The Senate

Paul Bettencourt (R) — SD-7

Bettencourt, who also goes by “The Taxman,” lives in Houston. He led the Harris County Tax Office for 10 years and has served as an officer for the Republican Party of Texas and the Harris County Republican Party. He has also served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

  • Hometown: Houston
  • Age: 56
  • Family: Married to Susan, two children
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Occupation: Chief Executive Officer of Bettencourt Tax Advisors
  • Education: B.S., Texas A&M University

Konni Burton (R) — SD-10

Burton lives in Colleyville. She has served on the board of the NE Tarrant Tea Party and was a member of a committee that advised the Tea Party Caucus in the Texas Legislature. Previously she owned a wedding consulting business.

  • Hometown: Colleyville
  • Age: 51
  • Family: Married to Phil, two children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Tea Party activist
  • Education: B.B.A., University of North Texas

Bob Hall (R) — SD-2

Hall is a retiree in Edgewood. He previously started his own consulting business that advised companies seeking contracts with federal and state government agencies. Hall is a U.S. Air Force veteran who calls himself a Tea Party activist.

  • Hometown: Edgewood
  • Age: 72
  • Family: Married to Sarah, three children
  • Religion: Baptist
  • Occupation: Retired consultant
  • Education: B.S., The Citadel

Don Huffines (R) — SD-16

Huffines lives in Dallas, where he has a real-estate development business, Huffines Communities. He is a fifth-generation Texan and comes from a family of farmers. He has been a Boy Scouts of America scoutmaster.

  • Hometown: Dallas
  • Age: 55
  • Family: Married to Mary, five children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Owner of Huffines Communities
  • Education: B.B.A., University of Texas at Austin

The House

Rodney Anderson (R) — HD-105

Anderson is a Grand Prairie native working in real estate. He is a former state representative who served in the Texas House from 2011 to 2013.

  • Hometown: Grand Prairie
  • Age: 46
  • Family: Married to Heather, three children
  • Religion: Baptist
  • Occupation: Realtor
  • Education: B.B.A., University of Texas at Arlington

César Blanco (D) — HD-76

Blanco lives in El Paso and is the former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine. Blanco is pursuing a master's degree at the University of Texas at El Paso.

  • Hometown: El Paso
  • Age: 38
  • Family: Not married
  • Religion: Roman Catholic
  • Occupation: Consultant
  • Education: B.S., University of Texas at El Paso

DeWayne Burns (R) — HD-58

Burns lives in Cleburne, where he works as a business investment manager. He has served as Johnson County Farm Bureau president and Johnson County fire commissioner. Burns has also worked for the Texas Department of Agriculture and as a legislative analyst for then-state Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth.

  • Hometown: Cleburne
  • Age: 42
  • Family: Married to Jennifer, two children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Business investment manager
  • Education: B.S., Tarleton State University

Dustin Burrows (R) — HD-83

Burrows is a Lubbock native working as a commercial and personal injury attorney. He previously served as board president of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters. He also has served on Lubbock’s zoning board and the city’s Urban Renewal and Neighborhood Redevelopment Committee.

  • Hometown: Lubbock
  • Age: 35
  • Family: Married to Elisabeth, two children
  • Religion: Evangelical Christian
  • Occupation: Attorney
  • Education: B.A., Rhodes College; M.B.A., Texas Tech; J.D., Texas Tech

Wayne Faircloth (R) — HD-23

Faircloth is a Dickinson native working as an insurance agent. He has been involved in the Republican Party since the 1980s. He has worked as a precinct chairman, election judge and poll watcher, and has served as a delegate at party conventions.

  • Hometown: Dickinson
  • Age: 61
  • Family: Married to Cheryl, two children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Insurance agent
  • Education: B.S., Sam Houston State University

Rick Galindo (R) — HD-117

Galindo is a San Antonio native working in risk management. He is a volunteer for the Salvation Army and the San Antonio Food Bank.

