State Representative Erwin Cain represents House District 3 in northeast Texas. He is a small businessman, owning a real estate investment company and a law firm.

Erwin and Hope have been married for 21 years and reside in the rural community of Como, located just outside of Sulphur Springs. The Cains are members of First Baptist Church of Sulphur Springs, where Erwin is an adult Sunday School teacher. Erwin coaches his younger daughter’s soccer team.

State Representative Bill Zedler was first elected in 2002 to represent District 96 in the Texas House of Representatives. House District 96 includes portions of Arlington, Fort Worth, Mansfield, and Burleson, and all of Crowley and Kennedale, in southeast Tarrant County.

Representative Zedler is a 30-year resident of Arlington, where he and his wife, Ellen, raised their family. Active in his community, he serves on the Advisory Board of the Arlington Pregnancy Center and has been an Elder at Park Springs Bible Church. Additionally, he is a member of the Arlington Kiwanis Club, as well as various local chambers of commerce.

Cindy Burkett was elected in 2010 to represent Mesquite, Balch Springs, and Sunnyvale in the Texas House of Representatives. Cindy and her husband, Air Force veteran Mike Burkett, have lived in Mesquite for over twenty five years, and all three of her children graduated from Mesquite ISD schools.

Cindy is the co-owner of Highline Enterprises.  She has a BA in Political Science from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she graduated in 2004. Currently, she serves on the Elections and Criminal Jurisprudence Committees.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brian Birdwell is a native Texan, decorated military veteran and lifelong conservative Republican currently representing Texas Senate District 22.

On September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed just yards away from his second floor Pentagon office, Brian was critically wounded and severely burned. Brian has made a miraculous recovery, and now serves as the vice-chairman of the Higher Education committee, and as a member of the Economic Development, Government Organization and Veteran Affairs committees in the Texas Senate.

Brian and Mel have been married for 23 years and they have one son, Matt, who is at student at Texas Tech University. They attend Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury.

Florence Shapiro began her career in the Texas Senate in 1993. A former small business owner, her journey into Texas politics began years prior and miles away from the Texas Capitol. Her career in public service spans four decades. As a former public school teacher, she first entered elective office as a Plano City Council member. Following six terms on the Council, she was elected Mayor of Plano.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Senator Shapiro holds a bachelor's degree in secondary education. In addition to chairing the Senate Education Committee, she currently serves on the Senate Committees on Finance; Transportation and Homeland and Security; and Administration.

Representative David Simpson currently serves the 7th House District in the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas, having taken the oath of office on January 11, 2011. From 1993 to 1998 Mr. Simpson served as Mayor of the City of Avinger, Texas.  Rep. Simpson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Avinger Timber LLC, which owns and manages its own timberlands in several counties in northeastern Texas. He also manages other small businesses including Simpson Publishing Company, which he founded.

Rep. Simpson is a seventh generation Texan. Rep. Simpson and his family have lived in Longview since 2000. He has been married to his wife, Susan, for 25 years. They have been blessed with seven children and one grandson.  

State Representative Raul Torres grew up in Nueces County, where he attended Ray High School and later Del Mar College.  It was at Del Mar that Raul met his wife, Gina, and they have been happily married for 35 years.  Together, they have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.  Raul wanted a better life for his family, so he enrolled in the MBA program at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, where he graduated in 1994.

Raul is the owner of Raul Torres, CPA, a full service accounting and financial services firm.  In addition, he became president of Freedom Tax Services, Inc. and owns a Liberty Tax franchise.

Jim Murphy represents House District 133 in the Texas Legislature. He also represented this district from 2006 to 2008.

Murphy was twice elected and served from 1997 to 2006 on the Houston Community College Board of Trustees. Today, HCC is our nation’s tenth largest college and a key player in regional workforce training.

Murphy’s business leadership includes service as a board member of the Houston West Chamber of Commerce, West Houston Medical Center and as Past Chairman of the Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals. Jim is an active member of the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston Association of Realtors, and the Urban Land Institute. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Houston Realty Business Coalition, Making It Better, and Strake Jesuit College Preparatory.

Representative Stefani Carter serves as a member in the Texas House of Representatives from District 102. Elected in 2010, Representative Carter is the first Republican African-American woman to serve in the Texas House.

Representative Carter spent her childhood in Dallas, growing up in a large family. After graduating from high school, Representative Carter became a Longhorn attending the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Journalism. Carter then went on to graduate from Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

While attending Harvard, Representative Carter wrote editorials for USA Today. Upon receiving her law degree, Representative Carter returned to Dallas and served Collin County as an assistant district attorney.

Senator Jane Nelson is a former public school teacher who represents Senate District 12, encompassing parts of Tarrant and Denton counties. She joined the Senate in 1993 after two terms on the State Board of Education in which she led the fight to correct more than 5,000 factual errors in school textbooks.

Senator Nelson serves as Chairman of the Health & Human Services Committee and as a member of the Finance, Government Organization, and Nominating committees, as well as Texas Legislative Council. She Co-Chairs the Joint Select Committee on Criminal Commitments of Individuals with Mental Retardation.

A graduate of the University of North Texas, she and her husband, Mike Nelson, operate an aircraft component manufacturing company. They have five children and two grandsons.

Elected to the Texas House by a landslide in 2002, Linda Harper-Brown was sworn into the Texas House of Representatives on January 14, 2003.

Throughout her tenure as a State Representative, Linda continues to focus on finding fiscally responsible solutions for our state budget, protecting Texas jobs, keeping Texans moving on our roadways, and finding ways to repair Texas’ education system. 

Currently, Linda is a member of the Elections Committee and  the Transportation Committee.

