Republican challenger Joanne Shofner is looking to unseat incumbent Rep. Travis Clardy to represent District 11 in the Texas House of Representatives.
House District 11 comprises parts of Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, and Shelby counties, with a total population of 185,491 Texans.
Issues that Shofner has already listed as priorities include securing the border, school choice, cutting taxes, and protecting Texans and their rights. Some rights and ideals her campaign identifies as needing protection are the Second Amendment, police department funding, women’s sports, medical autonomy, and election integrity.
Shofner goes into detail on each of these priorities on her campaign website, writing that she will “demand the Biden Administration reimburse Texas taxpayers for our costs to protect our southern border.”
“Joanne strongly believes that parents should have the right to send their kids to the school of their choice using their own taxpayer dollars,” the website states.
She is also “Committed to reducing the tax burden across all counties, thereby fostering economic growth and enhancing the quality of life in Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, and Shelby counties.”
Shofner told The Dallas Express that she will work to represent the constituents in her district and has “already been engaging with East Texans!”
“This is how I got to know them, their interests, concerns and passions. I was in parades, festivals and our campaign booths so I could be doing the fun things that East Texans love to do. I plan to continue this so that I can stay in touch with the citizens in the district,” she said in a statement sent to DX.
“I also plan to contact the key elected leaders in each county to get their perspective about the assets and concerns. Having an ongoing relationship with the citizens of East Texas gives me the honor of representing their opinions.”
Shofner’s stance on key issues has prompted multiple elected officials to endorse her during her campaign, including Gov. Greg Abbott.
Abbott has endorsed Shofner on multiple occasions, most recently during a trip to Nacogdoches County on Monday.
“I need her in Austin with me to fight for a secure border and to pass school choice for all Texas parents,” Abbott wrote in a social media post. “Get out and vote early for Joanne Shofner.”
Texas Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston) has also expressed his endorsement for Shofner, writing in a social media post that she will “fight for conservative ETX values that are the bedrock of the community.”
Disclaimer: Shofner is a cousin to Monty J. Bennett, the publisher of The Dallas Express.