Mike Kolls

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

Mike Kolls

Libertarian Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 1985

Personal

Religion

Lutheran Christian

Profession

Project manager, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Contact

Campaign website

Mike Kolls (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 13th Congressional District. He was disqualified from the general election scheduled on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Mike Kolls earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 1985. His career experience includes working as a project manager at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Prior to becoming a project manager, he worked as a computer programmer.

Elections

2024

See also: Texas' 13th Congressional District election, 2024

Texas' 13th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 13

Incumbent Ronny L. Jackson won election in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 13 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ronny L. Jackson (R)	100.0	240,622

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 240,622
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Henry Atkinson (Independent)
• Mike Kolls (L)

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Luke Warren (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 13

Incumbent Ronny L. Jackson advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 13 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ronny L. Jackson	100.0	81,844

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,844
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 13

Mike Kolls advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 13 on March 23, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Mike Kolls (L)

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	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.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kolls in this election.

2022

See also: Texas' 26th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 26

Incumbent Michael C. Burgess defeated Mike Kolls in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 26 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael C. Burgess (R)	69.3	183,639
		Mike Kolls (L)	30.7	81,384

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 265,023
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• William Cunningham (Independent)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26

Incumbent Michael C. Burgess defeated Vincent Gallo, Brian Brazeal, Isaac Smith, and Raven Harrison in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael C. Burgess	66.8	42,006
		Vincent Gallo	10.2	6,437
		Brian Brazeal	9.4	5,892
		Isaac Smith	8.1	5,085
	Submit photo	Raven Harrison	5.5	3,427

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 62,847
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Beverly Foley (R)
• Craig Walker (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 26

Mike Kolls advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 26 on March 19, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Mike Kolls (L)

---

	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.
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2018

See also: Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 24

Incumbent Kenny Marchant defeated Jan McDowell and Mike Kolls in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 24 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kenny Marchant (R)	50.6	133,317
		Jan McDowell (D)	47.5	125,231
		Mike Kolls (L)	1.8	4,870

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 263,418
= 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 U.S. House Texas District 24

Jan McDowell defeated John Biggan, Edward Allen, and Joshua Andrew Imhoff in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jan McDowell	52.5	14,551
		John Biggan	21.5	5,970
	Submit photo	Edward Allen	20.0	5,556
		Joshua Andrew Imhoff	6.0	1,663

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,740
= 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 U.S. House Texas District 24

Incumbent Kenny Marchant defeated Johnathan Davidson in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kenny Marchant	74.4	30,310
		Johnathan Davidson	25.6	10,425

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,735
= 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.

2016

See also: Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Kenny Marchant (R) defeated Jan McDowell (D), Mike Kolls (L) and Kevin McCormick (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidates faced any primary opposition on March 1, 2016.

U.S. House, Texas District 24 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Kenny Marchant Incumbent	56.2%	154,845
	Democratic	Jan McDowell	39.3%	108,389
	Libertarian	Mike Kolls	3.1%	8,625
	Green	Kevin McCormick	1.4%	3,776
Total Votes				275,635
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Texas' 24th Congressional District elections, 2014

Kolls ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Texas' 24th District. Kolls won the Libertarian Party nomination at the state convention in April 2014. He was defeated by incumbent Kenny Marchant (R) in the general election on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, Texas District 24 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Kenny Marchant Incumbent	65%	93,712
	Democratic	Patrick McGehearty	32.3%	46,548
	Libertarian	Mike Kolls	2.6%	3,813
Total Votes				144,073
Source: Texas Secretary of State

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mike Kolls did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Kolls’ campaign website stated the following:

“	Principles a. We The People / Small Gov't   ✓ We have inalienable Natural Rights   ✓ Gov't MUST have our consent b. Reason (NOT Emotion) c. Governing (NOT Politics) d. Local Governance e. Definitions Matter! Cooler heads are required	”
—Mike Kolls’ campaign website (2024)

2022

Mike Kolls completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kolls' 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.