State Representative Ken Paxton was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2002 and is currently serving his 4th term representing district 70.  Ken Paxton received his BA and MBA from Baylor University.  Representative Paxton also earned a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School in 1991.  Ken and his wife Angela live in McKinney, TX and have 4 children; Tucker, Abby, Madison, and Katie.

State Representative Leo Berman was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1998, and represents district 6 - Smith County.  Berman is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army.  In his distinguished career he was awarded 3 Bronze Star Medals, and 9 Air Medals, among other decorations. 

Berman has served as City Council member and Mayor Pro-Tem in Arlington, Texas.  Representative Berman has been a strong advocate of traditional values and has earned a legislative rating of 100% from the Christian Coalition and Texas Right to Life. 

Leo Berman and his wife Dr. Lou Ann Berman live in Tyler, Texas and have five children and eight grand children.   

State Representative Warren Chisum was elected to the Texas Legislature in November 1988.  He is presently serving his 11th term in the Texas House of Representatives.  Representative Chisum represents House District 88, which includes 19 counties located in the Texas Panhandle. 

Representative Chisum is a founding member and President of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI), a not-for-profit entity which acts as a source of legislative policy information for the public.  He has also served three years as a board member of the Texas Conservative Coalition (TCC).

Warren and his wife Omega live in Pampa, Texas and have two married children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

State Representative Brandon Creighton is an eighth-generation native of Montgomery County, Texas, and represents District 16 in the Texas House. Representative Creighton received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a doctor of jurisprudence from Oklahoma City University School of Law. 

Representative Creighton was named Legislator of the Year by the Texas Building Owners and Manufacturers Association, and received special recognition from the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Association of Realtors, and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, for his efforts in the Texas Legislature.

As State Representative for the 2nd District, Dan Flynn represents the citizens of Hunt, Rains and Van Zandt Counties.  He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2003, with over 35 years experience in the banking and business industry under his belt.

Dan Flynn was chosen to serve on the State Affairs Committee in the 80th session by Speaker Tom Craddick and in 2006, he was inducted into the Texas National Guard.  Flynn was also appointed to serve on the Sunset Commission, overseeing the operations of Texas' statewide commissions.  Currently, Representative Flynn is the Vice Chairman of the Border and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and is a member of the Pensions, Investments and Financial Services Committee.

Representative Flynn, a cattle rancher and businessman, lives in Van, Texas with his wife Susan.

State Representative Bryan Hughes was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in November 2002, to represent District 5, consisting of Camp, Harrison, Upshur and Wood Counties.  A fifth generation Texan, Bryan was raised in Wood County, graduating from Mineola High School in 1987. After working his way through Tyler Junior College and the University of Texas at Tyler, Bryan was accepted to the Baylor University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1995. Following Law School, Bryan was chosen by United States District Judge William M. Steger of Tyler to serve as his briefing attorney. He now practices law in his hometown of Mineola, where he continues to represent working families and small businesses.

Bryan Hughes has gained a reputation as a hard working legislator who is committed to understanding the issues and voting true to his district. Representative Hughes is a principle-driven legislator who believes Texas has a strong and proud heritage of faith, family, and freedom. He works with his fellow legislators to preserve and encourage these values and ensure that future generations of Texans have even greater opportunities than those of us who have gone before them.

As State Representative for the 61^st District, Phil King represents the people of Parker and Wise Counties in the Texas Legislature. He has earned a reputation as a principle-driven conservative who consistently provides key leadership in passing some of Texas´ most sweeping public policy legislation.

Prior to serving in the legislature, King served as a Captain in the Fort Worth Police Department, an instructor at Dallas Baptist University and a Parker County Justice of the Peace. He received a BBA and MBA from Dallas Baptist University and in 1993 earned a law degree from Texas Wesleyan University. Currently, he is a practicing attorney in Weatherford. Representative King and his family are active members of Trinity Bible Church. Phil and his wife Terry are the proud parents of six children and one grandson.

State Representative Jodie Laubenberg is serving her fourth term in the Texas Legislature. She represents District 89, which includes Rockwall County as well as Northern and Eastern Collin County. 

Representative Laubenberg has strongly supported key accomplishments of the Texas Legislature during her first three terms in the legislature: closing huge budget shortfalls without raising taxes; strengthening private property rights; promoting government transparency through record votes and online access to agency spending; and toughening judicial recourse against child predators. Jodie also has worked to strengthen parental consent laws and strongly supported giving Texas voters the right, in a statewide election, to affirm traditional marriage. Former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey has said about Representative Laubenberg, "In Austin and here at home, Jodie Laubenberg has proven she is a leader that the people of Collin and Rockwall Counties can count on. She has consistently taken stands on behalf of conservative principles and the taxpayers of District 89." 

Jodie and her husband Bob, have two children: David, a recent graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, and Liz, a college junior.

State Representative Tan Parker represents District 63 and the citizens of Denton County.  Parker began his career in government serving as an intern in the White House under President George H.W. Bush at the direction of C. Boyden Gray, the former Counsel to the President. Parker has a long record of service to the Republican Party, including being a Strike Force leader in the George W. Bush Presidential Campaigns, a President of the University of Dallas College Republicans, State Chairman, College Republicans of Texas, Co-founder, Denton County Young Republicans, and has volunteered in numerous Republican campaigns for more than 17 years.

Representative Parker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Philosophy from the University of Dallas, and a Master's Degree in Economics with concentration in International Business from the London School of Economics. He has received additional executive education from the University of Pennsylvania, Aresty Institute within the Wharton School of Business.  Parker resides in Flower Mound, Texas with his wife Beth and daughters Lauren and Ashley.

