3 GOP candidates vying for state representative seat open after 13 years

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - For the first time in more than a decade, the District 9 state representative seat is open.

The seat represents six Deep East Texas counties: Angelina, Houston, San Augustine, Polk, Trinity and Tyler counties.

Shelly Tatum is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for District 9.

Three Republican candidates are running in the primary election to represent the district: Paulette Carson, Stephanie Sjoberg and Rocky Thigpen.

They each share their reasons for running and details of their campaigns.

“We have to have strong leadership, someone who’s really going to fight for us and I know I’m the best candidate to do that,” Paulette Carson said.

“Transparency is a buzz word but when I say it I mean it. We need transparency,” Stephanie Sjoberg said.

“I feel like with all my experience plus my public safety experience I felt like that helped me to run for this spot,” Rocky Thigpen said.

Big issues that all three candidates say they need to tackle are water, education and property taxes.

When it comes to education, Carson says we have to improve what we have.

“In our schools there’s no perfect school system and ISD, so what do we do? We fix the concerns and the issues and you keep supporting and growing your community.”

Thigpen says it’s important to start early.

“I think our kids are something we need to focus on. Especially when they’re K-3 we need to get them when they’re early.”

Sjoberg says we have to support our teachers.

“A lot of people quit. We lost a ton of teachers, older teachers as well and I want help. I want each county to have an advisory.”

Each candidate also named a specific focus.

“What we have going on with the data centers is very alarming. Water wars are a thing and the laws and regulations are not really there to protect us individually,” Sjoberg said.

“The Sharia is completely in opposition to our Texas Constitution and our U.S. Constitution so we need to be fighting for that as well,” Carson said.

“How are we going to relieve people, especially our retirees that need relief from property taxes? How are we gonna do that?” Thigpen said.

Early voting will continue through Feb. 27 at eligible polling locations.