I am a concerned citizen that believes in We The People and small gov't. The federal gov't is too big, tries to do too much, and does nothing well. If you are NOT represented by the two dominant parties please consider me to be your protest vote.

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?

• The federal gov't is too big, it tries to do too much, and does everything poorly.
• We The People make optimal decisions. Federal one-size-fits-all "programs" are NOT optimal, and excessively expensive.
• The gov't ought to work for The People. It is NOT the other way around.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Our federal gov't has broken the plan of republic outlined in The Constitution of the United States. We need to recommit and realign with the Constitution. The massive federal debt should be addressed. I propose spending cuts, a balanced budget, and then a plan to pay off the massive federal debt. Federal law needs large-scale reform. This includes both civil law and corporate law. Further details can be found at kollsforcongress.org.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I recommend reading The Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, the US Bill of Rights, and Frederic Bastiat's The Law (1850). For some background in economics, some familiarity with the Austrian/Chicago schools is advised. I am also fascinated by Thomas Paine's Common Sense.

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

A love of individual liberty.

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

I have a love for individual liberty.

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

To follow the limited duties defined in The Constitution of the United States, especially Article I Section 8. The Congress must NOT set up tests of the Judicial branch. Congress should pass unambiguous legislation that is easy to rule upon.

What legacy would you like to leave?

As I fervently believe in small gov't, I'd like to be remembered as someone who was part of reducing the size, scope, and reach of the federal gov't. Or stated another way, someone who advanced individual liberty.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Bastiat's The Law is hugely influential to me. It is short and direct. This book gave me a new view of legislation in just 70 pages. Also, George Washington Writings (The Library of America) was very engaging. I was able to understand this man in his own words ... kinda get inside his head.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I'm in awe of Howard Roark in Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" - a man who stands firmly on principle.

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

There are many struggles in life. It is important to get back up and address the issue. This may include several iterations of getting back up and addressing the issue. Character is built on how we respond to hard times. There is NO time wallow ... just get back up.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House is the most democratic branch of the federal gov't. Members are directly appointed from the identified congressional district. Reps have the ability to meet with their constituents and pursue the will of that congressional district. Also, the House controls the federal purse. It has the ability to direct the federal gov't thru the appropriation of funds. For example, an unfunded war cannot be conducted.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

NO. Participation is a dysfunctional system and promising everything to everybody does NOT advance the best representative, nor the best outcome for 340,000,000 people. Somehow, we need citizens that love their country and are willing to do the best things for the nation instead the best things for a particular party or themself. The key attribute should be commitment to a republican (lower case r) form of gov't where individual liberty is the highest priority. In that system, each adult can pursue their own dream. I do love Liberty.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The massive federal debt is the epitome of opportunity cost. How much can we as a nation achieve is we are NOT burdened by commitments to failed programs and policies? What would our nation look like if debt was NOT part of the discussion? How free would We The People be if we kept and spent 100% of our earned wages? or even if our children did NOT have this burden...

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

With my concern for the massive federal debt, I may be a good member of the Ways and Means committee. or other committees that would work on cleaning up our financial affairs. On a different note, I would like to see the relationship with Native Americans improved. Maybe a seat on a committee that is involved with the interactions with Native Americans.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

The intent is to have Representatives in touch with their constituents. If they are in front of voters every two years they will only be re-elected if they work for their constituents. With more than two centuries invested ... it is probably best to keep a two year term.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Voters who believe in term limits should vote accordingly; do NOT vote for an incumbent with excessive years of service. We don't need more laws. We need more citizens engaged in public debate and governance.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I have NOT found such a Representative.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

In talking with voters, I have asked "If you send me to Congress, what should I do?" One voter answered "I don't know, you are the expert." This was the wrong answer. A Representative works for The People. The business of The People should be conducted, NOT schemes that create personal wealth and "power". I hope to meet fellow Reps that are genuinely pursing the people's business, including smaller gov't. .

