Will Hurd

Will Hurd
Hurd in 2014
Will Hurd
Born	William Ballard Hurd 19 8, 1977
Birthplace	San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, intelligence officer, business executive
Title	Chief Strategy Officer, The Aerospace Corporation
Known for	U.S. Representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district (2015–2021); 2024 presidential candidate
Education	Texas A&M University (BS)

William Ballard Hurd (born August 19, 1977) is an American politician, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) clandestine officer, and business executive who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district from 2015 to 2021. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Hurd spent nearly a decade as an undercover officer in the CIA before entering electoral politics. His congressional district, which stretched approximately 550 miles (890 km) from San Antonio to El Paso along the U.S.–Mexico border, was among the largest in the country and one of the most competitive in Texas. A member of the Republican Party, Hurd was one of the few Black Republicans serving in Congress during his tenure. After leaving office in January 2021, he entered the private sector and, in June 2023, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in the 2024 election, running on a platform that included opposition to former President Donald Trump. He withdrew from the race in October 2023 and endorsed Nikki Haley. Hurd has since taken on roles in the corporate and nonprofit sectors, including serving as chief strategy officer and a member of the board of trustees at The Aerospace Corporation.

Early Life

William Ballard Hurd was born on August 19, 1977, in San Antonio, Texas. He grew up in the San Antonio area, a city that would later anchor the eastern end of the congressional district he represented. Hurd has described San Antonio as the place that shaped his identity and values, regardless of where his career subsequently took him.

Hurd's father is Black and his mother is white, making him one of a small number of biracial Republicans to hold federal office in the modern era. His background in a diverse, border-region city informed his later political positions on issues such as immigration and national security.

Education

Hurd attended Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. His technical education would prove foundational to his later career in intelligence, cybersecurity policy, and technology. As a congressman, Hurd returned to Texas A&M to speak at events, including the university's annual Muster ceremony in 2015.

Career

CIA Career

After graduating from Texas A&M, Hurd joined the Central Intelligence Agency as a clandestine officer. He served in the CIA for approximately nine years, a period during which he operated undercover in various locations around the world. The specifics of his assignments remain largely classified, but Hurd has spoken publicly about his work involving counterterrorism and national security operations. His intelligence background later became a defining element of both his congressional service and his political identity, distinguishing him from most of his colleagues in the House of Representatives.

2010 Congressional Campaign

Hurd entered electoral politics in 2010, running for the Republican nomination in Texas's 23rd congressional district. The district, one of the largest in the continental United States by geographic area, covered a vast stretch of western and southwestern Texas along the border with Mexico. Hurd's campaign attracted attention as a competitive primary contest. The San Antonio Express-News endorsed candidates in the primary elections that year, and the race drew multiple contenders.

Hurd advanced to a runoff election but was ultimately defeated. The loss, however, did not end his political ambitions, and he spent the intervening years preparing for a subsequent bid.

2014 Election and Entry to Congress

Hurd ran for Congress again in 2014, this time challenging the Democratic incumbent, Pete Gallego, in the general election for Texas's 23rd congressional district. The race was closely watched as one of the most competitive House contests in Texas. Hurd prevailed, defeating Gallego and winning the seat.

He took office on January 3, 2015, succeeding Gallego. As a freshman congressman, Hurd was notable for several reasons: he was one of the few Black Republicans in the House, he represented a majority-Hispanic border district, and his CIA background gave him a distinct perspective on national security and intelligence policy.

Congressional Service (2015–2021)

During his three terms in Congress, Hurd carved out a reputation as a legislator focused on technology, cybersecurity, border security, and intelligence matters. Upon entering office, he was appointed to lead key subcommittees related to information technology.

Information Technology and Cybersecurity

Hurd served as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on Information Technology. In this role, he became one of the leading voices in Congress on issues related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the federal government's use of technology. He worked alongside Ranking Member Robin Kelly (D-IL) on bipartisan efforts to address the growing impact of artificial intelligence on U.S. policy.

Hurd also focused on defending the homeland from cyber attacks, leveraging both his computer science background and his intelligence experience to advocate for stronger federal cybersecurity measures.

Border Security and Immigration

Representing a district that encompassed roughly 800 miles of the U.S.–Mexico border, Hurd's positions on immigration and border security were among the most closely scrutinized of any Republican in Congress. He opposed the construction of a physical border wall across the entirety of the border, a position that put him at odds with President Donald Trump and much of the Republican Party. Instead, Hurd advocated for a technology-based approach to border security, including the use of sensors, drones, and other surveillance tools, arguing that such methods were more effective and cost-efficient than a concrete wall across the vast and varied terrain of his district.

