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. For more information about voting in Harris County, visit www.harrisvotes.com.
Lacey Hull (incumbent)
Experience:
state representative House District 138
Candidate Website:
https://www.laceyhull.com
Contact Information:
832-271-0469
Why are you running to represent House District 138?
I am running for re-election to ensure my neighbors and constituents have common sense representation. Texans deserve a secure border, lower property taxes, safe communities and schools, and the assurance that our children will not be exposed to inappropriate content in the classroom.
What are the most important issues facing residents in your district, and how would you address them if elected?
Property taxes, inflation/cost of living, border security and public safety are the top issues I hear as I knock on doors in my district. Last session, we tripled border security funding to ensure we had more resources, barriers and manpower on our southern border—I will continue these efforts in the next session. I am also fighting to ensure law enforcement is properly funded and for bail reform to stop activist judges from releasing violent criminals onto our streets. I will discuss property taxes and inflation/cost of living in question 4 below.
How would you address statewide teacher shortages and learning gaps exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic?
I am proud of the high quality schools and teachers in our local communities. I also understand one-size does not fit all, and students and parents should have flexibility and options in determining their education path. We must ensure that our hardworking teachers receive the support in the classroom they need to educate the next generation of Texans.
How would you address inflation and help alleviate other financial burdens for your constituents?
Cost-of-living is top of mind for families in our community. The price of gas, groceries and goods we all rely on everyday are soaring due to out-of-control inflationary policies by the Biden Administration. To make matters worse, property taxes are increasing year after year. This session, I will continue fighting to cut and cap property taxes to bring substantive relief to families.
If elected, how do you plan to meet the state's energy needs?
Houston is the energy capital of the world, and we know firsthand that a robust oil and gas industry and a clean environment are not mutually exclusive. West Texas has some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world, we have the supply—we just need to ensure the oil and gas industry has the regulatory certainty to invest in producing it. The Biden Administration's actions and rhetoric about "transitioning away from oil and gas" are not helping.
Stephanie Morales
Occupation:
CPS and criminal defense lawyer
Candidate Website:
https://www.stephaniefortexas.com
Why are you running to represent House District 138?
I decided to run because there is a need for someone to advocate for children at the Legislative level. I represent children in court every day. I want to address the issues in our CPS system and our education system. I am uniquely qualified to address these issues.
What are the most important issues facing residents in your district, and how would you address them if elected?
Education is the most important issue in my district. Parents want to ensure that their children are going to schools that are well funded and have good teachers. I will fight to make sure our public schools are funded, teachers are paid well and extracurriculars accessible to all students.
How would you address statewide teacher shortages and learning gaps exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic?
We must increase the budget for education. This will allow us to not only attract new teachers, but also retain the amazing ones we already have. More teachers will allow us to reach the children that have fallen behind due to the pandemic.
How would you address inflation and help alleviate other financial burdens for your constituents?
Inflation is a big issue in today’s world. The minimum wage has not increased in many years. However, the cost of living keeps increasing. We must increase the minimum wage so that everyone can live with the dignity that they deserve.
If elected, how do you plan to meet the state's energy needs?
We need to invest in getting new renewable energy, while at the same time replacing our aging oil and gas plants. There is no one solution to keeping the power on, and we must take the best ideas, regardless of who has it, to keep the power on year-round.