State Representative Larry Taylor was elected as the Representative for Galveston County, District 24, in 2002 and is currently serving his third term in office. Representative Taylor is a lifelong Texan with deep roots in Galveston County; his mother's family first arrived there in 1848.  After attending Friendswood schools from first through twelfth grades, he graduated with a BBA from Baylor University in 1982. 

Representative Taylor's acknowledgements include the Defender of the American Dream award given by Americans for Prosperity in April 2006, the Heritage Alliance's 2007 Conservative Leader Award, and the 2007 Champion for Free Enterprise honor from the Texas Association of Business. 

Representative Taylor was born and raised in Friendswood, Texas where he still resides with his wife, Kerri, and their three children: Trudy, Carly, and Jake. 

A graduate of the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, Charles "Doc" Anderson began his involvement in the political process as an advocate for small business. He served on committees for the Texas Association of Business and the National Federation of Independent Businesses and was appointed to the Texas Small Business Advisory Council by Governor Perry.  Dr. Anderson was first elected to represent District 56 (Waco and 3/4ths of McLennan County) in 2004 and is currently serving in his third term.

Representative Anderson has introduced major legislation concerning school bus safety belts, Jessica's Law, and a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds vote of the legislature in order to raise the 1% business franchise tax. In his first term, he successfully obtained partial funding for the construction of the new Company F Headquarters for the Texas Rangers, which will also house a public education center on the Rangers. Waco officials and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum had been seeking state aid for this project for nearly ten years.  Dr. Anderson has been married to his wife Sandie for over 27 years and together they have one son and one grandson.  Dr. Anderson raises cattle at his ranch in McLennan County.

State Representative Jimmie Don Aycock represents House District 54 and the citizens of Lampasas, Burnet, and Bell Counties.  Aycock graduated from Moody High School in 1965, as valedictorian, he received his bachelor of science degree, with Phi Kappa Phi honors from Texas A&M University in 1969, and his doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 1970. He was a captain in the United States Army from 1970-1972, having received the Army Commendation Medal. 

Representative Aycock has been a strong defender of property rights and education and has introduced bills seeking to revise and clarify funding formulas for higher education.  Jimmie Don and his wife Marie have two children, four grandchildren and reside in Killeen, Texas.

State Representative Dan Branch serves as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from Dallas representing District 108.  Elected in 2002, as a Republican, he represents downtown, uptown, north and east Dallas, as well as the Town of Highland Park and the City of University Park. 

In 2006, Branch was one of the primary authors of the school finance reform and property tax reduction legislation signed into law by Governor Perry. In 2007, he was a joint author of HB 2 - the largest property tax cut in the history of Texas. 

A graduate of the SMU School of Law and the Institute on Comparative Political & Economic Systems at Georgetown University, he holds two undergraduate degrees from Oklahoma Christian University, graduating summa cum laude in 1980.  Dan and his wife, Stacey, have five children and reside in Dallas.

First elected in 1998, Representative Betty Brown is currently serving her fifth term in the Texas House of Representatives, representing Henderson and Kaufman Counties. She is a Kaufman County native.  Representative Brown has been recognized for her excellent conservative voting record by many organizations including Free Enterprise PAC of Dallas, Eagle Forum, and the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce. Representative Brown currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI).

Representative Brown and her husband, Ron, own and operate a ranch near Terrell on land that has been in her family for four generations. They have three children and seven grandchildren. A graduate of Terrell High School, she attended SMU in Dallas.

State Representative Angie Chen Button joins the Texas House for its 81st session. Representative Button was elected to House District 112, which includes parts of Richardson and Garland in Dallas County.  Before her election to the Texas House in 2008, Button had a long record of public service and community involvement in the Metroplex.  She served in leadership positions with Chambers of Commerce, a citizen coalition, and for other civic and non-profit organizations. She has also been part of the Dallas Assembly, the Dallas Summit, and the Women's Museum Advisory Board. 

Button was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1954. As a child, her seven person family lived in a 300 square foot, one-room hut without a kitchen or a bathroom. Button credits education with bringing her a better life. Button is a CPA with Masters' degrees in Public Finance and Management Sciences and has also worked for Texas Instruments since 1981, where she promotes American products internationally as a Marketing Manager.  Button met her husband Darcy as a graduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas. They have lived in Richardson and Garland for 30 years. Their son, Dane is an RISD and University of Texas Graduate. 

State Representative William A. (Bill) Callegari, Sr. was elected to the Texas State Legislature in 2000. He represents the 132nd District in Houston and is currently serving his fifth term in the Texas House.

Most remarkable in assessing his first two terms in the House was his record of having almost 100% of his legislation passed either as separate bills or being incorporated into other enabling legislation.

A native of Cottonport, Louisiana, Bill received a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Louisiana State University. He holds a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Houston and has been a Licensed Professional Engineer for almost 40 years. In 1999, he was named to the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction and the W.A. Callegari Environmental Center was established on the LSU campus and dedicated in his honor.

Community involvement plays an important role in his life and career. A resident of Katy, Texas, he served as Trustee of the Katy Independent School District in the mid-1980s, as a director of the Katy Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves as a member of his church finance council.  He and his wife Ann have been married for more than 40 years and have four children and ten grandchildren.

State Representative Frank J. Corte, Jr. was elected to the Texas House to represent District 122.  Representative Corte is a small business operator who has been involved in property management and land development. He also has extensive experience in start-up operations of a variety of small businesses.

In 1982, Representative Corte was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps where he served three years on active duty. He then joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was activated during the Gulf War. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Rep. Corte was called back to active duty and was sent to serve in Egypt. In 2002, he graduated from the prestigious Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Currently, he is a Colonel and continues to serve various tours of active duty, most recently having served a tour in Iraq for 6 1/2 months.

