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Republican State Rep. Dennis Paul will face Democratic challenger Shannon Dicely to represent District 11 in the Texas Senate in the Nov. 3 election.
District 11 covers parts of southeastern Houston and the wider Galveston Bay area including portions of Harris, Galveston and Brazoria counties.
What you need to know
Early voting for the Nov. 3 election runs from Oct. 19-30. Election Day is Nov. 3. The final day to register to vote is Oct. 5.
Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or shortened to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Committee appointments with Friendswood city and ISD; MA, political science; civic engagement advocate; public education ...
Why are you running for this position?
After battling breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt a deeper calling to serve my community. I’m running to make life more affordable, strengthen public schools, expand access to healthcare and ensure our community has representation that reflects its people rather than corporations and special interests.
What are your priorities for the future of Texas education?
I will fight for adequately funded public schools that keep pace with the actual cost of educating students, while increasing educator pay and improving benefits. I will work to repeal private school vouchers, reduce high-stakes testing, protect local control, and expand special education and mental health services.
How will you ensure your constituents receive the appropriate aid after natural disasters?
I will help constituents access FEMA, insurance, and other disaster assistance by working with local officials to identify unmet needs, secure state and federal resources, and hold agencies accountable for delivering aid quickly. Before hurricane season, I will hold preparedness town halls to help constituents understand insurance and recovery assistance.
How will you ensure Texans have enough water as the state continues to grow?
Fixing aging water infrastructure can save water faster and more affordably than building costly new supply projects. I will prioritize leak detection, infrastructure modernization, conservation, and drought preparedness. These investments protect public health, support economic growth, improve reliability, and deliver greater value for taxpayers while securing Texas’s water future.
How will you balance the development of data centers and other large projects with constituent concerns about rapid growth?
Development should benefit Texans, not burden them. Data centers should pay for their infrastructure, protect water supplies, strengthen rather than strain the grid, use local labor, and provide meaningful local benefits. Projects that threaten utilities, water, or quality of life deserve greater scrutiny and community input.
Why are you running for this position?
I'm running for the Texas Senate because families and small businesses are being squeezed, and Austin must act. As an engineer and legislator, I'll fight to lower costs, rein in insurance rates, cut regulations, eliminate property taxes, strengthen public schools, improve public safety, and invest in flood control and infrastructure.
What are your priorities for the future of Texas education?
Our children deserve safe schools, strong classrooms, and teachers who are paid what they deserve. I will fight to fully fund public education, put safety first and ensure every student graduates prepared to succeed; whether they choose a career, the military or college.
How will you ensure your constituents receive the appropriate aid after natural disasters?
When disaster strikes, there's no time to build relationships from scratch. Recovery depends on preparation, trusted partnerships and decisive leadership before a storm or crisis strikes. I will put relationships built over the past decade to work immediately, delivering the resources and coordinated response our community needs and deserves.
How will you ensure Texans have enough water as the state continues to grow?
Texas is growing, and our water infrastructure must keep pace. Last session, we passed, and Texas voters approved, a constitutional amendment to strengthen our water supply and invest in infrastructure our communities need. I will keep fighting for long-term, responsible investments to protect Texas water and secure our state's future.
How will you balance the development of data centers and other large projects with<br>constituent concerns about rapid growth?
Texas should welcome growth, but not on the backs of Texas families. Big projects must pay for the pressure they put on our power grid, water, roads, and communities. I will fight tax giveaways that let corporations shift their costs to hardworking Texas taxpayers.
