Texas House District 9 2026

Compare candidates running in this Texas federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Shelley Tatum

Party: Democrat

Rocky Thigpen

Party: Republican

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Texas House District 9

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
📊Polling
No public polling data available for this state legislative race.

This is a heavily Republican-leaning rural East Texas district (Angelina, Houston, Polk, San Augustine, Trinity, Tyler counties). The district has been held by Republicans since at least 2013. While Democrats fielded a candidate, the Republican nominee is heavily favored in the general election.

Shelley TatumD
Rocky ThigpenR

Summary

Shelley Tatum is a Democrat running in a heavily Republican rural East Texas district. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Tatum has relocated to rural East Texas and emphasizes her commitment to local stewardship and bringing voices from rural communities into state decision-making. She articulated her campaign around three core issues: water crisis prevention, education funding equity, and transparent government.

Rocky Thigpen is a lifelong East Texas resident born and raised in Lufkin. He is a retired Texas Department of Public Safety sergeant who spent decades patrolling all six counties of House District 9 before retiring in 2018. In addition to his law enforcement career, he serves as Vice President of the Texas Division of Overseas Hardwoods Company. Thigpen has been active in local civic affairs, including service on the Angelina County Commissioners Court (Precinct 1), and has held positions with the Planning and Zoning Board, the Board of Crime Stoppers of Lufkin, the Airport Advisory Board, and the State Bar of Texas District 2B Grievance Committee.

View Shelley Tatum's Full Profile →View Rocky Thigpen's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

Environment
  • Address the looming water crisis through proactive legislation
Education
  • Increase public school funding and reduce property taxes through education investment
Other
  • Ensure informed choice in government with transparency
Economy
  • Cut property taxes and provide tax relief
Other
  • Support rural infrastructure development
  • Support congressional term limits
  • Resist 'woke ideology' and protect Christian values
Environment
  • Protect East Texas water resources
Justice
  • Combat rising crime and support law enforcement

Key Issue Positions

Water Crisis
Immediate state action needed to prevent water shortage
Tatum views the water crisis as urgent and past-time for proactive legislation. She opposes allowing private water extraction for profit and calls for state laws ensuring all Texans, farms, ranches, and businesses have water needs met.
Education Funding
Increase state per-pupil funding to improve equity and enable local property tax relief
Tatum advocates for raising the basic per-pupil allotment, which has stagnated since 2019, to support rural school districts and allow them to decrease property taxes without losing resources. She emphasizes that public school investment is critical for community futures.
Local Decision-Making
Decisions should reflect community input and impact communities
Tatum states that decisions are increasingly made far from the communities they impact and often driven by money. She advocates for bringing local common sense and accountability back to state government, particularly for rural districts.
Preparing for Changing Future
Prioritize adaptable education preparing students for unknowable future
Tatum emphasizes the need for quality education that prepares students to evaluate information, draw conclusions, solve problems, and work with diverse people—core skills for an uncertain future.
Property Taxes
Strongly supports reducing property taxes
Thigpen emphasizes property tax relief as a core campaign priority and criticizes government spending growth.
Water Rights
Protect East Texas water from external extraction
Thigpen prioritizes securing East Texas water resources and preventing private interests from extracting groundwater to sell to urban areas.
Immigration
Address 'illegal migration' and secure the border
Thigpen lists addressing 'the aftermath of Biden's rampant permission of illegal migration' as a top priority.
Education
Improve student outcomes while protecting rural schools
Thigpen lists 'improving proficiency for our children in our schools' as a priority while fighting for rural school funding.

Top Donors

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

What Opponents Say

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

Endorsements

No endorsements listed.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC (TLRPAC)organization