Located in Denton County, House District 63 touches the cities of Coppell, Flower Mound, Lewisville, Roanoke, Southlake and Trophy Club.
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
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Michelle Beckley
Experience:
Former State House 65 Representative
Occupation:
Small-business owner
Candidate Website:
https://www.michellebeckley.com
Why are you running for office?
To bring common sense back to Austin
What are the biggest challenges facing the county?
The constant attack and attempts of defunding public education by the state. Lewisville ISD, alone, stands to lose $20 million a year if private school vouchers are passed.
How do you plan to address these issues?
By continuing to support fully funding Texas public education.
What would your top priorities be if you are elected?
Fully funding public education, working to ensure Texans have access to affordable, high-quality health care, and ensuring Texas protects its environment by promoting clean energy production.
Denise Wooten
Experience:
Clinical psychologist 32 years, adjunct professor at NCTC 6 years, small-business owner 25 years
Occupation:
Licensed clinical psychologist
Candidate Website:
https://www.wooten-for-texas.com/
Why are you running for office?
My human services experience and scientific training as a psychologist have impelled me to run for office to have the chance to enact legislation that assists everyday people in my district and all of Texas. I have been and will continue to be dedicated to improving the lives of people.
What are the biggest challenges facing the county?
The biggest challenges facing HD63 and all of Texas involve preserving and enhancing public education, increasing affordability and access to medical and mental health care, passing sensible gun safety legislation, reducing inflation and price-gouging for necessities, protecting women’s right to reproductive choice, and promoting greater educational and economic growth opportunities.
How do you plan to address these issues?
I will use the scientific method to identify the scope of these problems, hypothesize strategies, apply interventions, evaluate the results and tweak further planning. This will need to be done in a bipartisan way to make progress, which involves compromise, negotiation, and conflict resolution—my strengths as a psychologist.
What would your top priorities be if you are elected?
When elected, my top priorities will be strengthening public education by improving funding and denying vouchers, increasing funding and system fixes for medical and mental health services, addressing public safety for appropriate reproductive choice and gun violence, and regulating essential industries that gouge prices and cause inflation.
