The Texas Capitol on June 2, 2025, the last day of the 89th Texas Legislative Session.
Eleanor Dearman
edearman@star-telegram.com
Two Democrats are on the primary ballot for Texas House District 64. The winner will advance to November and face off with one of these Republican candidates.
Here are the Democrats’ responses to a Star-Telegram questionnaire. They are listed in the order you’ll see them on the ballot.
Christie Wood
Age (as of March 3): 70
Campaign website: ChristieWood4Texas.com
Best way for voters to reach you: ChristieWood4Texas@gmail.com
Occupation: Retired stained glass artist & musician
Education: Bach. of Music Education 1978 from North Texas State University (now UNT)
Have you run for elected office before? Denton County Democratic Party Precinct 4168 Chair 2016-2025
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in HD-64:
Supported 3 previous Democratic candidates races for HD-64. Election Presiding Judge 2016-2025 at various locations in Denton County. Election Liaison Team member for the Denton Democratic Party 2020-2025. Voter education outreach program 2022-present. Board member and grant writer for non-profit Friends of Shiloh Garden/Shiloh Field (Denton, TX) 2024-present. Member of City of Denton’s Human Services Advisory Committee 2010-2017.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Catherine Lustgarten, Cynthia Beard, Rose Scott
Why are you seeking this office? I wish to restore confidence in the leadership representing Denton & Wise County residents. Those we elect should represent all constituents; not just a minority.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
1. Support for public education; 2. Comprehensive healthcare for all; 3. Water & Energy planning & infrastructure support
How will you measure your success as a member of the Texas House? By researching & writing bills centered on policies which can improve everyday working Texans’ lives; then working with my colleagues to move these bills through committees and actually bring them to the floor for debate and voting. It’s one thing to introduce a bill, but real success is measured based on actually getting them passed into law. Success is also supporting legislation from colleagues which align with North Texans’ priorities.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? I’ve been working for a long time as a community volunteer, and am well-known in the area as a person who can find answers to real-world problems, and provide a balanced viewpoint to complex issues such as the shrinking middle class and affordable housing.
As a state lawmaker, how would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship? State-wide issues such as water resource planning, innovative solutions for our affordable housing crisis, transportation infrastructure planning, etc. are all issues effecting every citizen. I am particularly interested in working on innovative ideas for addressing the housing crisis immediately.
What is the biggest challenge facing HD-64? How would you address it if elected? HD-64 is undergoing rapid population growth, with long-range strategic plans put in place unable to cope. Getting municipalities and special taxing entities (such as water districts) to work together with state support, to take advantage of cost-of-scale savings for large-scale infrastructure needs such as water, energy, and fire/EMT services is a big challenge.
What, if anything, should the Texas Legislature do to address costs of living when they meet in 2027? Raise the minimum wage rate to at least $15/hour and tie this raise to yearly adjustments based upon inflation indexing.
Is eliminating school property taxes for homeowners achievable and something you’d support? Why or why not, and what plan do you propose to achieve their elimination or as an alternative? Eliminating school property taxes for homeowners is not in the best interest of the citizens of Texas. Our public schools funding are based upon property taxes. We have seen bad legislation which is already defunding public education by funneling public money into private school businesses. We do not need to further gut Texas public schools by eliminating property taxes earmarked for school systems. The only way this will work is if the lost revenue is made up with another tax on something, which has not been proposed.
What steps, if any, should the state take to prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence? Mandate AI building construction/additions adhere to strict laws concerning water and energy use so that these new data centers do not strip water and energy rights from established industries, ranches, environmentally-sensitive areas, farms, cities, and towns.
What, if anything, should the Texas Legislature do to ensure there’s an adequate supply of water and electricity in the state now and in the future? This is a state-wide issue and requires data on historic, current, and planned water and energy usage. All sectors of usage must be included so that we have the hard facts on how much of our limited resources are being used by whom, and for what. Texas agriculture is reliant on water, and the world is reliant on Texas ranch & farm products. We feed the world. We must start now on preserving our water. I support all forms of energy production, and welcome in particular those energy sources which are better suited for Texas’s abundant sunlight and wind.
What specific K-12 and higher education policies should state lawmakers prioritize in 2027? Texas underpays our educators and staff. The base rate paid to teachers and school system staff needs to be raised across the board – not just for a few people based on “merit” or “incentive.” We need to pay our educators and staff at least at the national level.
What role should the state play in immigration and border security? What, if any, specific policies would you support as a state lawmaker? I am for stronger border enforcement and increased number of legal entry points; coupled with adjustments to worker/student visa caps, and a focus on “priority” deportations — targeting those convicted of crimes.
What, if anything, should the Texas Legislature do in the way of hemp and marijuana policy? THC and marijuana need to be regulated and taxed the same as alcohol.
Julie Evans
Age (as of March 3): 58
Campaign website: www.julieevansfortx64.com/
Best way for voters to reach you: evans4hd64@gmail.com
Occupation: Retired teacher
Education: UNT, Texas A&M
Have you run for elected office before? No
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in HD-64:
Docent Shelby House, Denton County Medical Reserve Corp (21-present), Reading Buddy, Denton Stream Clean (2009-present), ReStore volunteer (2022-present), DentonISD Meal Service, Denton Great American Cleanup, Denton County Museum, Little Pantries, Denton County Democratic Party, Indivisible Denton, Moms Against Greg Abbott, ACLU, Moms Demand Action.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Ernest Lineberger, Kevin Williams, Phil Harrison
Why are you seeking this office? I am running for office because now is a time of action. We can’t afford for any of us to sit on the sidelines. Nothing short of our democracy is on the line. We see our friends and neighbors freedom and lives being ripped away, we see renters rights in Texas dwindling away to nothing, we need a hike in minimum wage commiserate to what the economy in each area will allow and what is needed. Healthcare coverage is at an all-time low-higher, unplayable premiums, closing facilities and less physician choices being offered. With a surge in development in Denton and Wise counties, we are seeing our water resources plummet. Couple this with AI manufacturing and a lot of urban development, we are running low on options. We need people in Austin who can connect with every citizen, who will listen to every voice and enact real change so we can make Texas shine again. Bring people BACK to Texas and BACK together.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
Learned Experiences. I am passionate about: education, cost of living, healthcare, and the rule of law. . I was born and raised in Texas, and am proud of my Texas roots and have firmly planted them in the Denton soil for over 30 years.
