On The Record: Dan Pugh

For this episode of On The Record, we speak with Dan Pugh, County Chair for the Aransas County Democratic Party.

How did you get started in politics? Did you come to it in your youth or later on?

The last time I ran for public office was for a JC position in Corpus Christi in the 1970s, and I ran and lost. I spent the next 40 years working for city governments.

The last three years is when I started my involvement with the Democratic Party, since my retirement. I worked as an election judge and other positions for several years. The former County Chair resigned due to a potential conflict of interest and supported my candidacy for the position a few months ago.

I am the new kid on the block, in some ways.

What would you say are the primary issues concerning Aransas County?

We do not have local issues like other areas. We are a tourist town that does not feel the impact of typical local issues.

Even though we are located near the border of Texas, immigration does not seem to be an issue here. It could be that we are geographically located on the gulf and not on the border with Mexico.

National issues overtake local issues here. We focus on the war and the economy.

Do you have any ambition for higher office? Do you have plans to run for any other party office, or possibly even public office?

I am only interested in running for this office again.

Who are some of your political heroes?

My political heroes are Woodrow Wilson, Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman, John Connally, Jack Kennedy and Lloyd Bentsen. Their concern for social issues, the economy, civil rights and the dignity of everybody are qualities that stand out about these political heroes for me.

What are you looking forward to in the coming cycle?

I am looking forward to some new personal experiences, since I am new to this position, as well as the opportunity to get qualified people elected.

What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in politics?

Learn from and trust everybody until the advice is proven bad.