On March 5, southern Denton County voters will cast their ballots for county, state and federal seats in Republican and Democratic Primary elections.
The last day to register to vote is Feb. 5. Early voting will run from Feb. 20 to March 1 at 51 locations around the county.
Find more voter information on the Denton County Elections Administration website at www.votedenton.gov.
The Cross Timbers Gazette emailed questionnaires to candidates in selected contested elections. Below are the responses from each Republican candidate for Texas State House Representative, District 65, representing part of southern Denton County. The winner of the Primary election will face Democrat Detrick DeBurr in the November General Election.
REPUBLICAN
Mitch Little, 44
City of Residence: Lewisville
Current Occupation: Attorney
Education: Harvard University, AB in Government, cum laude in field (2001)
The University of Texas School of Law, J.D. (Dec. 2003)
What motived you to run for this position and why are you the best choice? When I successfully defended the Attorney General in the impeachment, I got a front row seat to the dysfunction and corruption that exists in the Texas House, and I now understand why Republican legislative priorities fail to advance. Why do Democrats chair committees under speaker Dade Phelan’s leadership? Why does an Obama White House lawyer serve as parliamentarian? Why does communist China own real estate in Texas? Why do we have taxpayer-funded lobbying? Why aren’t they protecting our gun rights? We need people representing us who are animated by principle and truth rather than PAC dollars and special interests. We have one of the most conservative districts in the state, but the Texas Tribune ranks the incumbent as the 42nd-most conservative Repubican in the House. We can do a lot better than that. My opponent campaigns like a Republican, but votes like a Democrat.
Mission Statement: This campaign is about reform of the broken Texas House and a diabolical, good-ole-boy system that prevents conservative legislative priorities from advancing. This system cannot reform itself. Our representatives have become decoupled from and inattentive to the needs of the hardworking Texans they represent, and I plan to change that.
Kronda Thimesch, 56 (i)
City of Residence: Lewisville
Current Occupation: Business Owner — Green Meadows Landscaping
Education: Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Texas Tech University
Public Service: Lewisville ISD Board Trustee (5 yrs); Denton County Child Protective Services Board appointee
What motived you to run for this position and why are you the best choice? Public service has always been a priority for our family. As your children grow, your volunteerism matches your family stage; so Jeff and I were involved with Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, PTA, school booster clubs, scholarship programs, etc. Once my four were settled in high school/college, and with our family business thriving, I had the bandwidth to increase my involvement with Denton County GOP (serving as precinct chair, then helping charter Texas Red Republican Women’s Club). Soon I was asked to run for Lewisville ISD school board, and won twice. While serving LISD, my good friend Ron Simmons asked me to run for Texas House, to bring the HD-65 seat back to Republican, after it had flipped Democrat during the “Beto Blue Wave”. I’ve spent 30 years actively serving HD-65 and I already know what it takes to be an effective state rep, as I demonstrated during the 88th Legislature.
Mission Statement: The state GOP chair called the 88th session, “the most sweeping conservative change ever passed in our Texas Legislature” based on our work on border security, the largest property tax cut in history, protecting female athletes, strengthening parental rights, and more. I plan to return to Austin to continue fighting for HD-65’s conservative values.