  • Hometown: San Antonio
  • Age: 33
  • Family: Married to Valerie, two children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Risk manager
  • Education: B.S., St. Mary's University

Celia Israel (D) — HD-50

Israel lives in Austin and works in real estate and community affairs as owner of Mission Resources. Israel is a Democratic activist who worked in the Ann Richards gubernatorial administration. Israel won a special election earlier this year and was re-elected on Tuesday.

  • Hometown: Austin
  • Age: 50
  • Family: Partnered with Celinda Garza
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Occupation: Owner, Mission Resources
  • Education: B.A., University of Texas at Austin

Mark Keough (R) — HD-15

Keough, a retired car dealer, is senior pastor of The Woodlands Bible Church. He has hosted a local Christian radio show and has been the host of automotive television infomercials and radio advertising.

  • Hometown: The Woodlands
  • Age: 61
  • Family: Married to Kim, four children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Pastor
  • Education: B.S., Cedarville University; Master's degrees, Dallas Theological Seminary and Grace College and Theological Seminary

Linda Koop (R) — HD-102

Koop served on the Dallas City Council from 2005 to 2013. Previously, she and her family owned National Shoes, a downtown Dallas business.

  • Hometown: Dallas
  • Age: 64
  • Family: Married to Myron, two children
  • Religion: N/A
  • Occupation: Former businesswoman
  • Education: M.A., University of Texas at Dallas; B.A., Colorado State University

Brooks Landgraf (R) — HD-81

Landgraf is a native of Odessa, where his family has been ranching for five generations. In addition to helping manage his family’s cow-calf operation, he is an attorney for a Permian Basin health care system. Landgraf serves on the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance board of directors and the Education Foundation of Odessa board of directors. He has worked as an aide to U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis.

  • Hometown: Odessa
  • Age: 33
  • Family: Married to Shelby
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Occupation: Attorney
  • Education: B.S., Texas A&M University; J.D., St. Mary's University School of Law

Will Metcalf (R) — HD-16

Metcalf, a Conroe native, is a banker. He is a member the board of the Conroe Industrial Development Corporation and the advisory board of the Montgomery County Fair Association.

  • Hometown: Conroe
  • Age: 29
  • Family: Married to Megan, two children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Banker
  • Education: B.S., Sam Houston State University

Morgan Meyer (R) — HD-108

Meyer is an attorney in Dallas. He volunteers at the South Dallas Legal Clinic, the Housing Legal Clinic, and the Veterans Affairs Hospital Legal Clinic and Lawyers Serving Warriors Program.

  • Hometown: Dallas
  • Age: 40
  • Family: Married to Keana, three children
  • Religion: Methodist
  • Occupation: Attorney
  • Education: B.S., Southern Methodist University; J.D., Washington and Lee University

Andrew S. Murr (R) — HD-53

Murr, an eighth-generation Texan, is a Junction attorney. He is a former county judge and county attorney in Kimble County. He serves on the board of directors of Junction National Bank, is president of the Kimble/Edwards Counties Farm Bureau and is past president of the local Rotary Club.

  • Hometown: Junction
  • Age: 37
  • Family: Married to Lacey, one child
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Attorney, rancher and owner of a title company
  • Education: B.S., Texas A&M University; J.D., Texas Tech University

Dennis Paul (R) — HD-129

Paul lives in Houston, where he works as a civil engineer. He has served as a member of the State Republican Executive Committee for seven years, and has volunteered for Republican organizations for 15 years.

  • Hometown: Clear Lake City
  • Age: 53
  • Family: Married to Eliza, one child
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Occupation: Engineer
  • Education: B.S., University of Houston

Gilbert Peña (R) — HD-144

Peña is a retired commercial refrigerator installer. Peña has made two previous unsuccessful bids for the Texas House.

  • Hometown: Pasadena
  • Age: 65
  • Family: Married to Cynthia, four children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Retired
  • Education: B.S., Texas Southern University

Dade Phelan (R) — HD-21

Phelan lives in Beaumont, where he works as a senior partner and broker at a family-owned real estate development company. Phelan has worked as an aide to former state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, and former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Flower Mound. He is a two-time Gov. Rick Perry appointee to the Lower Neches Valley Authority and was the authority’s 2013 board president.