Frank and and his wife Valerie have three children and reside in Corsicana, Texas.

When State Representative Tom Craddick was 25 years old, he decided to seek office in the Texas House of Representatives as a Republican from his hometown of Midland. At the time, Texas was a one-party state, and many, incuding his father, thought him foolhardy. But Craddick proved his father and many others wrong, and was elected as one of only nine Republicans in the 150-seat House. 

His tenure has been characterized by landmark events. His initial years at the Capitol were focused on revitalizing the Texas GOP, but in 1971 he gained respect from both sides when he joined a bipartisan group of reformists dubbed "The Dirty 30" that was pushing for changes in House Ethics. On January 11, 2003 he made state history when, subsequent to his 34-year tenure in the Texas House of Representatives, he became the first Republican Speaker-after helping gain the Republican Majority in the House-for the first time in more than 130 years.  Craddick served as speaker from January 2003 - January 2009. During that time, Texas went from a $10 billion budget shortfall to a $10 billion budget surplus. The legislature passed landmark tort reform which reduced frivolous lawsuits and reversed skyrocketing medical liability insurance costs, resulting in more doctors moving to Texas and expanding access to care. The legislature also passed the largest property tax cut in Texas history under Speaker Craddick's watch, and reformed a school finance system that had been ruled unconstitutional by the Texas Supreme Court. 

Craddick holds both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Tech University. Craddick married the former Nadine Nayfa, a native of Sweetwater, in 1969. They have two children, Christi and Thomas Russell, Jr. and two grandchildren Tripp and Claire.

State Representative Myra Crownover  was elected to the Texas House of Representatives to represent the citizens of District 64.  In her tenure, Representative Crownover has received the "Freedom and Family" award and has been ranked one of the "Texas Top Ten" for her conservative voting record. Representative Crownover has been recognized several times over for her pro-conservative, pro-business stance on issues affecting both the Denton area as well as the State of Texas.

Myra Crownover was raised in Colorado City, Texas, where she graduated from Colorado High School. Representative Crownover began her career as a public school teacher, and is currently co-owner of Robinson Drilling Company, president of Crownover, Inc., a director of Northstar Bank, and has business interests in real estate and ranching.

A native Houstonian and fifth generation Texan, State Representative John E. Davis has served Clear Lake's District 129 in the Texas House since 1998, and has built a record as a responsible steward of your tax dollars. John's leadership helped the Legislature balance the budget after a $10 billion shortfall without a tax increase. 

Representative Davis graduated from Baylor University in 1982, and the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1987. He is the past President of Oates Industries and now serves as an independent manufacturer representative for RPM, a roof and wall restoration company.  John married Jayne Anne, a fellow Baylor grad, in 1984. Jayne is a former elementary school teacher for Clear Creek I.S.D. John and Jayne have three sons: Reagan, Samuel and Gaston.

State Representative Rob Eissler is the President of Eissler and Associates, an executive recruiting firm based in The Woodlands, Texas, his home town of thirty years. He received a B.A. in Architecture from Princeton University, and then served his country as a carrier-based attack pilot on the USS John F. Kennedy in the United States Navy.

Representative Eissler has spent twenty-five years dedicated to the public education system of Texas, 18 of which were on the Conroe Independent School District Board of Trustees, including two terms as President.

Mr. Eissler was elected to represent District 15 as State Representative in November of 2002. He was appointed to serve as Chairman of the Public Education Committee in his third and fourth sessions. Among many other honors, Rep. Eissler has been awarded the Champion for Free Enterprise Award by the Texas Association of Business three times.  He is currently the Director of Texas Education Reform Foundation.

Rob and his wife Linda have three adult children and are members of The Woodlands United Methodist Church

State Representative Joe Driver, a native Texan, was elected to represent the citizens of House District 113.  Representative Driver was first elected to the Texas house in 1993 and is currently serving his eighth term.

Joe Driver is an award winning leader in the State House of Representatives. In 2007, he was honored by the North Texas Crime Commission as Legislative Crime fighter, Texas Association of Business as Champion for Free Enterprise, and the Texas Police Chiefs Association for Outstanding Contribution to Law Enforcement Award.

Driver and his wife Deanne have lived in Garland for over 50 years, where Joe is an accomplished small businessman. They have two grown children and the entire family graduated from GISD schools. Joe and Deanne attend First United Methodist Church in downtown Garland.

State Representative Allen Fletcher serves the people of House District 130 in the Texas House. Elected in 2008, Allen is a Tomball businessman, community activist, Christian, devoted husband and loving father.

Allen graduated with honors from both the Houston Police Academy and the East Texas Police Academy. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University (SHSU). Allen proudly served in the Houston Police Department for 21 years and ended his service with HPD in 1998.

In addition to his work in law enforcement, he has been involved in the Tomball and Harris County communities for several years. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Tomball. Allen is a member of the Sam Houston State University Alumni Association Board of Directors, the President's Circle and also sponsors a scholarship for criminal justice at SHSU.  Allen has been married for 30 years to his lovely wife Penny, and they have two daughters and a son. They are also proud grandparents of two girls.

State Representative Dan Gattis of Georgetown, Texas was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2002, to serve the people of District 20.  His district includes all of Milam County and most of Williamson County.

Representative Gattis is proud of our state and is optimistic about Texas' future. As a sixth generation Texan and product of a ranching family, he has a deep appreciation for stewardship of the land as well as private property rights. From his father, a former high school agricultural teacher, and his mother, a retired public school teacher, he learned the value of hard work, individual responsibility, and the passion for public service.

