How Texas Politics Tried to Silence My Destiny

I Am Destiny, You Are Destiny, We Are Destiny

By Vince Duncan

My name is Vince Duncan, and I want to share my story of how my ordinary life intersected with an extraordinary assignment from God—one that led me to my political destiny.

In the spring of 2012, a man I had known for years asked me if I had ever considered running for Congress. I thought to myself, What kind of question is that? But my response was simply, “No.”

A few weeks later, he invited me to a small meeting. I had known him for years, and in my mind, this was going to be a meeting about how I could make money selling electricity. To my surprise, there were about a thousand people in attendance—and they were all politicians, judges, state representatives, and congressmen—each one vying for his attention. His political acumen was extraordinary to me, and I kept thinking to myself, Wow, you never know!

As the meeting came to an end, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special guest. Vince, would you please stand up? Everybody, take a look at him. Turn around, Vince, so they can all see your face. Vince, you are going to run for Congress against Sheila Jackson Lee. When it happens to you, don’t be afraid.”

Over the years, I had witnessed this man become a devout Christian. Between 2012 and 2014, I found myself living and working in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. As I went about my daily business, complete strangers would call me “Congressman,” “Senator,” or “Governor.” Over and over, my mind went back to that meeting.

A woman of great faith whom I had known said to me, “Vince, I’ve noticed the compliments.” I told her what had been spoken over my life about running for office. “You should pray on it,” she replied, “and let God guide you.”

Around this time, a monument was dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C. I made my way there and stood before his statue. I took the time to read every inscription, and my destiny spoke: He didn’t start here, Vince—he started in a small church in Georgia. Do you know how many small churches I have in Georgia? Thousands. Dr. King had the faith of Abraham and followed Me wherever I led him. Because of his faith, you can now run for Congress, and I will tell you what to do.

When I walked away from the monument, I whispered, “My name is Vince Duncan, and I am running for U.S. Congress.” The further I walked, the louder I said it.

Upon completing my assignment in Washington, the company I worked for hinted at a management position. Under any other circumstance, I might have accepted—but I was focused on managing our nation. When I compared the two options, I chose to follow the unknown possibilities of running for Congress.

It was the fall of 2013, and I was back in Houston. I thought to myself, Who could I ask about running for Congress? So I turned to a trusted friend—Google. “How do I run for Congress?” The answers were right there at my fingertips: the Texas Secretary of State’s Election Division.

All the necessary paperwork was signed, the application submitted, petition signatures verified—and Vince Duncan was on the ballot for United States Congress, District 18, Houston, Texas.

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The Unexpected Call: “You Are Famous Whether You Know It or Not”

About a week after receiving official notice from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office confirming that my name was on the ballot, I got a call from a Dallas area number.

I answered, “Hello?”
A man’s voice replied coldly, “Just who do you think you are? You didn’t ask any of us if you could run for office. You’ve caught us by surprise. We looked up—and your name is on the ballot. Whether you know it or not, you are famous. Not only are you known all over Texas in political circles, but you are also the most hated. We know you, but you don’t know us. The last thing we’ll allow is for you to go around telling people they don’t need Democrats or Republicans. We’re going to make you pick a side—and we’re going to sabotage everything you do.”

Startled, I wondered, Who is this man? What does he look like? How far will they go to stop me? He went on to tell me that he had read my political platform and believed it would go over the heads of most readers because “the average American has a seventh-grade reading level.”

That was the beginning of the opposition I would face as an independent candidate in a system dominated by Democrats and Republicans. Every supposedly neutral public space—radio, television, churches, community groups—was tied to the political establishment. Supporters would often direct me back to those same groups, believing they were nonpartisan.

The 2014 elections came and went. Sheila Jackson Lee won. Still, seeing my name on television and knowing I had given it my best brought a sense of satisfaction.