  • Hometown: Beaumont
  • Age: 39
  • Family: Married to Kim, three children
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Occupation: Senior partner and broker at Phelan Investments
  • Education: B.A. Government, Univeristy of Texas at Austin

Matt Rinaldi (R) — HD-115

Rinaldi, an attorney, lives in Irving. He helped organize the Dallas Tea Party and has been involved in conservative politics for 20 years.

  • Hometown: Irving
  • Age: 39
  • Family: Married to Corley
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Occupation: Attorney
  • Education: B.B.A., James Madison University; J.D., Boston School of Law

Ramon Romero, Jr. (D) — HD-90

Romero lives in Fort Worth, where he owns Stone Mason Supply. He has served as chairman of the city’s planning commission.

  • Hometown: Fort Worth
  • Age: 40
  • Family: Three children
  • Religion: N/A
  • Occupation: Owner, Stone Mason Supply
  • Education: B.S., Tarrant County College

Mike Schofield (R) — HD-132

Schofield lives in Katy and has been a policy advisor to Gov. Rick Perry. He advised the governor on the voter ID bill that became law. He has served as vice chairman of the Harris County Republican Party Finance Committee.

  • Hometown: Katy
  • Age: 50
  • Family: Not married
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Occupation: Attorney
  • Education: B.S., Rutgers University; J.D., Louisiana State University

Matt Shaheen (R) — HD-66

Shaheen lives in Plano, where he works as a technology and management-consulting executive. Shaheen serves on the Texas Conference of Urban Counties Policy Committee and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department Advisory Committee.

  • Hometown: Plano
  • Age: 49
  • Family: Married to Robyn, three children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Technology and Management Consulting executive
  • Education: B.S., Randolph-Macon College; M.S., SMU

Stuart Spitzer (R) — HD-4

Spitzer, an Athens native now living in Kaufman, has worked as a general surgeon for 21 years. Spitzer previously ran for the same seat in 2012, but lost in the Republican primary.

  • Hometown: Kaufman
  • Age: 47
  • Family: Married to Shari, two children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Surgeon
  • Education: B.S., Baylor; M.D., UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas

Tony Tinderholt (R) — HD-94

Tinderholt lives in Arlington, where he works as director of training and recruiting for Eliot Management Group, which provides credit-card processing services to merchants. Tinderholt served in the U.S. Air Force, where he worked as a Spanish cryptologic linguist. He has also worked as a Spanish instructor at Columbia College in Fort Worth.

  • Hometown: Arlington
  • Age: 44
  • Family: Married to Bethany, two children
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Occupation: Director of Training & Recruiting for Eliot Management Group
  • Education: M.A., Touro University

Gary VanDeaver (R) — HD-1

VanDeaver is a Clarksville native who is set to retire at the end of the year as superintendent of New Boston ISD. He has worked for more than 30 years at the school district, where he has also been a principal and a teacher. VanDeaver is a past president of the New Boston Chamber of Commerce.

  • Hometown: Clarksville
  • Age: 56
  • Family: Married to Pam, two children
  • Religion: Baptist
  • Occupation: Superintendent
  • Education: B.S., East Texas State University; D.A., Educational Administration

Molly S. White (R) — HD-55

White lives in Belton and is director of Women for Life International, an anti-abortion organization. She volunteers for conservative groups including the Liberty Institute, the Texas Eagle Forum, Concerned Women for America, Texas Values and Texas Right to Life.

  • Hometown: Belton
  • Age: 56
  • Family: Married to Ronald, three children
  • Religion: Christian
  • Occupation: Director Women for Life International
  • Education: B.S., University of Mary-Hardin Baylor

John Wray (R) — HD-10

Wray is a Waxahachie native and former mayor of the town. He is the co-owner of a title company called Town Square Title.

  • Hometown: Waxahachie
  • Age: 43
  • Family: Married to Michele, two children
  • Religion: Methodist
  • Occupation: Attorney
  • Education: B.S., Texas A&M; J.D., University of Texas