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

If compromise is defined as what we have in common, then the only way gov't can work is to act in areas of compromise. Hypothetically, if both parties have comprehensive reforms in mind, each party with 10 ideas. If 2 of these ideas are in both plans, then compromise dictates 2 items going forward. However, if compromise means that both parties "get" 5 ideas to go forward, I cannot support this "compromise". It is likely that of the 10 selected items there will be provisions that are at odds and (mostly) cancel out ... but cost twice as much (to support both sides). This second form of compromise is worse than doing nothing. So, my underlying philosophy is to limit the size, scope, and reach of gov't. "Let" each responsible adult navigate the decisions of life for their family and themself. We do NOT need federal one-size-does-NOT-fit-all so called "solutions".

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

The power of the purse is a mighty duty. This control can stop gov't if necessary. As an advocate for (much) smaller gov't there is little need to increase taxes/revenue. My focus would be on how do we cut spending to have the federal gov't live within its means. When we are making progress decreasing the massive federal debt it might be time to reduce tax rates and have the federal gov't "live' on less.

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.

2016

The following excerpts were taken from Kolls' campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Liberty!: ”Always have a bias towards Freedom” - Judge Andrew Napolitano. Federal “decisions”, by legislation and regulation, usurp our inherent individual Freedom, Liberty, and Sovereignty. Government has NOT been delegated to mitigate personal risk. What if all federal programs were voluntary and citizens could choose to sign up? Local Decisions: Amendment IX is the cornerstone of The Constitution of the United States. WE THE PEOPLE have full and final authority; the government was instituted to safeguard our Natural Rights. We need a transition from a bloated and power-hungry union to We The People. Financial Responsibility: We are $ 19,000,000,000,000 in debt. It doubles every 8 years. This is clearly not sustainable. We must begin by balancing the budget. If we don’t act soon, our children will “get the bill”. What is wrong with us? Better Politics: Our public discourse is embarrassing. Let’s fiercely debate the issues. Then, when the dust settles, let’s work together for The People.	”
—Mike Kolls' campaign website, http://tellwashington.us/

2014

Kolls' campaign website listed the following issues:

• Out Of Control Spending

Excerpt: "August through October 2013 offered many a scandal du jour. Yet, the most revolting scandal received no discussion or in-depth analysis – the out-of-control federal spending and the resultant massive accumulated federal debt. It consumes nearly 25% of our national wealth and inhibits our commerce."

• Healthcare

Excerpt: "First, as part of an incremental approach, let’s consider removing all restrictions for the sale of health care insurance. It is perceived that a consumer cannot purchase health insurance across state lines. Removing restrictions to purchase insurance within a state would increase competition, a known force in reducing prices."

• Iran - Sanctions?

Excerpt: "No. Sanctions, embargoes, and blockades are acts of war. We are not at war with Iran; there has been no such declaration by congress … nor should there be."

• Immigration

Excerpt: "The current situation concerning immigration has been birthed by decades of federal inaction and recent state action. In general terms, it is now running as it should. Yet, some minimal changes may provide an uncomplicated, final resolution."

• Minimum Wage

Excerpt: "Proponents of increasing the minimum wage claim that full-time workers cannot earn a living. Therefore, the minimum wage must be increased. An example - to cover higher wage costs, business owners must raise prices on their goods. The worker receiving the higher minimum wage is still unable to purchase as he desires because other goods have also been increased in price due to the general increased minimum wage - the greater the increase, the greater the effect. Even, in the short term the problem is exacerbated."

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Mike Kolls campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Texas District 13	Disqualified general	$0	N/A**
2022	U.S. House Texas District 26	Lost general	$0	N/A**
2018	U.S. House Texas District 24	Lost general	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Texas District 13

Website

Footnotes

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Keith Self (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Morgan Luttrell (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Craig Goldman (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Monica De La Cruz (R)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Vacant

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Brandon Gill (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Jasmine Crockett (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Julie Johnson (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 35

Greg Casar (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 38

Wesley Hunt (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (12)

Vacancies (1)