A few months later, my real education began. My truck broke down at the intersection of I-10 and Lockwood. As I stood by the smoking radiator, a man approached me and said, “You’re Vince Duncan.” He told me that I had received far more votes than reported and that people had voted for me because they didn’t want her.

At first, I thought he was crazy. We have a perfect system that operates on checks and balances, I thought. It’s perfect—or so I believed.

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The 2018 Election Application and Legal Battle

As the 2018 election filing deadline approached, my paperwork was ready. Yet I couldn’t stop thinking about that mysterious phone call—the warning that “they” knew who I was.

At the Texas Secretary of State’s Office in Austin, an attorney helped me complete the application. I signed every page, notarized it, and left feeling confident. But a few days later, I received a letter stating that my application was not accepted.

Determined to get answers, I drove back to Austin to meet with the Director of Elections, Keith Ingram, face-to-face. He apologized and told me I’d have to apply again in 2020. I couldn’t stop thinking about the hope and trust that every petition signer had placed in me. At that moment, I decided to fight back.

I asked what it would take to get my name on the ballot. “You have to file suit against the State of Texas in federal court,” they said.

After contacting several attorneys, I found Buck Woods, a renowned election lawyer who had argued before both the Texas and U.S. Supreme Courts. He was also a former Texas Secretary of State and had authored the very policy being used against me. Initially, he said I didn’t have much of a case—but later called back, saying this could be one of the biggest cases ever brought before the Texas Supreme Court. He offered to take my case pro bono.

I was overjoyed. Finally, someone believed in my story. But when I told him I was running against Sheila Jackson Lee, his tone changed. Days later, he informed me he had spoken to federal judges and the case would not work in our favor.

Undeterred, I met another attorney who helped me file a pro se lawsuit in federal court: Duncan vs. Pablos et al., Case 4:18-cv-02355, presided over by Judge Lynn Hughes.

On July 17, 2018, I appeared in U.S. Federal Court. After hearing both sides, Judge Hughes ruled in my favor, instructing the State to allow me to sign the documents and appear on the ballot.

The next day, I returned to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office. When Keith Ingram saw me, he spit out his coffee and shouted, “What are you doing here? Security, stop him!”

I was then met by his assistant, Bradley Burnett, who admitted they had lost the case and that “powerful politicians in Houston” were pressuring them to keep me off the ballot. When Keith Ingram lunged toward me, trying to grab my shirt, Bradley stopped him. I calmly left the office and contacted the federal court clerk, requesting the written order.

That evening, I received the signed court order via email.

The next day, I returned to Austin with the order in hand—but was told that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) now needed to review it. I was eventually blocked from entering, told that “federal courts have no jurisdiction,” and later informed that the order had been reversed.

On August 1, 2018, I filed a motion in Harris County Civil Court (Case #50996). After multiple delays, Judge Michael Landrum ruled in my favor on August 17, 2018, ordering that my name be added to the ballot.

With only hours left, I raced from Houston to Austin, updating officials along the way—“Coming up on Columbus… on Smithville… exiting the Capitol.”

At 4:55 p.m., I arrived. I handed over the order, signed the documents, and was officially on the ballot for U.S. Congress, District 18, Houston, Texas.

American democracy was alive—and I would represent everyone who had signed that petition.

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A Divine Encounter with Politics

Weeks later, I heard that Governor Greg Abbott would be visiting a Chevrolet dealership. I decided to go. When I arrived, I introduced myself to his staff. One aide asked if I was running for office and said, “Let’s put your sign next to the Governor’s.”

During the press conference, my campaign sign stood beside his.

Afterward, I introduced myself to the Governor and thanked him for helping me with the Elections Division. He replied, “Vince, we’ve had lots of trouble with them. If you want to give me credit, I’ll take it—but I didn’t do anything. Go thank Louis Sáenz over there; he’s the one who took care of you.”

When I thanked Louis, he smiled and said, “That’s politics, Vince. It’s best to create political consensus. You never know who’s working on your behalf.”