He graduated from Texas A&M University, where he served as class president and was a member of the famed Corps of Cadets. He received his law degree from the South Texas College of Law. His prior public service includes working as a prosecutor in the county attorney's office and the district attorney's office in Williamson County. In addition to his legislative responsibilities, Representative Gattis maintains a private law practice in Georgetown and helps run the family ranch raising registered Beefmaster cattle.

State Representative Kelly Hancock was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2006, to serve the citizens of District 91 - Tarrant County.  During the 80th Legislative Session, Representative Hancock co-authored 18 pieces of legislation, including several addressing public school issues and the education of our state's children. Hancock was named a "Fighter for Free Enterprise" by the Texas Association of Business and recognized as one of the most conservative legislators by the Texas Heritage Alliance. 

Representative Hancock is honored and humbled to be able to give back to the community where he grew up, through his service and allegiance to District 91. He remains committed to working with local and state officials to ensure that Northeast Tarrant County's constituents are always well represented. 

Representative Hancock graduated from Baylor University. He married his high school and college sweetheart Robin Harrison in 1987. They live in North Richland Hills and have three children: Chloe, Skylar and Harrison. As a family, the Hancocks stay very involved in the community through their participation in school, church and community events.

State Representative Rick Hardcastle was elected to serve his first term in the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 68, in 1999.  Representative Hardcastle is currently on the committees of Agriculture and Livestock and Energy Resources.

Vernon, Texas has been Rick Hardcastle's home for all his life.  He has run a successful business, served his community and raised his family in Vernon.  Rick and his father, Harold, operate the Rolling H Cattle Company, a diversified farming and ranching operation located along the Red River in Hardeman and Wilbarger counties.  He was a previous owner of a successful aerial spraying and fertilizer company in Vernon for 25 years. 

Representative Hardcastle is married to the former Nancy Zeissel of Munday.  They are the parents of two children, Christie, a graduate of Texas Tech and Cayce, who passed away after a long battle with cancer.

State Representative Patricia Fincher Harless is a fourth generation Texan with deep roots in the community as an active small business and civic leader. Her mother and father started a family automobile dealership in 1959; Harless became the Chief Financial Officer in 1984, where she integrated, reorganized, balanced and controlled assets to achieve profitability. Harless purchased the family business after her father's death and is the current owner of Fred Fincher Motors in Houston. 

Harless has a strong commitment to the Republican Party. An active member of Cherry Tree Republican Club, Northwest Forest Republican Women, Texas Tea Republicans, Cyfair Republican Women and Texas Federation of Republican Women, she has worked at the grassroots and finance committee level for several local, state, and national campaigns. Harless was appointed by then Governor George W. Bush and re-appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Motor Vehicle Board (1998-2005).

Harless was born in Houston, Texas where she attended Spring ISD and Candlestick Christian Academy. She received a BS in Business Management from LeTourneau University. Harless lives in District 126 with her husband of 21 years, Sam Harless and her son, Samuel Justin. They are active members of Champion Forest Baptist Church.

State Representative Will Hartnett was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1990, and is currently serving his tenth term of office.  Representative Hartnett represents District 114 in North Dallas, including Preston Hollow, Lake Highlands, and Bluffview.

Before his election to the legislature, Representative Hartnett served for three years as Governor Clements' appointee on the Board of the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, the state agency which administers Texas' multi-billion dollar student loan program.  Representative Hartnett is a partner in The Hartnett Law Firm, which has six lawyers, including his father, three brothers, and a sister.  He is board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law, and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and of the Texas Bar Foundation. He is listed in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. 

Representative Hartnett, a native Texan and member of a large Dallas family, graduated cum laude from Harvard University and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas. He and his wife, Tammy, have three sons, ages 10, 7, and 3.

State Representative Charlie Howard, one of the 25 most senior Republicans in the State House, was elected in 1994, and represents District 26.

In Howard's career, he developed the community of First Colony as Ex. Vice President of Sugar Land Properties.  Representative Howard helped establish the Sugar Land UH Campus and the Fort Bend Technical Center.  He served as President of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, on the HBU Board of Trustees, and as a Deacon of Sugar Creek Baptist Church.  His business career includes electrical engineer and financial investor. 

Representative Howard's political career has been equally as impressive.  He has proposed a lower property appraisal cap, passed education bills, and promoted the reduced property tax bill.  Howard has received awards and recognitions from the Free Market Foundation, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Association of Business, and the NRA. 

Representative Howard and his wife, Jo, have been residents of Sugar Land for 26 years.  They have two children, Julie and Chad, and four grandchildren; Ashton, Keaton, Ansley, and Kinsley

State Representative Todd Hunter was elected to the Texas House of Representatives District 32 in 2008, which includes Aransas, San Patricio, Calhoun and Nueces Counties. 

Todd previously served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1989-1997, before retiring from public service to spend more time with his family. Hunter was known as a key player in the successful effort to pass tort reform. He was also instrumental in passing legislation that made Texas A&M University Corpus Christi a four-year university and fought for better funding to build the university. He co-sponsored the tuition revenue bond bill and passed legislation to give statutory existence to the Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network (TCOON), and authored a bill to help coastal ports and waterways. 

Born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1953, Todd earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 1975 and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. He has lived in the Corpus Christi area for almost 30 years where he met and married his wife, the former Alexis Taylor. Together they have three children Todd Hunter, Jr., Michael Hunter and Christina Hunter.

State Representative Jim Jackson represents District 115; Addison, Coppell, the Dallas County portion of Carrollton, most of Farmers Branch, and parts of Dallas. Prior to his election to the Texas House in 2004, Representative Jackson served as a Dallas County Commissioner and held numerous leadership roles. 

