Following redistricting in 2021, Texas House District 13 spans Bosque to Leon county, covering Hill, Limestone, Falls, and Freestone counties and the northeast portion of McLennan County.
The district is mostly rural in makeup, except for a small portion of Waco.
The redrawn district has been represented by Republican Angelia Orr from Itasca since 2023.
Orr did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.
Her voting record includes an initial vote of no to Governor Gregg Abbott’s School Choice, or Voucher, bill before switching during the special session to vote in support of vouchers. She also voted in support of repealing regulations on dairy farms upstream of Lake Waco. If passed, the bill could have had disastrous effects on McLennan County’s main water supply.
Orr’s votes on school vouchers inspired Meridian Democrat Albert Hunter to run.
A retired teacher and current substitute, he says public education is his main priority.
"I am an education person and so when the voucher scheme became a hot topic, I asked my rep ‘do we have someone that’s going to run to protect educators and public education," he says.
When he found out no one was running for the Democrat ticket, he decided to put his name in.
Hunter strongly opposes the idea of vouchers in Texas because he says the current allotment won’t cover the full cost of most private schools.
"We’re still not taking kids that may need something and putting them in another area, we’re still not accomplishing that goal," he says. "So they’re gonna be best served in public education that is well funded."
He says in rural communities, like most of District 13, the school system is often the center of the community. Because of this, Hunter says he wants to see an increase in funding for public education.
"If the school system fails, then the community fails. Because a lot of time it is the number one, number two employer and revenue source in that particular county," he says.
Hunter also says he wants to focus on protecting the Bosque River watershed from pollution from upstream dairies.
"We have to have in place regulations that’s going to ensure that the water flowing down the river is not contaminated," Hunter says.
This, he says, will help protect the water supply for Waco, Meridian and other parts of District 13.
Hunter also discussed his stance on abortion and a need for more cooperation between the state and federal government when it comes to immigration.
You can find his full interview above.
Early voting runs now until November 1. Election day is November 5.
