Donate by Zell - chavezfortexas@gmail.com
.png)
Here is my plan to protect our water:
Stop the Drain: I will fight the permits that let these big companies take our water for their profit.
Listen to Local Experts: I will bring together and listen to our local landowners, farmers, and independent water scientists who see their water levels every day to get the real facts.
End the Loophole: The rich use an outdated law called the Rule of Capture to justify draining our wells. I will push for legislation to end this unfair rule and replace it with a law that protects local homeowners' wells first, making sure our water stays where it belongs: in East Texas.
Our water belongs to the people of East Texas. We must protect it, not sell it. Because, as the Indigenous Peoples' Water Declaration states, "We recognize and respect water as sacred and sustains all life."
"I'm Jeff Chavez, and I am running for the Texas House because I am ready to fight for a fair shot for every East Texas family.
As a Progressive Democrat, I stand in the tradition of great leaders like FDR, JFK, and MLK. I am taking a stand against the current political climate because I believe I am part of that dream and belief—a belief that America's promise must extend to all of us.
My family has been rooted in Texas since before statehood and in East Texas since the mid-60s. My heritage is defined by service: I am the son of a Vietnam Veteran, a USAF Captain, and the grandson of a WWII Merchant Marine, giving me a profound appreciation for duty.
I come to this race with real-world experience, not just political talking points. After earning my Bachelor of Arts degree from UT Dallas, I worked as an East Texas news reporter. That experience showed me the heartbreaking truth: it’s simply unfair how the poor and marginalized struggle compared to the well-connected and wealthy. I then spent three years as a public educator in our schools and saw firsthand how the voucher program is hurting public schools by diverting vital funding.
I want to be the voice against all discrimination—against race, sex, gender, the poor, and the marginalized. We have to fight together, ALL of us, to secure true economic equality and civil rights for every person in District 8. A better life isn't a privilege—it's the standard we must demand."
Media
-
EDUCATION
-
Stop Vouchers & Fund Public Schools: Reject all school voucher or "Education Savings Account" schemes that divert taxpayer money from Corsicana, Palestine, and Jacksonville ISDs.
-
Increase Teacher Pay and Retention: Push for significant state funding increases specifically for teacher salaries and robust rural teacher recruitment programs to address shortages in District 8.
-
Expand Career & Technical Education (CTE): Mandate and fully fund the expansion of CTE programs in high schools, partnering with Navarro College and local businesses to offer certifications in high-demand local trades and healthcare.
-
Universal Free School Meals: Champion state funding to ensure free breakfast and lunch for all students, regardless of income, to combat childhood hunger and improve learning outcomes.
-
Support Early Childhood Education: Increase funding for Pre-K and Head Start programs to ensure all East Texas children have a strong foundation before kindergarten.
-
Progressive Property Tax Priorities
-
Increase the Homestead Exemption: Support a further and permanent increase in the state-mandated school property tax homestead exemption to shield more of a home's value from taxation.
-
Targeted Senior/Disabled Relief: Expand property tax relief and freeze programs for homeowners aged 65+ and those with disabilities, ensuring they can stay in their homes.
-
Protect East Texas Water: Enact the strictest state limits on groundwater extraction and export to protect the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer and local property wells from outside commercial pumping interests.
-
Better Quality of Life
-
I believe dignity is a birthright, and that means using our tax dollars to empower families, not abandon them. We must reject the narrative that investing in childcare, paid maternity leave, housing, and workers' rights is "wasteful"—these are essential foundations for a strong society. I will fight to ensure our shared resources are used to uplift every Texan, regardless of race, identity, or income, because investing in our people is the most responsible choice we can make.
-
Expand Medicaid & Save Hospitals: Expand Medicaid to stabilize the budgets of local hospitals and clinics, ensuring that residents have access to affordable emergency and primary care.
-
Universal Rural Broadband: Fully fund infrastructure projects to bring reliable, high-speed fiber internet to every single household in District 8.
-
Invest in Local Infrastructure: Secure state funding for repairing and maintaining local roads, bridges, and county infrastructure critical for agriculture and commerce.
-
Protect Voting Rights: Fight against all forms of voter suppression, ensuring easy access to early voting and ballot boxes for all eligible voters, regardless of county or rural status.
-
Fair Housing Protections: Support strengthening state-level fair housing laws to prohibit discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status in rental and real estate transactions.
-
Equitable Economic Development: Mandate that state economic development funds flowing into District 8 are dispersed fairly to support businesses and job creation in all neighborhoods and communities, including minority-owned enterprises.