During the 80th Legislature, Representative Jackson was named a "Texas Taxpayer Hero" by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and the Texas Association of Business named him a "Fighter for Free Enterprise."  In the 79th Session, Jackson received the "Legislative Excellence Award" by the Texas Municipal Police Association and was named one of the "Ten Best of the Texas House" by the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas.  He was also named "Defender of the American Dream" by Americans for Prosperity. 

Representative Jackson received his B.A from the University of North Texas in 1962.  Jim and his wife Sue, a retired elementary school teacher with the Carrollton Farmers Branch I.S.D., live in Carrollton, Texas.  Together they have two children Brad and LeAnne, who are both attorneys, and two twin grandchildren; Pierce and Vivian.

State Representative Tim Kleinschmidt was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2008.  Kleinschmidt is a Lee County attorney, rancher, family-man and civic leader serving Texas House District 17, which includes all or parts of Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette and Lee and Brazos counties. 

A longtime city attorney for the cities of Giddings and Lexington, Kleinschmidt has practiced law for 27 years in Central Texas. He is a member and president of the Lee County Bar Association.  He also belongs to the Lee County Farmers Co-op, the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the Texas Wildlife Association as well as numerous other organizations. 

A lifelong resident of Lee County, Tim was raised by two public school educators. The Lexington High School gymnasium is named for his father, A.P. Kleinschmidt, a legendary local school superintendent. Tim and his wife Anna raised their three children in Lee County and sent them to Lexington public schools. 

State Representative Lois W. Kolkhorst is a member of the Texas House of Representatives, serving House District 13, which includes Austin, Grimes, Walker, and Washington Counties. 

Representative Kolkhorst has gained accolades for a broad legislative agenda with significant statewide impact. Kolkhorst has authored and sponsored a long list of bills, tackling issues as varied as criminal justice and prison reforms, education funding, agriculture policies, consumer rights issues, economic development, community housing issues, as well as domestic violence legislation. As a staunch supporter of private property rights, Kolkhorst has gained national attention for questioning the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor system of privatized super-highways. She has also passed legislation to address the costs incurred by illegal immigration. 

A native of Brenham and Washington County, she is a 1988 graduate of Texas Christian University, where she received a BS in Advertising and Public Relations.  An accomplished golfer, Kolkhorst served as a four-year letter winner for the TCU Lady Frog Golf Team and was also named to the Academic All-Southwest Conference Team. Besides the occasional golf game, she enjoys hunting and fishing with her husband, Jim Kolkhorst. They have two children, Lois Kate and Jake. The family lives in Brenham, while they own and operate Kolkhorst Petroleum based in the nearby city of Navasota.

State Representative Ken Legler represents House District 144 in the Texas House. As a third generation Texan and Pasadena native, Representative Legler is active in the local business community and has served as a board member for the Chamber of Commerce and economic development organizations in the area.

Representative Legler began working at Houston Wire Works in South Houston after graduating from high school and later became president. In 2001, he and his wife Barbara bought the company and have since established other small businesses internationally. His business leadership skills have been recognized by two Texas governors; George Bush appointed him to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality Advisory Board for Small Business and he was reappointed by Rick Perry.

Prior to his election to the Texas House, Representative Legler served as Chairman of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency National Advisory Board, is a former board member of the Texas Association of Business and the National Federation of Independent Business. Representative Legler married his high school sweetheart Barbara 30 years ago. Together, they have raised three children: Joseph, Krystina, and Kathryn. They are also the proud grandparents of Brenden. They attend Zion Lutheran Church in Pasadena.

State Representative Tryon Lewis, a native West Texan, was born in Kermit and grew up in Odessa. He attended Odessa College, UT Austin and Baylor Law School before returning to Odessa to practice law starting in 1973.

Representative Lewis took the bench as the 161st State District Judge in 1985, and served until his retirement in 2006. In 2008, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives to serve the people of District 81; Andrews, Ector and Winkler Counties.  He is currently a member of the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee as well as the Committee on Public Safety.

Judge Lewis believes in serving his community and has been on the Boards of many organizations, from Meals on Wheels to the ECISD Education Foundation, the Permian Playhouse, and the Odessa Cultural Council to name a few. He is a former Chairman of the Ector County Republican Party and a former President of the Republican Men's Club. 

Tryon and his wife, Trudy, have two daughters, Eleanor and Annie.

State Representative Jerry Madden graduated from West Point with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Jerry spent six years in the Army, including one year in Vietnam and two years in Germany, before bringing his family to Richardson, Texas, in 1971.

As a 38 year resident of Collin County, Jerry has been involved in numerous veterans' and community organizations, holding positions such as President of the Collin County School Board, and Chairman of the Collin County Hospital Board as well as serving on the Advisory Board of the Plano Chamber of Commerce. He was instrumental in launching the Collin County Caring for Children program, a joint venture between Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas and the private sector. Dedicated to the Republican philosophy, Jerry was elected Precinct Chairman in his local neighborhood in 1974, and Chairman of the Republican Party of Collin County in 1984.

First elected to the Texas Legislature in November of 1992 and now in his ninth term, Madden is Vice Chair of the House Committee on Corrections, which he chaired from 2005-2009, and is a member of the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee.

Representative Madden and his wife Barbara, a retired nurse, have been married 44 years. They are the proud parents of three adult children - Jerry, Stephanie and Kristina - and have six grandchildren.

State Representative Sid Miller was elected to the Texas House in 2000, to represent District 59. Representative Miller was raised to believe in honesty, integrity, and faith. He believes they are the foundation for strong families, a strong state and nation and they are the values that guide him in his service in the Texas Legislature. 