Bipartisan Reputation

Hurd was a member of the Congressional Future Caucus, a bipartisan group of younger members of Congress focused on long-term policy challenges. He frequently emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation and was noted for his willingness to work across party lines. His voting record reflected the competitive nature of his district, which had swung between Republican and Democratic representation in prior election cycles.

In 2020, Hurd participated in discussions at South by Southwest (SXSW) alongside prominent political figures including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Representative Adam Schiff, and Anita Hill, in a series of panels focused on the future of American politics.

Electoral History

Hurd's district was one of the most competitive in the country, and his re-election campaigns were often hard-fought. In 2016, he won re-election in a closely contested race. In 2018, he narrowly won re-election by less than one percentage point against Democratic challenger Gina Ortiz Jones, in one of the tightest House races in the nation that cycle.

In August 2019, Hurd announced that he would not seek re-election in 2020. His retirement was seen as a significant loss for the Republican Party in a swing district and was part of a broader wave of Republican departures from the House ahead of the 2020 elections. He was succeeded by Tony Gonzales, a Republican who won the seat in the 2020 general election.

2024 Presidential Campaign

On June 22, 2023, Hurd announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in the 2024 election. He launched his campaign from his home state of Texas, positioning himself as a moderate alternative within the Republican primary field and making opposition to former President Donald Trump a central theme of his candidacy.

At 45 years old at the time of his announcement, Hurd was among the younger candidates in the Republican field. He ran on his experience in the CIA, his record on technology and cybersecurity policy, and his approach to border security. He argued that the Republican Party needed to broaden its appeal beyond its base and that Trump was not the right candidate to lead the party or the country.

However, Hurd's campaign struggled to gain traction in the polls and in fundraising. He failed to qualify for the first Republican primary debate in August 2023, which required candidates to meet both polling and donor thresholds set by the Republican National Committee (RNC). Hurd criticized the RNC's debate qualification process, calling it "unacceptable."

On October 9, 2023, Hurd withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, as his preferred candidate for the Republican nomination.

Post-Congressional Career

After leaving Congress in January 2021, Hurd transitioned to the private sector and became involved in corporate advisory and governance roles. He took on the position of chief strategy officer and was elected to the board of trustees of The Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development center focused on space and national security, on June 11, 2025.

In a 2026 interview, Hurd reflected on his career trajectory from the CIA to Congress to the private sector, stating that San Antonio remained central to his identity regardless of where his professional life took him.

Personal Life

Hurd was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and has maintained strong ties to the city throughout his career. He has spoken publicly about his biracial background — his father is Black and his mother is white — and has discussed how his identity shaped his perspective as one of the few Black Republicans in Congress. He resides in the San Antonio area.

Recognition

During his time in Congress, Hurd received attention for his bipartisan approach to legislating and his focus on emerging technology issues. His chairmanship of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Information Technology placed him at the center of congressional debates over artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and federal IT modernization. He was recognized by various organizations for his work on technology policy.

Hurd was invited to participate in high-profile public forums, including SXSW 2020, where he appeared alongside other prominent political figures to discuss the future direction of American politics and policy.

His congressional record is documented in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress and through the official records of the United States Congress.

Legacy

Hurd's tenure in Congress is notable for several reasons. He represented one of the most geographically expansive and politically competitive districts in the United States, winning three consecutive elections in a district that stretched across the Texas–Mexico border and encompassed diverse urban, suburban, and rural communities. As one of the few Black Republicans in Congress during his service, he occupied a distinctive position within the party.

His emphasis on technology and cybersecurity policy, driven by both his computer science education and his intelligence career, helped elevate these issues within congressional discourse during a period of rapid technological change. His bipartisan work on artificial intelligence policy with Democratic colleagues established a model for cross-party collaboration on emerging technology regulation.

Hurd's opposition to a physical border wall, despite representing one of the most border-heavy districts in the country, illustrated the tension between national Republican Party messaging and the realities of governing in a diverse border region. His subsequent presidential campaign, though unsuccessful, represented an attempt to articulate an alternative vision for the Republican Party — one centered on technological competence, pragmatic border policy, and a broader electoral appeal.

Following his departure from elected office, Hurd's transition to leadership roles in the aerospace and technology sectors reflected the continued intersection of his interests in national security, technology, and public policy.