Incumbent Rep. Jeff Leach, who is running in the Republican primary for Texas House District 67, spent some time with The Dallas Express while greeting voters at the polls Thursday morning.
While Leach (R-Plano) assumed office in 2013, his roots in the area go back much further than the last 11 years. Leach was born, raised, and educated in Plano. He is raising his family in the district, alongside his wife and high-school sweetheart, Becky, where his three children attend public school.
District 67 comprises over 200,000 people, according to the last census. It includes a portion of Collin County and covers the following locales: Blue Ridge, Farmersville, Melissa, New Hope, and Westminster, as well as parts of Allen, Anna, Fairview, McKinney, Plano, and Princeton.
When The Dallas Express asked Leach why he was running for re-election and taking a boots-on-the-ground approach by getting to know voters at the polling sites despite being an established state representative, Leach said, “I am still more eager and excited than ever to continue serving our community. I feel called to this job.”
Leach said there is a pervasive feeling that something is off-kilter in society today that defies typical politics. He explained that just that morning, he was on a text chain with more than a dozen senior leaders in the community who were speaking on the very subject.
“We were talking about that very issue this morning, just reminding ourselves that God has called us to this, and the battles and the wars that we are engaged in get into political and policy differences, but at the end of the day this is a spiritual battle, and it is one worth fighting,” said Leach. “There are forces of darkness all around us, and in times when we can get down and let that get to us, and we are human, so this happens all the time, it is also important to remind ourselves that none of this is a surprise to the Lord, and we are soldiers in his army.”
One thing Leach said he would continue to fight against is the ideological indoctrination of minors. In that vein, he had co-authored SB 14, which “bans harmful and irreversible gender modification procedures on minors,” per his website. Leach also fought against children being exposed to sexually explicit books in public school libraries through his co-authoring of HB 900.
“My three children are in public schools,” said Leach. “There is no question that our schools are ground zero for this radical, progressive indoctrination of an entire generation of kids. So, not only as a legislator but also as a parent, I take this very seriously.”
“Rooting out and speaking out against the efforts of the Left to wreck our children is something that’s incumbent upon me as a believer, as a dad, and as a policy maker,” he added.
“There is something uniquely Texan about our independent spirit, and I think this is good,” said Leach. “I want my kids to have a better Texas, a stronger, safer, and freer Texas than even I had growing up. This keeps me motivated to continue doing this job.”
“I serve at home to prepare my kids for the world, and I serve in the Texas House to prepare the world for them,” he said.
In keeping with the subject of children, Leach also touched on the topic of school choice legislation.
“I am totally in favor of parental and school choice. [My wife and I] are involved, committed, and invested in the public schools. Anyone who says I am anti-public education because I believe in school choice is being dishonest and disingenuous, at best,” explained Leach. “I think we can and have to do both. I support these efforts and will continue to so long as I have a vote in the Texas House.”
Another thing that affects both children and adults that Leach continues to fight against is the widespread issue of sexual abuse.
“I have worked with Dr. Masters on [the Lavinia Masters Act], which was pushed hard by my colleague, Rep. Neave (D-Dallas), and many others, including many Republicans. To his credit, the governor pushed and supported [the bill], and I was very proud to help pass that bill,” said Leach.
However, Leach explained there is more work to be done, which involves “coming alongside victims and their families, giving them the tools, resources, and opportunities to be made whole and to seek justice.”
“This is an issue that is very important to me and my wife, who herself is a victim of childhood sexual abuse,” he said.
Leach and his wife, Becky, speak openly about Becky’s abuse at the hands of her father and her efforts to bring awareness not only to the issue of abuse but also to lean into the Lord for abuse recovery.
As a legislator, Leach said he remains diligent in “reforming our laws … improving and strengthening our laws … and shining a light on the holes and the weaknesses in our system when it comes to caring for victims [of sexual assault] and their families… It is something I care a lot about, and we have made a lot of progress over the last few sessions, and this work will continue going forward.”
In addressing continued legislative progress, Leach wrapped up his time with DX by speaking on the border.
“There is no bigger issue right now facing this state and this country than border security. I do think the wall is definitely a big part of the answer; yet, the answer is much more complex than just building a wall,” said Leach. “The physical barriers, however, are working … the governor has proved that just over the last several weeks, and we need more of it.”