Sid Miller is a former public school teacher and a former elected member of the Stephenville Independent School District Board of Trustees. He was motivated to seek election to the Texas Legislature following his experience on the school board involving voluntary prayer at school events. A Federal Appeals Court had ruled that student initiated prayers at public school athletic events and graduation ceremonies were illegal. As a member of his local school board, Sid Miller helped lead the fight to allow students to pray at these events. The battle caused him to realize just how fragile our personal freedoms really are. He says he learned two important lessons from the fight. First, that our personal freedoms are under constant assault and second, just how important one vote, one voice is in protecting those freedoms. 

Representative Miller and his wife, Debra, live in Stephenville where their two sons, Truett and Joseph, attend Tarleton State University.  The Millers are active members of the Green Creek Baptist Church, where Sid is a Sunday School teacher and Deacon.

Doug Miller is serving his first term as State Representative from District 73 which is comprised of Bandera, Comal, Gillespie, and Kendall Counties. He was appointed to serve as a member of the House Committees on Appropriations, Natural Resources and House Administration and was also appointed to the Sub Committee on Business and Economic Development. He is a Co Chair of the Air Quality Caucus, member of the Rural Caucus, Tourism Caucus, Sportsmen's Caucus and Manufacturer's Caucus. He has been honored by Americans for Prosperity as a "Friend of the Taxpayer," by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility as a Texas Taxpayers' Advocate," and by the Texas Association of Business as their "Champion for Free Enterprise."

Previously, Doug served as Mayor of New Braunfels, as member of Region L State Water Planning Group, and most recently as Chairman of the Edwards Aquifer Authority. Doug is President of Miller & Miller Insurance Agency with offices in New Braunfels, Seguin, Universal City & Uvalde. Doug has been in the insurance business since 1978 and president of his agency for 25 years.

Doug is a graduate of Texas State University.  He is married to the former Anne Mund. They have been married for 32 years and have two children, Douglas II and Amanda.

State Representative Rob Orr represents the citizens of District 58, Johnson and Bosque Counties, in the Texas House. He notes that the position of State Representative is one of the most challenging and exciting jobs of his professional career and he is proud to be working on behalf of the State of Texas. 

Representative Orr is a member of the Business and Industry Committee, the Land and Resource Management Committee and the Local and Consent Calendars Committee. 

Representative Orr is the Broker/Owner of Orr & Associates Real Estate in Burleson. He and his wife, Pam, who is also a Realtor, have 5 children and one grandchild.

State Representative John Otto was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2004.  Representative Otto represents the citizens of District 18, which includes Liberty, Polk and part of Montgomery County.  Currently, Representative Otto is the Vice Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and is a member on the Appropriations Committee.

John Otto is a certified CPA with a BBA in accounting from Texas A&M University.  John and his wife, Nancy, live in of Dayton, Texas.

Dan has been a Texan since joining Houston CBS affiliate KHOU TV in 1979. Dan has made many appearances as a conservative commentator on MSNBC, The O'Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmes as well as serving as guest host for the Laura Ingraham and Michael Reagan nationally syndicated radio shows. In 2002 Dan wrote a Christian bestseller, The Second Most Important Book You Will Ever Read and produced a Christian movie, Deep in the Heart, based on a true Texas story.

Always involved in politics, he has fought many causes on behalf of taxpayers. In 2003 he formed CLOUT, a 20,000-member group working to lower property taxes. His radio stations have been community-focused, raising over $3 million for disabled and poor children through the Be An Angel charity.

Dan is married to a former elementary schoolteacher, Janetlea, and they are extremely proud of their son, Ryan and their daughter, Shane.

Long recognized as one of Arlington's most dedicated community leaders, Dr. Diane Patrick was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in November of 2006.  Representative Patrick's House District 94 covers most of Arlington in Tarrant County.  Representative Patrick currently sits on the House Public Education and Higher Education Committees. 

Prior to her service in the Texas House of Representatives, Dr. Patrick served as a member of the Arlington ISD Board of Trustees for 11 years, including four years as School Board President, followed by four years of service as an elected Republican on the Texas State Board of Education. During her 17 years of elected leadership at various levels, she has earned a reputation as a smart and dedicated leader and a staunch fiscal conservative. 

Married to dentist Dr. Ned Patrick since 1965, Dr. Patrick and her husband settled in Arlington in 1973 where their two children, Craig and Claire, attended and graduated from Arlington public schools. They now have four grandchildren, two boys and two girls.

State Representative Larry Phillips was elected to represent Fannin and Grayson Counties in House District 62 in January 2003.  He is Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on General Investigating and Ethics, Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, and serves on the House Committee on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism.  In 2009 he was appointed to the interim Legislative Study Committee on Private Participation in Toll Projects and chaired the interim Select Committee on State Schools.  He was most recently appointed chair of the interim Select Committee on Transportation Funding. 

He received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University; then attended law school at the University of Houston.  Larry is a partner in the Sherman law firm of Siebman, Reynolds, Burg, Phillips, & Smith L.L.P and serves on the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association Board of Directors.

Larry and his wife, Robin, have three children; Sidney, Henry and Meribeth, and are active in the Sherman Bible Church.

State Representative Ralph Sheffield, a Texas native, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2008 to represent District 55, encompassing the majority of Bell County. A brief look at Ralph Sheffield's career in business and civic involvement reveals several constant traits: service, leadership, results. 

Representativer Sheffield's civic involvement extends statewide. He served as President of the Texas Restaurant Association from 2002-2003 and represented over five thousand restaurant owners in Austin to advocate for less government and fewer government intrusions into small business. He was named the "Small Businessman of the Year" by the Small Business Administration, and currently serves as Chairman of the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation. 

