bravery and ultimate sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds. The story of Texas cannot be told without a candid and accurate story of what took place in the late winter of 1836. Preservation of this hallowed ground is enhanced, not lessened, by the inclusion of stories from everyone present.	”
—Don Minton's campaign website (2022)

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2022 Elections

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Texas Land Commissioner

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