TYLER, Texas — In the race for a seat in the Texas House District 6, Daniel Alders and Cody Grace are both East Texans looking to represent you.
Daniel Alders is the former East Texas Liaison Director of Ted Cruz, and Cody Grace ran for the same seat in 2022.
"Continued engagement in the community here in Tyler, and I think it'll be just the next step and an opportunity to take what we have here in East Texas and make sure that the rest of the state understands this is what's important to East Texans," Daniel Alders said.
District six serves most of the Smith County population. In a republican stronghold area, democratic nominee Cody Grace saw an opportunity to make a difference in his hometown.
"It's an open seat, and I decided that we were going to do it. We're going to do it now and make the best go of it that we could," Cody Grace said.
If elected, republican nominee Daniel Alders says some main priorities is making the most of the states $320 billion dollar bi-annual budget, making sure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively, efficiently and accountably.
"We're going to have to focus prioritize dollars on making sure that our border is closed, making sure that we've got the resources down there to motivate folks to come here legally, not come here illegally," Alders said.
Democratic nominee Cody Grace’s focus is on making sure East Texans voices are heard in protecting healthcare and housing costs.
"This is a state that has one of the strictest abortion access laws in the entire country, and I think those need to be loosened up. There are no restrictions and there's no exceptions for rape or incest," Grace said.
Grace also spoke about building wealth for Texas families.
"At the end of the day, East Texans want to earn a living. They want to keep most about most of what they make, and they want to build something that they can pass on to the next generation they can pass their kids and their grandkids," Alders said.
Grace has a background in technology, being the president of Waypoint Digital Networks. He says when he ran in 2022, he wanted to see more tech usage in Government.
" AI is a disruptive technology. It's going to change industry. It's already changing industry, and I want to make sure that government stays at the forefront of that so that we can make sure that we're putting the guardrails in effectively," Grace said.
On the other hand, Alders says the formula for success in the state capital is making sure the government is limited, and allowing private citizens and businesses have room for success.
"We know our community is great. We know what we believe here in East Texas, here in House District Six, and it's just important that we defend we promote the values that we hold dear here in East Texas," Alders said.