"I'm Jeff Chavez, and I am running for the Texas House because I am ready to fight for a fair shot for every East Texas family.
As a Progressive Democrat, I stand in the tradition of great leaders like FDR, JFK, and MLK. I am taking a stand against the current political climate because I believe I am part of that dream and belief—a belief that America's promise must extend to all of us.
My family has been rooted in Texas since before statehood and in East Texas since the mid-60s. My heritage is defined by service: I am the son of a Vietnam Veteran, a USAF Captain, and the grandson of a WWII Merchant Marine, giving me a profound appreciation for duty.
I come to this race with real-world experience, not just political talking points. After earning my Bachelor of Arts degree from UT Dallas, I worked as an East Texas news reporter. That experience showed me the heartbreaking truth: it’s simply unfair how the poor and marginalized struggle compared to the well-connected and wealthy. I then spent three years as a public educator in our schools and saw firsthand how the voucher program is hurting public schools by diverting vital funding.
I want to be the voice against all discrimination—against race, sex, gender, the poor, and the marginalized. We have to fight together, ALL of us, to secure true economic equality and civil rights for every person in District 8. A better life isn't a privilege—it's the standard we must demand."
Here is my plan to protect our water:
Stop the Drain: I will fight the permits that let these big companies take our water for their profit.
Listen to Local Experts: I will bring together and listen to our local landowners, farmers, and independent water scientists who see their water levels every day to get the real facts.
End the Loophole: The rich use an outdated law called the Rule of Capture to justify draining our wells. I will push for legislation to end this unfair rule and replace it with a law that protects local homeowners' wells first, making sure our water stays where it belongs: in East Texas.
Our water belongs to the people of East Texas. We must protect it, not sell it. Because, as the Indigenous Peoples' Water Declaration states, "We recognize and respect water as sacred and sustains all life."
-
My Platform
-
EDUCATION
-
Stop Vouchers & Fund Public Schools: Reject all school voucher or "Education Savings Account" schemes that divert taxpayer money from Corsicana, Palestine, and Jacksonville ISDs.
-
Increase Teacher Pay and Retention: Push for significant state funding increases specifically for teacher salaries and robust rural teacher recruitment programs to address shortages in District 8.
-
Expand Career & Technical Education (CTE): Mandate and fully fund the expansion of CTE programs in high schools, partnering with Navarro College and local businesses to offer certifications in high-demand local trades and healthcare.
-
Universal Free School Meals: Champion state funding to ensure free breakfast and lunch for all students, regardless of income, to combat childhood hunger and improve learning outcomes.
-
Support Early Childhood Education: Increase funding for Pre-K and Head Start programs to ensure all East Texas children have a strong foundation before kindergarten.
-
Progressive Property Tax Priorities
-
Increase the Homestead Exemption: Support a further and permanent increase in the state-mandated school property tax homestead exemption to shield more of a home's value from taxation.
-
Targeted Senior/Disabled Relief: Expand property tax relief and freeze programs for homeowners aged 65+ and those with disabilities, ensuring they can stay in their homes.
-
Protect East Texas Water: Enact the strictest state limits on groundwater extraction and export to protect the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer and local property wells from outside commercial pumping interests.
-
Better Quality of Life
-
I believe dignity is a birthright, and that means using our tax dollars to empower families, not abandon them. We must reject the narrative that investing in childcare, paid maternity leave, housing, and workers' rights is "wasteful"—these are essential foundations for a strong society. I will fight to ensure our shared resources are used to uplift every Texan, regardless of race, identity, or income, because investing in our people is the most responsible choice we can make.
-
Expand Medicaid & Save Hospitals: Expand Medicaid to stabilize the budgets of local hospitals and clinics, ensuring that residents have access to affordable emergency and primary care.
-
Universal Rural Broadband: Fully fund infrastructure projects to bring reliable, high-speed fiber internet to every single household in District 8.
-
Invest in Local Infrastructure: Secure state funding for repairing and maintaining local roads, bridges, and county infrastructure critical for agriculture and commerce.
-
Protect Voting Rights: Fight against all forms of voter suppression, ensuring easy access to early voting and ballot boxes for all eligible voters, regardless of county or rural status.
-
Fair Housing Protections: Support strengthening state-level fair housing laws to prohibit discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status in rental and real estate transactions.
-
Equitable Economic Development: Mandate that state economic development funds flowing into District 8 are dispersed fairly to support businesses and job creation in all neighborhoods and communities, including minority-owned enterprises.
REBECCA C. BERRY EXPERIENCED RESULTS DRIVEN LEADERSHIP
2035