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State Representative, District 128

Two-year term. The Texas House of Representatives has 150 members from separate districts across the state. With the Texas Senate, the Texas House: enacts and amends laws; passes the state budget and raises or lowers taxes; passes proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution; and redraws congressional and legislative district maps every ten years. The Texas House has the exclusive power to impeach officials. Current annual salary: $7,200, plus $221 for every day the Legislature is in session, including any special sessions.

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  • Candidate picture

    Tom Butler
    (Rep)

  • Candidate picture

    Desiree Klaus
    (Dem)

Biographical Information

What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?

Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation. What steps would you take as a state representative to ensure access to affordable healthcare, including mental health services, for residents who are currently uninsured or underserved in your district?

What measures would you support to ensure adequate state funding for public schools and accountability for taxpayer funds used in voucher or education savings account programs?

What are the two most pressing issues unique to your district, and what specific, measurable actions would you take to address them during your term?

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I bring experience in small business ownership, healthcare administration, insurance, communications, and community engagement giving me firsthand insight into the challenges Texas families face. As a mother, entrepreneur, and longtime HD-128 resident, I’ve advocated for public education, supported local businesses, organized community initiatives, and built relationships across our district. I am a problem-solver, coalition builder, and strong communicator who listens first and leads with accountability. I’m not a career politician; I bring real-world experience and a commitment to putting people and community before politics.
Access to healthcare should not depend on your ZIP code or paycheck. I would support expanding affordable coverage options, strengthening community health centers, and increasing access to primary, preventive, maternal, and mental health care. I would work to expand behavioral health services in schools and communities and address provider shortages through workforce incentives and training partnerships. I would also advocate for Texas to maximize available federal healthcare dollars so our tax dollars come back to Texas and serve uninsured families rather than leaving resources on the table.
I support making public education a priority by increasing the basic funding, enrollment growth and inflation, strengthening teacher pay and retention, and reducing the burden of unfunded mandates. Public dollars should always come with public accountability. Any voucher program using taxpayer funds should be subject to rigorous financial audits, transparent reporting, fraud prevention, and clear measures showing how funds are spent and whether students are being served. Every taxpayer dollar spent on education should be accountable to the public
Two pressing issues in HD-128 are rising household costs and preparing our workforce jobs and create more other opportunities. I will work l secure state funding for flood mitigation and aging infrastructure, and track dollars brought back to HD-128 for local projects. I will also strengthen public education and workforce pipelines by increasing per-student funding, improving teacher recruitment and retention, and expanding partnerships between schools, community colleges, unions, and local industry. My goal is measurable: more state dollars returned to our district and more residents trained and hired for local jobs.