Two Collin County Republican legislators who helped shape Texas’ conservative agenda are playing defense against challengers who say they didn’t go far enough.
At a packed forum last week at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, state Reps. Jeff Leach and Candy Noble faced opponents running to their right in races that test whether grassroots activists can topple well-funded incumbents in the March 3 primary.
Leach and Noble have both advanced marquee conservative priorities, Noble authoring the Ten Commandments bill for public schools and Leach carrying legislation barring the use of Shariah, Islamic law, in Texas courts.
But both have drawn backlash from factions of the party over property taxes, gambling votes and, in Leach’s case, his role in Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment.
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Texas Rep. Candy Noble, R-Lucas, speaks after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill she authored, House Bill 4211, during a press conference at Heritage Ranch Golf & Country Club in Fairview on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. Passed during the 89th Legislative Session, HB 4211 bans residential property developments like the former EPIC City project now called The Meadow.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Leach said he has spent years “taking the fight to the liberal progressives” in Austin and accused his opponent of attacking fellow Republicans instead of delivering conservative results.
Noble defended her record as aligned with GOP priorities, citing her support for expanding education savings accounts and continued efforts to lower property taxes.
Cal Jillson, a political scientist at SMU, said challengers typically run to the right because today’s GOP primary voters are a “MAGA electorate,” not a “business-friendly Republican electorate.”
Incumbents usually have the edge in name recognition and fundraising, but challengers argue “they’re more conservative because voters aren’t paying close attention,” Jillson said.
House District 67 (includes parts of Plano, Allen, McKinney, Melissa and other cities)
Leach, first elected in 2012, is being challenged by Matt Thorsen, a small business owner and former youth pastor who moved to Texas from Colorado.
Thorsen declared bankruptcy three times in the last 20 years, court records show. He was among the Collin County GOP precinct chairs who censured Leach last year for backing bills that the county party said conflicted with Republican values.
Both candidates said they would work to eliminate property taxes and expand the education savings account program.
Both denounced the project formerly called EPIC City, a planned Muslim-centric development in Collin and Hunt counties, and said they opposed the expansion of gambling. In 2023, Leach voted for a bill to authorize casinos and proposed a bill to legalize sports betting. The bills died in the House. Now, Leach said he has changed his mind on the issue, and has said that gambling exacerbates crime and human trafficking.
Matt Thorsen takes the stage during a candidate forum for Republicans in Collin County ahead of the March primary at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.
Anja Schlein / Special Contributor
The audience cheered and clapped when Thorsen slammed Leach for approving the House rules package that stopped Democrats from serving as committee chairs but left them with other powers.
“I’m definitely somebody that stands strong on our Republican platform,” Thorsen said, adding he “would never … side with the Democrats.”
Leach said his opponent was more focused on tearing down fellow Republicans than advancing conservative policy.
“He spent all his time this past year leading the charge in my district to have me kicked off the ballot,” Leach said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News editorial board.
House impeachment managers Reps. Jeff Leach (from left), R-Plano, Morgan Meyer, R-University Park, and David Spiller, R-Jacksboro, listen as ballots are counted as senators vote on articles of impeachment during day 10 of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial in the Senate Chamber at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. The Senate voted to acquit Paxton of 16 of 20 articles of impeachment after deliberating for about nine hours. Then they voted 19-11 to dismiss four remaining articles of impeachment that were related to ongoing securities fraud allegations.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Though it wasn’t explicitly discussed at the forum, Leach’s role as a manager in the 2023 impeachment trial of Paxton looms large in the race.
Thorsen has been endorsed by Michelle Smith, former Paxton adviser. On X, Thorsen has reposted others who characterized the impeachment trial as Leach wasting taxpayer money on “political theater.”
Leach has stood by his vote to impeach Paxton, telling The Dallas Morning News editorial board that he hoped Republican primary voters would back candidates who act ethically.
“Character and integrity matters,” Leach said.
Thorsen lags far behind in fundraising and must contend with Leach’s support from groups such as the National Rifle Association and Texas Values Action.
“It’s been a hard sell for a lot of challengers to convince voters that these incumbents are not sufficiently conservative,” Brandon Rottinghaus, University of Houston political scientist said.
Two Democrats are also running in House District 67, though Leach won the district with over 60% of the vote in 2024.
Jordan Wheatley, a public school teacher, and Emeka Eluka, a licensed civil engineer, both emphasize funding public education and lowering the cost of health care.
On his campaign website, Wheatley criticized Leach for supporting a “voucher scam” that funnels money away from neighborhood public schools. Eluka said he would increase the state’s share of education funding to support public schools without raising property taxes.
House District 89 (includes parts of Plano, Allen, Wylie, Murphy and other cities)
Noble, who has represented the district since 2019, faces two opponents — Freddie Lopez, who runs an electrical repair business and will appear on the ballot as “Freddie America,” and Jeff Forrester, a former Wylie City Council member.
At the forum, all three said they want to eliminate property taxes and oppose gambling expansion and the former EPIC City development, now called The Meadow, proposed near Josephine, which is in the district.
Freddie Lopez, who will appear as “Freddie America” on the ballot, is running in the Republican primary for House District 89.
Courtesy of Freddie Lopez
Noble said she would work to expand the voucherlike program recently rolled out in Texas schools. Forrester and America said they liked the program but were cautious on expanding it.
Democrat Angie Carraway is running unopposed in the primary.
While Noble holds the advantage in name recognition and fundraising, Forrester has been endorsed by Abraham George, chair of the Republican Party of Texas. George lost to Noble in the 2024 primary for House District 89 before later winning the state party chair post.
Jeff Forrester, former Wylie City Council member, is a candidate in the Republican primary for House District 89.
Courtesy of Jeff Forrester
Noble joined other Republicans in the Texas House in 2023 who voted to impeach Paxton, accused of misconduct, abuse of office, bribery and obstruction. The state Senate acquitted him.
In 2023, Noble and the four other Collin County lawmakers who voted to impeach Paxton said in a joint statement that it was an “incredibly difficult” decision, but there was sufficient evidence to impeach him.
Rottinghaus noted it was unusual for a state party chair to endorse in a primary, especially against an incumbent.
“It does speak to how the Republican Party is divided against itself,” he said.