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Texas State House District 61

2-year term. Must be 21 years or older, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Texas, and a resident of the district represented. Responsible for representing the citizens of the district in which they are elected in the Texas House of Representatives.

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  • Candidate picture

    Jackie Bescherer
    (Dem)

  • Candidate picture

    Brittany Black
    (Dem)

Biographical Information

Education Funding: What, if anything, should change about how the state funds public and private education?

Children: What legislation and/or funding is needed, if any, to improve the state’s care of children in protective services, foster care, and the juvenile justice system?

Border: What should the state do, if anything, with respect to immigration and border security?

Healthcare: What state legislation, if any, is needed related to healthcare in Texas, including in rural areas?

Electricity: What, if anything, should the state government do to ensure that electricity is consistently available, sustainable, and affordable for Texans, especially with increasing data center demand?

Water: What legislation, if any, is needed to manage water usage for industrial, agricultural, and residential users?

Voter Representation: What criteria would you support in drawing districts for elected offices?

Higher Education: What role should the state government have in policies of public colleges and universities, including free speech, protests on campus, classroom instruction, and personnel management?

LGBTQ: What action should the state take, if any, related to transgender and other LGBTQ people?

Other Issues: What other issues do you believe will be most pressing in the next session of the Texas Legislature, and what is your position on these issues?

Education MBA from SMU, BS from UNT
Experience Served in Navy Reserve, Served as Dallas Police Officer, Currently a Solutions Engineer
Campaign Email jackieb@jackieb4texas.com
Campaign Phone 214-862-1811
Money collected for public schools should be used for public schools. Instead of fully funding our classrooms, excess dollars are sitting in the general fund while districts struggle. Our children deserve better.

I support funding public education at or above the national average. The Texas Constitution guarantees free public schools, and public funds should stay in public schools—not be diverted to private vouchers.

Our teachers are professionals and deserve to be respected and paid accordingly. Voucher programs won’t help families who are barely getting by—they primarily subsidize those wh
Texas must fully fund and reform child protective services, foster care, and juvenile justice. Caseworkers need manageable caseloads, better pay, and stronger training to reduce turnover and protect children. We must expand trauma-informed mental health services and strengthen oversight to ensure safety and accountability. When possible, we should support family preservation and kinship care. Children in state custody deserve stability, dignity, and real opportunity.
I support smart, enforceable, and humane immigration reform. Our current system is costly and failing. Immigrants are vital to Texas’ economy—from agriculture to healthcare—so we must modernize legal pathways while maintaining fair enforcement. Legal entry should be accessible, secure, and organized. We must also hold employers accountable for fair wages and compliance. Real reform means safety, fairness, and economic stability for Texas families and businesses.
I support Medicare for All because healthcare should serve patients—not shareholders. Health insurance should never force decisions between someone’s care and a CEO’s bonus. Texas must expand coverage, lower costs, and ensure healthcare works for working families, seniors, and small businesses. By regulating privatized systems and prioritizing people over profit, we can guarantee affordable, quality care for every Texan.
Texas must prioritize a diversified, environmentally conscious energy grid that uses all sources responsibly. Data centers should pay for upgrades if their electricity use exceeds current capacity, and costs should not fall on Texas families. Power to hospitals, emergency services, and homes must come first. By balancing growth with accountability, we can ensure reliable electricity, protect consumers, and support a sustainable energy future for the state.
Texas must fund and upgrade water infrastructure to ensure safe, affordable drinking water. Data centers and fracking should pay for their heavy use and pollution. Clean water must come first for families, hospitals, and communities—protecting public health and a strong workforce while holding industry accountable.

I support creating an independent, politically and racially diverse committee—separate from the legislature—to set voting districts and maps every 10 years. This would help prevent gerrymandering, ensure fair representation, and protect every Texan’s right to have their vote count.
Free speech is a constitutional right, and schools should teach critical thinking to foster knowledge and growth. The state should not interfere with these rights. School boards setting curriculum and policies should be 50% experienced educators and 50% parents and community members, reflecting the diversity of the community. This ensures best practices from educators while giving families a meaningful voice.
The state should not make policies controlling adults’ personal lives or who they love. Decisions about identity and relationships are private and personal. Transgender and LGBTQ people are a small portion of the population, and the state should focus on broader priorities that affect all Texans rather than targeting individuals for who they are.
My top priorities are fully funding public schools and paying teachers what they deserve, protecting voting rights and ending gerrymandering, and stopping the influence of big money in our elections. We must also tackle rising housing and healthcare costs and restore women’s access to comprehensive reproductive care. Strengthening education, democracy, and affordability is how we build a stronger Texas.
Education Master's of Human-Computer Interaction; Bachelor's of Communications, Business
Experience Senior Software Engineer; Business Owner/Entrepreneur; Former State/Federal Government & Defense Contractor
Campaign Email brittanyfortx@gmail.com
Campaign X Handle @brittanyfortx
Campaign Phone 469-430-8217
Texas should fully fund public education by updating the school finance formula to reflect current costs and inflation. The state should reduce over reliance on local property taxes, ensure equitable funding for all districts, and prioritize classroom instruction, teacher pay, and student support services. Public funds should be used transparently and accountably to strengthen public schools that serve the vast majority of Texas students.
Texas should invest in preventive and early-intervention services to keep children safe and families supported. This includes adequately funding Child Protective Services, improving foster care placement stability, expanding mental health services, and supporting evidence-based juvenile justice programs focused on rehabilitation. Children do best when systems prioritize safety, stability, and long-term outcomes over punishment or cost-cutting.
Texas should focus on practical, lawful border solutions that prioritize public safety, economic stability, and human dignity. The state should coordinate with federal agencies, support border communities, combat trafficking, and invest in efficient processing systems. Immigration policy should be guided by data, accountability, and respect for constitutional limits on state authority.
Texas should expand access to affordable healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This includes strengthening rural hospitals, expanding mental health services, supporting healthcare workers, and improving access to preventive care. State policies should focus on lowering costs, increasing provider availability, and ensuring Texans can access care when and where they need it.
Texas must ensure a reliable, affordable, and resilient electric grid. The state should require stronger oversight of ERCOT, incentivize grid hardening, improve weatherization standards, and plan proactively for growing demand, including data centers. Long-term energy planning should prioritize reliability, transparency, and consumer protection while supporting diverse energy sources.
Texas should take a proactive approach to water management by investing in conservation, infrastructure upgrades, and long-term planning. The state should support responsible water use across residential, agricultural, and industrial sectors while protecting aquifers and water quality. Sustainable water policy is essential for population growth, economic development, and public health.
Legislative districts should be drawn using transparent, nonpartisan criteria that prioritize equal population, compactness, contiguity, and respect for existing communities. Maps should comply with the Voting Rights Act and avoid favoring political parties or incumbents. Fair representation strengthens public trust and ensures voters choose their representatives—not the other way around.
The state should protect academic freedom, free expression, and institutional independence while ensuring public colleges and universities remain accessible and affordable. Texas should support workforce development, maintain clear guidelines that protect student and faculty rights, and avoid political interference in curriculum or campus governance.
Texas should ensure that all residents are treated with dignity and fairness under the law. State policy should protect individuals from discrimination, support access to healthcare and public services, and respect personal privacy. Government should focus on keeping communities safe and ensuring equal protection rather than targeting specific groups.
Affordability, infrastructure, AI, and trust in government will be among the most pressing issues in the next legislative session. Texas must address rising costs for housing, insurance, and utilities while investing in infrastructure that supports growing communities. Transparent governance, accountability, and data-driven policymaking are essential to restoring public confidence.