A second candidate, Jade Chang Sheppard, has announced her plans to run for the Texas House District 50 seat that will be vacated by Mark Strama, D-Austin.

"When it become clear that this was going to be an open seat, the decision was easy," she said of deciding to run. "I have big support from the business and nonprofit community."

Austin resident Celia Israel, who is a longtime community leader and political activist, also recently announced her candidacy for the District 50 race. Strama announced Feb. 20 he would not see re-election for the North Austin district that also covers portions of Pflugerville.

Chang Sheppard, a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, said she decided to enter politics because of her community service and volunteer work. She has worked with or served on the board of numerous organizations, including Planned Parenthood, Austin Children's Shelter, Asian American Resource Center, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Young President's Association and Texas Lyceum.

Chang Sheppard runs her own business, Gideon Contracting, which is a construction and renovation company that works with the military. She said her priorities on the campaign will be job creation and the business environment.

"That's certainly important because we border all the major tech companies," Chang Sheppard said.

She also plans to focus on public education because of education's role in the community and the fact that she has school-aged children.

"I've seen firsthand how hard it is to hire people in areas without strong public education," she said. "We need to protect our school system."

Chang Sheppard's family moved to the U.S. when she was 2 years old from Taiwan She has lived in and out of the District 50 area since 1999 and continuously since 2010.

"I love that we are so close to everything and get to be a part of Austin," Chang Sheppard said. "It's a great suburban area for kids and young families."

For more information on Chang Sheppard, visit her campaign website or follow her on Twitter at @JadeCSheppard.