Ballotpedia tracked five new state-level candidates in Texas between Nov. 13-19. This was two more candidates than the prior week.
Two of those candidates are Democrats and three are Republicans. The five candidates are running for state legislature in 2024.
Details on these candidates are below:
- Incumbent Tom Craddick (R) is running for Texas House of Representatives District 82. Craddick said, “Representing West Texas in the Texas House of Representatives is an honor … The issues facing the Permian Basin today are important to the success of generations to come. Now is the time to continue to fight for the Permian Basin in Austin. I would be proud to again represent District 82 in 2025.”
- Cassandra Garcia Hernandez (D) is running for Texas House of Representatives District 115. Hernandez said, “As a lawyer, [I am] passionate about representing individuals and defending their rights. It is because of [my] strong desire to help people that [I] became a lawyer and now seek[] to help more people through public service. [I] understand[] that Texas today needs leaders with a servant heart, new ideas and fresh perspectives to tackle tough problems.”
- Joe P. Herrera (D) is running for Texas House of Representatives District 53. Herrera said, “Your vote has never been more important, and ensuring that we elect fair and open minded representatives is vital to the continued success of Texas. Although I agree that we should have limited government, building and passing a budget that addresses key gaps in the services provided to our local communities is an important part of the job of our state government. … this campaign is about you, your families, your issues, and the future of Texas. I am running to be your representative, to work with Rural Texans to find common ground and long-lasting solutions that will make everyone proud to be a part of Texas House District 53.”
- Kyle Biedermann (R) is running for Texas House of Representatives District 19. Biedermann said, “I served for six years as the State Representative for Gillespie, Comal, and Kendall counties. I focused on the issues affecting hardworking individuals and seniors in my district, such as rising property taxes, water resources, the challenges associated with rapid growth, the protection of Second Amendment rights, protecting the unborn, combating unfunded state mandates on our schools, reducing overregulation, lowering taxes on our businesses, and safeguarding our God-given private property rights. … As a citizen legislator and not a career politician, I decided to go home to my family and business and not run for re-election in 2020. … At the federal level, and in Texas, I have watched our already bloated government continue to overtax, overspend, and take away our God-given freedoms. We need PROVEN conservative leadership, not a rubber stamp in our Capitol, and this is why I have made the decision to run for office again.”
- Dewey Collier (R) is running for Texas House of Representatives District 5. Collier said, “I am a Christian, devoted husband, father, and Constitutional Conservative. I served my country for over 25 years as a combat veteran of the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and returning home to Texas, where I began working in real estate. I’m a registered nurse and understand the intricacies of healthcare. I am passionate about the freedoms of all Texans, those born and unborn, and will fight for the Constitution to be upheld.”
Since the beginning of the year, Ballotpedia has identified 63 candidates for state-level office in Texas. Seven hundred and fifty candidates ran for state-level office in Texas in 2022, while 582 ran in 2020. In 2022, 277 were Democratic, while 384 were Republican. In 2020, 270 were Democratic and 249 were Republican. Nationally, Ballotpedia has tracked 679 Democrats and 828 Republicans running for state-level office in 2023, and 337 Democrats and 472 Republicans running in 2024.
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