State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, announced Sept. 12 that she plans to run for re-election of the seat she has held since first being elected in 2006.

"I am eager to put my seniority and experience to work again for [house district] 48," Howard said in a statement. "My committee appointments this session have allowed me to not only work toward common sense solutions for our state's challenges, but also to have the voices of HD 48 heard over the din of partisan politics."

District 48 encompasses portions of Northwest, West and Southwest Austin as well as West Lake Hills, Rollingwood and Sunset Valley. The primary election will be March 4, and the general election will be Nov. 4, 2014.

Howard served on the House Appropriations Committee for the first time in the recently concluded 83rd Legislature. She succeeded in helping to restore funding for K–12 schools and passed legislation to streamline the state's financial aid services to provide increased access to community colleges and universities. She also secured additional funding for family planning services.

Howard said she would continue to fight for the necessary investment in water, transportation and human capital.

Howard won the election in 2012 against opponents Republican Robert Thomas and Libertarian Joe Edgar. In 2011, the House committee deemed Howard the winner of the 2010 election after her opponent Republican Dan Neil challenged the votes.

Neighboring House District 50 has four candidates vying for the seat vacated by Mark Strama in July. The district has a special election Nov. 5 to fill the vacancy.

More information about Howard may be found at www.votedonna.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/votedonna or on Twitter at @donnahowardtx.