Ralph and his wife Debbie have deep ties to Bell County where they have built a business and raised four, now adult, children-- Ashley, Adrienne, Josh, and Ben. They have made great contributions to many Bell County charitable and civic organizations, both as board members and financial supporters. Ralph was born in Waco, Texas and graduated from Richfield High School in 1973.  He and Debbie attend First United Methodist Church of Temple.

Dr. Mark Shelton was elected to the Texas Legislature November 4, 2008 and represents Texas House District 97. District 97 is located in southwest Tarrant County and includes Benbrook, Edgecliff Village and parts of Fort Worth.

Dr. Shelton is interested in improving our education system, enhancing our border security to reduce illegal drug trade and human trafficking, and protecting the rights of home owners. As a physician, Dr. Shelton also has a special interest in health care. He is particularly interested in health insurance reform to make health care more affordable for Texas families as well as improving our CHIP and Medicaid Systems.

Dr. Shelton has been involved in several community organizations including the Boy Scouts of America and the Ronald McDonald House.  Dr. Shelton grew up in Arlington, Texas and is a graduate of Lamar High School. He graduated from Baylor University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Texas A&M University College of Medicine (now the Texas A&M Health Science Center) in 1983. He is double boarded in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Dr. Shelton has been married to his wife Mary Ann for 26 years and has 4 children.

In November 2002, State Representative Wayne Smith was elected to the Texas House of Representatives to serve District 128, encompassing Baytown, Deer Park, La Porte, Morgan's Point, and portions of East Harris County.

Representative Smith was president of Wayne Smith and Associates, Inc. prior to being elected to the House. He is a licensed professional engineer, a registered Public Land Surveyor and remains active in professional activities. He was Construction Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Harris County - Houston Sports Authority and Directors of Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority and Coastal Water Authority before becoming an elected representative. Representative Smith also served the U.S. Army in the Republic of Vietnam. 

Wayne and his wife, Brenda, live in Baytown. They have two children and three grandchildren.

State Representative David Swinford is an agricultural consultant from the Texas Panhandle who was first elected in 1990 to the Texas House of Representatives. Swinford represents District 87, which includes Carson, Moore, and Sherman counties and populous Potter County.  Representative Swinford is currently a member of the Agriculture and Livestock committee and the committee on State Affairs. 

Representative Swinford obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He is married to the former Joyce McCoy and they have two children, David and Melissa.

State Representative Vicki Truitt, a Texas native and lifelong resident of Northeast Tarrant County, now in her sixth term in office, has become a leader in the Texas House of Representatives. She is the current Chairman of Texas House of Representatives' Committee on Pensions, Investments and Financial Services, and is a member of the House Committee on Public Health. 

Vicki was recently appointed to the Pension Review Board, the agency assigned to protect Texas investors while ensuring a free and competitive securities market in Texas. Vicki chairs the Executive Committee of the Texas Office for the Prevention of Developmental Disabilities, and is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), where she was an invited speaker during NCSL's 2007 national meeting in Philadelphia. 

Outside the Texas Legislature, Vicki has worked in the health care field for more than three decades. She owns and operates a small health care consulting company specializing in medical staff development. She and her husband, Jim, have been married for 30 years. They have two adult daughters and five grandchildren. In her former life, Vicki trained and showed horses, and was a national champion barrel racer and rodeo queen.

State Representative Randy Weber  is a public servant, a proven conservative, and - for over a quarter century - a successful Pearland business owner. But if you ask he will tell you, he is a Christian and a devoted family man. 

Randy started his air conditioning company Weber's Air & Heat in 1981 from scratch, and grew his business by demonstrating the work ethic of a true Texan. Like others who have successfully moved from business to public service, it is Randy's real-world experience in the private sector that underpins his commitment to lower taxes, his contempt for wasteful spending, and his firm dedication to better schools.  After establishing his company, Randy served on Pearland City Council from 1990-1996. During that time, he was elected to serve as president of the Brazoria County Cities Association, where he developed understanding of the area's critical needs. 

Randy has been married to Brenda Weber, a Pearland school teacher, for over 30 years. He is a graduate of Alvin Community College and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. Randy and Brenda have three children and three wonderful grandchildren who are all, or will be, educated in the local public schools.

State Representative Beverly Woolley, longtime Republican and community activist, is serving her eighth term in the Texas House of Representatives. Presently, Representative Woolley is a member of House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence and serves as a member on the House Committee on Pensions, Investments and Financial Services. 

Representative Woolley has initiated legislation to protect private property rights by curbing the use of eminent domain for economic development purposes, to help small businesses have greater access to health insurance, to create greater and more efficient access to quality healthcare by creating the Texas Health Care Council, to protect abused children, to promote financial literacy, to require progress testing of limited English proficiency, and to aid law enforcement. She has also actively supported legislation to curb law suit abuse, establish a state-wide Do-Not Call List, and to define marriage in Texas as a union between a man and a woman. 

Representative Woolley is a native Houstonian and a cum laude graduate of the University of Houston. She has been married to Lynn Woolley for forty-eight years. They have three children and five grandchildren. Representative Woolley and her husband own Houston Armature Works, Inc.

In 2006, State Representative John Zerwas was elected to represent the people of House District 28.  District 28 includes the counties of Waller, Wharton, and part of Fort Bend.  Dr. John Zerwas is the only physician serving in the Texas House.  Representative Zerwas was one of only three freshman appointed to the Appropriations Committee.  He also served as Chairman of Budget and Oversight on the Land and Resource Management Committee and was appointed to House Administration.

An active family-oriented conservative, Dr. Zerwas has served our area as a physician for over 20 years.  John and his wife Cindy have four children, John, Joseph, Brandon, Sherry, and son-in-law Matthew.