In March, voters will hit the polls in March to decide their party’s nominees at the local, state and federal level for the November general election.
The Republican and Democratic primary elections are scheduled for March 3, 2026 with early voting set to start Tuesday, Feb. 17.
To win their party’s nomination, a candidate must earn more than 50% of votes in the race; if a race with three or more candidates doesn’t end with one candidate receiving more than half of the votes, a primary runoff election will be held between the top two vote recipients on May 26.
Find more voter information on the Denton County Elections Administration website at www.votedenton.gov.
On the ballot this year will be the State House District 64 seat, which covers the City of Denton, the Robson Ranch area, northwest Denton County and Wise County.
Two Republicans filed for the seat, including incumbent Andy Hopper, who was elected in 2022 after beating out then-incumbent Lynn Stucky in the primary and winning the general election.
Challenging Hopper will be Lisa McEntire, a realtor from Krum.
The Cross Timbers Gazette emailed questionnaires to candidates in selected contested primary elections. Their submissions are listed alphabetically below.
Texas House District 64 (REPUBLICAN)
Andy Hopper
Age: 48
City/Town of Residence: Decatur
Current Occupation: Software Engineer
Education: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Ohio University, Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of North Texas.
Public Service: I enlisted in the Texas State Guard in 2014 and am currently a Chief Warrant Officer 3 in a unit that has won three consecutive Best of Texas awards. I co-founded Wise County Conservatives and Trinity Conservative Coalition, successful grassroots Republican organizations. I served as the Senate District 12 Caucus Chair at the 2022 Republican Party of Texas State Convention and currently serve as Representative for Texas House District 64, elected in 2024.
What motivated you to run for this position and why are you the best choice? Conservatives need to hold the line in the Texas House. Last session, the nearly two dozen new conservative legislators that Republican voters sent to Austin stood together against the Austin uni-party. A record number of Republican legislative priorities (44) were passed because conservatives went to battle on the floor to demand results for Texans (only six were passed the session before). I was ranked the most conservative legislator of the Texas House in the 89th Session by Young Conservatives of Texas and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility because I fought against government expansion and to return surplus funds back to taxpayers. I fought on the floor to kill bad bills and to ensure that the swamp didn’t ruin good bills. You sent me to Austin to battle with the swamp and that’s exactly what I did, and because so many conservatives stood strong, we were able to make a huge difference in how the House operated this session.
Mission Statement: I will continue to fight to put Texas on a path to eliminate property taxes. Additionally, it is our duty to stand in defense against the Islamists who seek to establish caliphates across the West. I will continue to fight to reduce government and secure your liberty. Please see https://hopper4texas.com/platform/ for further elaboration.
Candidate website: https://hopper4texas.com/platform/
Candidate Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hopperfortexas
Lisa McEntire
Age: 58
City/Town of Residence: Krum
Current Occupation: Realtor
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas
Public Service: Economic Development Committee for Krum for four years, elected to Denton Central Appraisal District Board of Directors in 2024, only resigning because of filing to run for office, Krum Lion’s Club for five years.
What motivated you to run for this position and why are you the best choice? Property owners are struggling to make ends meet with soaring property taxes and insurance rates rising yearly. I have been a realtor for 17 years and I hear stories everyday of how people can not afford to stay in their homes. Insurance rates are going up drastically every year. Families are struggle to pay their bills. I understand values and the tax appraisal process and will work to lower costs to Texas residents.
Mission Statement: Property taxes continue to be an issue year after year. With the influx of people moving to Texas, the values continue to rise because of the need for housing. Property owners are burdened with not only rising taxes, but also insurance rates increasing. Water infrustructure and the future demand for water is critical for the future of our state.
Candidate website: LisaMcEntire.com
Candidate Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lisamcentirefortexas/
