2024 Election: State races to watch in Central Texas

AUSTIN – Texas’ political landscape for the next two years may come down to a few key statehouse races in Dallas, San Antonio and South Texas. 

Here are the races to watch in Central Texas, including in the Texas House, Texas Senate, U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

The Senate race between Ted Cruz and Colin Allred has brought in plenty of attention and ad money to the Lone Star State.

Ted Cruz is an attorney from Houston who has served as the junior U.S. Senator from Texas since 2013. He is seeking his third term.

Colin Allred, from North Texas, is a civil rights lawyer and former NFL player serving as the U.S. representative from Texas’s 32nd congressional district since 2019.

READ MORE: Ted Cruz-Colin Allred: Where the candidates stand on the issues

U.S. Rep. Michael T. McCaul is currently serving his 10th term representing Texas’ 10th District in the United States Congress. He previously served as chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security and recently became the first Texan to chair the Foreign Affairs Committee. 

Theresa Boisseau is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and has lived in the Austin area since 1985. Boisseau taught at Austin ISD for eight years, then moved to join her sibling in carrying on the legacy of her parents in real estate.

Jeff Miller is a 40-year resident of Bryan/College Station where he grew up, graduated from high school, and went to Blinn College. 

U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions was born and raised in Waco, Texas. He is a graduate of Southwestern University. He was an AT&T executive from 1978 until 1993. He served in Congress from 1997 through 2018 and again from 2021 until present. He was also chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2009 until 2012.

Mark Lorenzen was born and raised in Edna, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University for his undergraduate studies and later graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in pediatrics. He has been a pediatrician in Waco since 1980. 

U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud was first elected in a special election in 2018. Congressman Cloud is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability in the 118th Congress, and selected to serve on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Tanya Lloyd is a fifth-generation Texan, born in Waxahachie and has a degree in education from Texas State University. She became a teacher at Lockhart ISD in 2007. She is a member of the Lockhart FFA Booster Club, Lockhart Athletic Booster Club, and the Caldwell County Aggie Moms Club. 

Ten years after completing his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech and his law degree from University of Texas, John “Judge” Carter was appointed District Judge for the 277th District Court in Williamson County. He ran for congress in 2002. Carter currently serves as the Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Committee. He also sits on the Commerce, Justice and Science subcommittee and the Defense subcommittee. He has passed legislation under Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump.

Stuart Whitlow earned a BA from Southwestern, a Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt, and joint degrees from UT’s LBJ School and UT Law, graduating with Honors. He has spent 35 years as an attorney and worked with the Texas Legal Services Center to provide legal help to over 7,000 Texans seeking free services. He is a native of Williamson and Bell County.

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the west side of San Antonio. A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar was sworn into office in January 2023 and serves as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served on the Austin City Council for seven years.

Steven Wright grew up in Kern County, California. His 30-year law enforcement career was spent working for the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. He moved to Texas six years ago. 

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett serves as Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee on the House Ways & Means Committee. Doggett also serves on the Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee, the Joint Committee on Taxation, and the House Budget Committee.

Jenny Garcia Sharon was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word with a Bachelor’s degree in Administration, a Minor in Psychology, becoming the first-generation college graduate of her immediate family. She volunteered her time as the Treasurer of a local Republican group and is a member of her local Catholic Parish.

Girish Altekar’s website was not functional at the time of this report. The above link is to the Libertarian Party of Texas list of candidates.

State Sen. Donna Campbell, MD is a board-certified emergency room physician. In 2012, she became the 15th woman ever elected to serve in the Texas Senate. She lives in the New Braunfels area and represents Senate District 25, a seven-county Texas Hill Country district which includes portions of San Antonio and Austin.

In 2018, Merrie Fox earned her PhD in Educational Leadership from Northcentral University and was also selected by RYHT to serve as a Principal Legislative Fellow during the 86th legislative session. Merrie retired from public education in June 2023 and now serves as the Executive Director of Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels.

A 5th generation Texan, Stan Gerdes was born and raised in Central Texas. After high school, Gerdes attended college at The University of Texas. Prior to Stan’s election to the Smithville City Council and the Texas House, he worked with Governor Rick Perry for over a decade. Gerdes was Senior Advisor to Secretary Perry in the Trump administration.

Desiree Venable became politically engaged in high school. After graduation, Venable pursued higher education at MCC-Longview, earning an Associate of Arts degree. After getting her degree, she worked as a substitute teacher and sports program coordinator for a rural public school, then transitioned to a role as Resolution Specialist. She is currently a small business owner/operator. 

Dwain Handley has been a grassroots field organizer for most of the last decade. He has served as a precinct chair for six of the last 10 years. He recruited and trained a grassroots field including phone bankers, canvassers, and voter registrars, all aimed at Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts. 

Representative Ellen Troxclair is a nonprofit leader and small business owner who represents Blanco, Burnet, Gillespie, Kendall and western Travis counties. Elected in 2022, Troxclair serves on the Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee, Culture, Recreation, & Tourism Committee, House Select Committee on Community Safety, and Select Study Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief.

