On March 3, voters will go to the polls to select their nominees for political office at the county, state and federal levels.
The winners of the Republican and Democratic primaries become their respective party’s nominees for the Nov. 3, 2020 general election.
Early voting for the March 3 primary elections runs from Tuesday, Feb. 18 to Friday, Feb. 28.
Should results require, a Primary Runoff Election will be held on May 26, with early voting from May 18 to May 22.
Find more voter information on the Denton County Elections Administration website at www.votedenton.com or Secretary of State website at www.votetexas.gov.
The Cross Timbers Gazette emailed questionnaires to candidates in selected contested Primary Elections. Returned questionnaires are listed by office in alphabetical order, unless there’s an incumbent (*) up for re-election.
State Representative, District 65
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
Michelle Beckley*
Age: 50
Community of Residence: Carrollton
Current Occupation: small business owner
Education Background: Texas A&M University, degree in Biomedical Sciences in 1992.
Previous Public Service: Elected to represent the Texas House in 2018. Priorities for the 86th Legislative Session were providing healthcare for all Texans and working to improve and better fund education. Appointed to serve on the Agriculture and Livestock and the Business and Industry Committees
Why are you the best candidate for this elected position? Born and raised in Texas House District 65, most in-sync with the voters in this district. We work incredibly hard on voter outreach and making sure all District 65 residents have their voices heard.
What do you see as the biggest issue and your solution if elected? Healthcare, Texas needs Medicaid expansion.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime? No
Candidate Website: www.michellebeckley.com
Candidate Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichelleBeckleyTexas/
Democratic Candidates
Paige Dixon
Age: 37
Community of Residence: Lewisville
Current Occupation: Veteran
Education Background: Associates in Multidisciplinary Studies, Grantham University; Bachelor’s in Theology and Leadership, Dallas Baptist University
Previous Public Service: Delivers Meals on Wheels; PTA President; Member of the LISD Superintendent Parental Advisory committee; Deputy Voter Registrar; Member of the LISD Academic Calendar committee; Combat Veteran; Former President of the Young Democrats of Denton County; Former Membership Lead for Moms Demand Action Denton County; Former Ethics Chair for the Denton County Democratic Party; Arranged and Supervised a countywide poll-greeting effort for the 2018 election cycle.
Why are you the best candidate for this elected position? Voters should choose me because I genuinely want to serve all the people of the district. I will work tirelessly to ensure that we have the things we need in my home district. I will work with local officials to become aware of local issues and I would bring everyone to the table to work on solutions that would fulfill the needs of our district. I will always make time to engage with the residents of my district to earn their trust and future support. My constituents will be my number one priority. As a veteran who has served her country, I see my office as an extension of that service. The people, not politics, will always be a priority for me. I earnestly look forward to serving the people of my district and the people of the great state.
What do you see as the biggest issue and your solution if elected? My children are enrolled in the Lewisville Independent School District, which paid approximately $32-million in recapture funding during the last legislative cycle. Before the passage of SB3 in 2019, LISD was on course to pay twice that amount at the end of this next cycle. While I appreciate the reduction in recapture amounts school districts have to pay, and SB3 granted a small (one-time) raise, it is not a long-term nor sustainable solution to the problem. We should explore sustainable long-term methods of funding public education, especially in addressing how much our educators are paid. The State must increase its share of public education funding, rather than continue to push the burden onto local government entities.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime? No
Candidate Website: www.paigefortexas.com
Candidate Facebook: www.facebook.com/paigefortexas
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES
Nancy Cline
Age: 57
Community of Residence: Carrollton
Current Occupation: Civil Engineer
Education Background: B.S. – Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University; M.Eng. – Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University
Previous Public Service: Elected to Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Board of Trustees, 2005 – present, President from 2012-2014 and 2018-2020. Reduced the tax rate 12 times; Military mom and wife, husband Jim retired from Tx Army NG after 28 years (one-year in Afghanistan) as LTC, son is CPT in Air Force; Former Area Engineer for Denton County office of TxDOT, responsible for over $540-million in design, construction and maintenance in the County; Former Dir. of Public Works for Town of Addison
Why are you the best candidate for this elected position? My career as a Professional Engineer has been spent solving transportation problems and improving the quality of life of residents. Civil engineers protect the public health, safety and welfare of the public. I have improved more than 50-miles of freeways and thoroughfares in Denton County to address congestion. I have managed the approval of many private development projects. I have managed design and construction of creek stabilization projects, including numerous trails systems. I have managed the planning and budgeting of these improvements. I have been solving complex challenging large infrastructure design and construction problems for over 30-years. I would like to continue using my problem-solving skills in Austin.
What do you see as the biggest issue and your solution if elected? There are actually two issues which are intertwined– Public School Finance and Property Tax Reform. School finance is broken beyond repair and as a result we place an un-fair burden on local taxpayers as the property taxes continue to increase at a rapid rate. The solution is a comprehensive study of school finance and the political stamina to have the discussions of how to fix the current system.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime? No
Candidate Website: www.votenancy.com
Candidate Facebook: facebook.com/VoteNancy
Kronda Thimesch
Age: 52
Community of Residence: Lewisville
Current Occupation: Business owner
Education Background: Texas Tech University Bachelor of Landscape Architecture; Master Trustee 2019 Texas Association of School Boards
Previous Public Service: Lewisville ISD School Board Trustee; North Texas Area Association of School Boards (NTAASB) Board Officer; Lewisville ISD Education Foundation Volunteer; Volunteer Chaperone and Reader for LISD Elementary Schools; Hebron HS PTSA Board, Programs Chair and Grant Chair; Communities in Schools of North Texas Mentor– Durham MS; Meals on Wheels Denton County and social media for Senior Paws for Pets; Member of Highland Village Business Association; Leadership Lewisville Class of 34.
Why are you the best candidate for this elected position? With over 30 years as a local business owner, I understand the importance of jobs, economic opportunity and a strong economy. Throughout almost five-years as a Lewisville ISD School Board Trustee, I’ve worked to ensure that our students obtain the best education possible. I have earned certification as a Master Trustee. My experience in serving our community includes numerous charitable and civic organizations, including Rotary, Communities in Schools, LEF, and Lewisville, Flower Mound, and Metrocrest Chambers of Commerce. I understand the diverse needs across our district. I have been endorsed by over 400 community leaders demonstrating my relationships in the district and my commitment to getting work done to make our community better.
What do you see as the biggest issue and your solution if elected? First, continuing to improve and strengthen public education to ensure a bright future for our children. Next, identifying areas where we can reduce the regulatory burden on Texas business owners to continue to have a strong workforce and economy. Related to the economy is ensuring a strong road and highway system that is vital for jobs, safety, and quality of life. Transportation is a core function of government and we must ensure that tax dollars are deployed to reduce congestion. With over $20 billion allocated for road projects every two years, the state is making the needed investment. However, we must continue to ensure that the most needed projects are completed– and not projects selected by politics.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime? No
Candidate Website: www.KrondaForTexas.com
Candidate Facebook: www.facebook.com/KrondaForTexas
