TYLER, Texas — After Pct. 1 Smith County Commissioner Neal Franklin announced he would run for Smith County judge, two candidates will vie for his unexpired term.
Bullard Mayor Pam Frederick and former Tyler ISD board President Fritz Hager have filed as Republicans in the March primary. There is no Democratic challenger.
Pct. 1 covers southwest Smith County.
Pam Frederick
“I know what I can bring to the table in the way of experience is what my county needs to continue moving forward in a positive way,” Frederick said.
Frederick has served as Bullard mayor for 12 years, was on the Bullard City Council for eight years and taught in East Texas schools for 29 years. She added that her governmental experience and relationships built through her service would be instrumental to the court.
“My resume rests in leadership of one of the fastest growing cities in the region,” she said.
Fritz Hager
“I’ve led in different environments, which gives me the ability to relate to people, to listen well and to lead well regardless of what comes at us,” Hager said.
Hager is the executive pastor of Bethel Bible Church and is former Tyler ISD school board president. He also is a Desert Storm combat veteran and has run companies with large budgets, he said.
The county is at a critical point with a lot of growth, Hager said. Downtown Tyler is growing, a new medical school is on the horizon and a new courthouse is planned.
Read more from our newspaper partners, the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