Kodi Swain is a graduate of Canyon High School in the Texas Panhandle and Texas State University. She founded the Sawin Group, specializing in public strategies for diverse clients with infrastructure and natural resource projects. She served as the general manager of the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District and has served on several Hill Country legislative committees, including Texans for Responsible Aggregate Mining (TRAM) and Texas Hill Country Conservation Network water and wastewater committees.

State Representative, District 20 – Terry Wilson (R), Stephen Wyman (D)

Colonel Terry Wilson, US Army (Ret.), was born in Odessa, Texas. He is a decorated combat veteran. He holds a BS in Business Administration from Texas A&M University and an MS in Strategic Logistics Plans and Management from the Air War University. He retired from the Army after serving more than 30 years. As State Representative, Wilson serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Defense & Veterans’ Affairs.

There is no website available for Stephen Wyman.

Erin Zwiener, a fifth-generation Texan, is the state representative for Hays County. She is an author and educator, and a conservationist and activist.

Tennyson Moreno, a life-long Texan, has been a pilot since high school. He volunteers with the Commemorative Air Force, and serves as Vice-Chair of the Airport Advisory Board for the San Marcos Regional Airport. He is the youngest State Representative Candidate in Texas.

State Representative, District 46 – Sheryl Cole (D), Nikki Kosich (R)

Sheryl Cole was Austin’s Mayor Pro Tem and the city’s first African-American woman elected to city council. She is an accountant and attorney by training.

Nikki Kosich does not have a website.

Vikki Goodwin is serving her third term representing Texas House District 47 in Western Travis County which includes parts of Austin, Bee Cave and Lake Travis. In her three sessions, she has focused on supporting public schools, addressing health and public safety issues, and helping small businesses. Goodwin is a residential real estate broker and has sold homes in and around Austin for over 20 years.

Scott Firsing has lived in Austin since 2016 and runs his own Austin-based consulting business, working with some of the world’s most innovative aerospace companies. He has multiple academic degrees, including a doctorate in International Politics. His career has revolved around education in domestic and foreign policy as well as innovative technology. He has formerly been a university international relations professor, a K-12 school principal, a foreign policy correspondent before becoming a small business owner.

Rep. Donna Howard has been the State Representative for District 46 for more than 18 years. She currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Select Committee on Health Care Reform, and is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Higher Education Committee. Rep. Howard also serves as the chairwoman of the Texas Women’s Health Caucus, which is the largest caucus in the country solely focused on advancing women’s health policy.

Daniel McCarthy is from Dripping Springs. He has a Political Science Bachelor’s Degree from Texas State University, as well as a certificate for Full Stack Web Development from UT’s Center for Professional Education. While at Texas State, he ran for mayor of San Marcos on a small government platform. He is now the vice-chair of the Travis County Libertarian Party executive committee. Dan is a 7th generation Texan, and grandson of legendary NFL coach Bum Phillips.

State Representative, District 51 –

Caroline Harris is a Round Rock native. She serves as a Sunday School teacher and a member of the Missions Board of her church. Harris is a disaster relief and community volunteer. She has a Master’s Degree from the University of Texas and seven years of legislative experience.

Jennie Birkholz has served more than 20 years in community health. She lives in Round Rock. She currently serves as the President of Access Education RRISD. 

Joe Herrera has lived in Natalia, Texas since 2009. He was the Democratic Nominee for State Representative in both 2020 and 2022. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. Joe earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from The University of Texas at San Antonio, and an MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University. Joe has spent his career in the Consumer Packaged Good companies, including: The Hershey Company, Bimbo Bakeries, and Ferrara Candy Company.  

Wes Virdell lives in Brady, TX. He has been attending the Texas Capitol for 12 years. Wes is a 9th-generation Texan and a 14th-generation American. His relative, Jonathan Lindley, was one of the Immortal 32 Gonzales Rangers that fought and died at the Battle of the Alamo. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 2001, reporting to Basic Training two months after September 11. He was selected as a 2020 and 2022 State Delegate for the Republican Party of Texas and a 2020 and 2024 National Delegate for the Republican National Convention.

B.W. Holk does not have a website and no information is provided on the Libertarian Party website.

State Rep. Carrie Isaac is a fourth-generation Texan and has lived in Hays County for 17 years. She currently serves as the executive director of DEWIT, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to veterans. She has a Master’s Degree in health education. She was also the Chair of the Dripping Springs Mayor’s Health and Wellness Council.

Sally Duval is a businessperson born and raised in Texas. She attended the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance. After living in Texas for 40 years, she moved to France in 2006. She moved back to Texas in 2021.

John Bucy III, a native Texan and small business owner, has represented House District 136 since 2018. He represents southern Williamson County, including Northwest Austin, Cedar Park, Round Rock, and the Brushy Creek area. His appointments for the 88th Legislative Session include the House Committee on Elections, the House Committee on Higher Education, and the Select Committee on Health Care Reform. 

Amin Salahuddin is a small business owner, nonprofit founder, entrepreneur, and community leader. He lives in the Brushy Creek area of Round Rock. He is the founder of Eixsys Health Care System – a 501(c)(3) charity, a board member of the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the Round Rock Police Foundation and founder and president of Diversity Impact.

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