In a three-way Republican primary race to represent parts of Denton County, state Rep. Jared Patterson gets our recommendation.
Patterson is now a well-established legislator, and he’s attuned to the concerns of his constituents in a district that has become symbolic of the economic boom in North Texas and the growing pains that come with it.
Texas House District 106 in eastern Denton County includes parts of Frisco and Denton as well as Aubrey, Celina and Little Elm. It is still growing fast, and the infrastructure can barely keep up with this fast change.
Patterson led the Legislature’s efforts to hold Big Tech accountable in 2025. He championed a bill that would have prohibited children from creating social media accounts and required tech companies to verify the age of new users. This editorial page supported the effort.
Opinion
House Bill 186 passed with bipartisan support but stalled in the Senate. Patterson, 42, wants to bring this legislation back if he gets reelected. Political momentum may be on his side as evidence grows about the real harm that social media inflicts on children.
We have disagreed with Patterson over the years and found that some of his legislation sowed divisiveness. Still, his advocacy for children’s online safety is undeniable, and through this important cause, he has used his voice to unite people. As he puts it, this isn’t a red vs. blue bill.
While many candidates in the GOP are talking about getting rid of property taxes, Patterson took a more measured view and insisted on lowering taxes by looking at compression in school district tax rates as one approach to ease the tax burden.
Patterson voted against Senate Bill 840, a piece of legislation that this editorial page backed as an imperfect but necessary policy tool. The law allows residential construction in commercially zoned districts by right in large cities. Patterson told us that the legislation was not the right choice for cities like Frisco.
Another major issue in House District 106 is infrastructure. As massive construction work continues on U.S. Highway 380, Patterson, who serves on a committee on transportation funding, told us he wants to secure financing for farm-to-market roads that urgently need expansion.
Also running are Rick Abraham, a retired systems engineer, and Larry Brock, a retired Air Force officer who was convicted on charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Abraham, 57, also shares Patterson’s concerns with rising property taxes and other challenges in his district. However, he was thin on specific policy ideas.