Texas House District 63 (Roanoke/Flower Mound/Lewisville)

(Photos courtesy of the Cross Timbers Gazette)

Denise Wooten (D) 

Career: Psychologist

Education: “We need to support public education,” she said. Wooten supports more funding for special education and job skill programs as well pay raises for teachers. 

Abortion: “Women should have the right to govern their own bodies without politicians and religious groups telling them what they can and cannot do,” she said. Wooten aims to protect a woman’s right until the fetus could survive, about 24 weeks. 

Firearms: “It’s not just mass shootings. Gun violence is also a problem with suicides,” she said. She supports raising the age to purchase rifles to 21, mandatory minimum waiting periods, safe storage laws, firearm training, and red flag laws.

Immigration: “I think we have to be humane and we should not denigrate immigrants as if they are all drug dealers, which is what I hear a lot of the Republicans doing,” she said. “The Texas economy depends on immigrants.” Wooten supports safe, orderly, legally channels for immigrants to come to Texas.

Inflation: “The State Legislature does not have power over  that,” she said. When it comes to inflation she wants to reduce its effects by supporting legislation to lower energy costs. 

Ben Bumgarner (R)

Career: Executive at Firearm Company

Education: “Education is very important for the future of Texas and our local communities.” said Bumgarner. He wants  manageable class sizes for teachers as well as more financial investment into LISD, private, and charter schools.

Abortion: “The Dobbs decision returns much decisionmaking over these policies to the states, so Texas must ensure our policies protect life,” he said. He supports improving maternal healthcare and childhood healthcare as an alternative to abortion. 

Firearms: “I hope to take some of the things we’ve learned in our local school districts on mitigating threats to Austin to improve school safety to protect our young people,” he said. He believes the right to bear arms is guaranteed, and he has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association, a leading gun rights advocacy group.

Immigration: “Right now the cartels are murdering civilians and profiting off the trafficking of women and children,” he said. He supports state efforts to secure the border receiving  more funding from the federal government for technology and manpower.

Inflation: “This recession is due in part to out of control money printing at the federal level, and energy policy that has seen costs skyrocket across the nation,” he said. He supports lowering property taxes, reduced state spending, and investment into the energy market.

Texas House District 65 (Highland Village/Copper Canyon/Double Oak/Bartonville)

Brittney Verdell (D)

Career: Licensed Master Social Worker

Education: “I think we  need to ensure that all students’ needs are met while they’re in high school,” she said. She supports increasing teacher salary, ensuring school funding, and providing more mental health resources. 

Abortion: “You can be an individual that is pro life for yourself, and pro choice for everyone else. For someone seeking abortion, it is specifically a decision between them and their doctors, and no government officials should be able to say something otherwise,” Verdell said. 

Firearms: “We just have to do common sense things like universal background checks, and ensuring that we have protective measures in place to prevent mass shootings, especially in schools,” Verdell said. She also supports partnering with firearm training groups to provide better gun safety education.

Immigration: “I see immigration as partnering with the federal level and ensuring that we put forth some type of screening measures that actually allows those immigrants coming into Texas to transition into the workforce,” Verdell said. 

Inflation: “When we think about inflation, I know something that affects every last socioeconomic status is electricity,” she said. She supports improvements to the state energy grid to reduce energy costs for consumers. 

Kronda Thimesch (R)

Career: Former School Board Trustee/Businesswoman

Education: “Education is the great equalizer and gives everyone the opportunity to share in the American Dream,” she said. She supports increasing the diversity of opportunities in schools such as trade programs. She is opposed to Critical Race Theory in schools.

Abortion:  “I will only support abortion as a medical necessity: if the doctor deems it necessary for the sake of the mother or child,” she said. She  opposes any taxpayer funding for abortions and supports health care for families as an alternative.

Firearms: “I want to make sure that students and teachers feel safe in the classroom, and I do support the right to keep and bear arms,” she said. She is opposed to regulation on the sale of firearms. 

Immigration: “The way cartels are trafficking children and families is horrific and has cost the lives of many trying to cross,” she said. She supports funding for law enforcement, surveillance, and a wall and opposes any open border policies. 

Inflation: Timesch acknowledged the effects of recent inflation on teenagers’ wallets: “Young voters are paying more for gas at the pumps, food at restaurants and movies because of increasing inflation,” she said.