Education: I became a teacher and retired from DentonISD. Education is critical to our success as a family, state and country. Children should have free breakfast and lunch and learn on a full stomach. The voucher system must end.
Cost of living: Texas needs to raise its minimum wage commiserate to cost of living. People can’t afford grocereries, rent and insurance right now. Texans shouldn’t have to choose between them, and yet that’s exactly what’s happening.
Healthcare: We need to expand the ACA. Over as million people dropped their insurance when the enhanced premium tax credits ended. That marks the end of a four-year streak of high enrollment. This will impact rural and urban hospitals in a huge way.
How will you measure your success as a member of the Texas House? My success will be measured by how the lives of Texans are improved. If one more child eats a free breakfast, one less book is banned, one less citizen grabbed off the streets, one less renter losing their home and one more person enrolled in healthcare and getting affordable prescriptions, that’s the measure of success.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? I have the ability top bring people together and the logical mind to debate with others and come to a consensus. I am driven to make the lives of every Texan better, not just one side or the other. We CAN come together and make real change. We just have to have the drive, the enthusiasm and the willingness to put everything on the line for our neighbors. That person is me. I was made to make someone else’s life better.
As a state lawmaker, how would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship? There is no reason we can’t make changes for Texas while working in a bipartisan way. The climate, strong LEGAL border measures and a flourishing economy are things ALL sides agree would be best for us. We just have to realize it takes small steps. We talk, we give and take and we compromise. Just like we do in our everyday lives. I plan on bringing that logical, positive attitude with me to Austin and indeed everywhere I go. Every voice should be heard. It’s the only way to enact real, lasting change.
What is the biggest challenge facing HD-64? How would you address it if elected? We have a lot going on in our district. We have housing and urban development that is impacting the very water we rely on, rising food costs due to labor shortages, a shortage of actual affordable, LIVABLE housing, AI production growth that poses challenges for water shortage, a dissipating animal ecosystem, farmers facing food demand challenges, tariffs and illegal and dangerous DHS activity impacting our friends and families. We need to evaluate the housing need, raise the minimum wage, halt all ICE activity, reevaluate AI production factory water needs and reinvest in the Denton area education system.
What, if anything, should the Texas Legislature do to address costs of living when they meet in 2027? Eliminate tariffs, introduce price-gouging limitations, raise the minimum wage, institute renters’ protections, and create a Texas-based healthcare system.
Is eliminating school property taxes for homeowners achievable and something you’d support? Why or why not, and what plan do you propose to achieve their elimination or as an alternative? I am not in favor of eliminating school property tax. A strong education system is the foundation of a learned, compassionate society. You don’t get there by reducing funds to it. Even if you don’t have children, you benefit as a taxpayer and community member by having a smarter workforce around you, a mentally thriving group of people surrounding you and a society that is based on a moving-forward mentality.
What steps, if any, should the state take to prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence? We need to begin creating boundaries for ourselves online and in our lives. AI production creates jobs, but it is energy driven and takes a real, tangible toll on the community and environment. Workers must have protection in place in manufacturing and other jobs. We also value our privacy and the rise in AI surveillance and information gathering needs real guardrails.
What, if anything, should the Texas Legislature do to ensure there’s an adequate supply of water and electricity in the state now and in the future? Texas needs to take more advantage of solar and wind energy. Big oil billionaires reward politicians for restricting these alternative energy sources. We can lower the use of the electric grid by diverting to these alternatives. We have data centers and production plants using billions of gallons of water while our citizens haul water to their homes in trucks. That’s got to stop. We need to adopt widespread conservation methods such as grants to farmers for automated water delivery and precision sprinkler systems. Retrofitting for water conservation is a proven, cost-effective way to have as huge impact on water usage.
What specific K-12 and higher education policies should state lawmakers prioritize in 2027? Higher teacher pay, no vouchers, free breakfast and lunch for students are a priority. More research grants for colleges and more trade-based funding for after-high school learning opportunities. Expanding libraries and reading-based learning are a proven way to get students closer to graduating. Teachers need more support across the board-pay, mental health awareness and time off, support from administration and parents and better state-funded healthcare options.
What role should the state play in immigration and border security? What, if any, specific policies would you support as a state lawmaker? We need a strong border in Texas. But that should be done legally. We need a faster, better immigration path to citizenship, ICE off the streets of our towns and cities, and our money and Sheriffs department’s time and energy spent on our local policies, not the unpopular, illegal activities of a federal police force unchained and unaccountable.
What, if anything, should the Texas Legislature do in the way of hemp and marijuana policy? I agree that consumable hemp product sales should require a license and a 21-year old ID check to purchase. It’s a billions dollar industry that supports a lot of our small and rural towns and bigger cities. The revenue generated by legal marijuana sales could go a long way toward solving our infrastructure problems, school funding needs and city project expenses. It’s time to take advantage of that.