State Representative, District 69 - Texas Ballot Compare

James B. Frank

Republican Incumbent

On ballot as: JAMES B. FRANK
Current role: State Representative, Texas House District 69 (first elected 2012; in office since 2013)
Background: Rider High School graduate
Degree in finance, Texas A&M University
Eleven-year career in banking
Bought a metal fabrication business with local investors in 2000 (per official biography)
Main business interests: three Wichita Falls manufacturers, Sharp Iron Manufacturing, Transland and Delta T (per official biography)
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Former president, Texas Conservative Coalition (per official biography)
Longtime resident of Wichita Falls
Experience: Chairman, House Human Services Committee (2019–2024) (per official biography)
Committees: Public Education and Public Health (per Texas Tribune's directory)
Chair, Public Health subcommittee on Disease Prevention and Women's and Children's Health (per official biography)
Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities: "To make healthcare and insurance affordable, we must bring transparency, competition, and engaged patients."
"We should continue to use state surplus dollars to reduce the burden of property taxes, which will put us on the path to eventually eliminate school property taxes."
"We must do better to ensure funding increases are passed on to teachers."
On water: "Will this increase water availability?"
Campaign site: plans to continue "to support programs that help strengthen families and reduce the number of unnecessary family separations"
Tidbits: Abortion: No public statement found
Border and immigration: No public statement found
Guns: No public statement found
Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "We must take measures that will empower parents to be more engaged in their child's education and academic success."
Property taxes: Campaign site: "We should continue to use state surplus dollars to reduce the burden of property taxes, which will put us on the path to eventually eliminate school property taxes."
Endorsements: Texas Home School Coalition
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) PAC
Texas Values Action
Texas Alliance for Life
TEXPAC (Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee)
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Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND
NFIB Texas PAC (primary)
TruckPAC (Texas Trucking Association) (primary)
Campaign website: votejamesfrank.com

Leilani Barnett

Democratic

On ballot as: LEILANI BARNETT
Current role: Teacher and writer (per Secretary of State filing)
Background: Bachelor's degree in journalism and English (per campaign)
Master's degrees in educational leadership and literature (per campaign)
Ph.D. in education in progress, last phase (per campaign)
Political writer and teacher, more than 31 years of experience (per campaign)
Worked with the National Children's Advocacy Center, training professionals in more than 22 cities (per campaign)
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Lives in Wichita Falls
Family's roots in the district go back to her great-great-grandparents (per campaign)
Member, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wichita Falls (per campaign)
Experience: Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities: "Without fully-funded public schools, we turn off the lights on the bright future of our children"
Campaign site: "State-supported measures must begin with modernizing our water infrastructure."
Campaign site: "We must stop giving billion-dollar tax breaks to corporations that don't reinvest in Texas families."
Campaign site: "Strengthening rural hospitals through targeted state funding, expanding Medicaid, and investing in telehealth infrastructure are critical steps."
Campaign site: affordable housing is "an issue that requires bold state action"
Tidbits: Abortion: No public statement found
Border and immigration: No public statement found
Guns: Campaign site backs "expanding background checks, closing loopholes that allow dangerous individuals to obtain firearms, and supporting red-flag laws"
Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "School vouchers fail that basic test of fairness."
Property taxes: Campaign site: "Lowering property taxes for primary homeowners-not corporations-and increasing support for renters would give families real breathing room."
Endorsements: Blue Horizon Texas PAC
National Democratic Redistricting Committee
Save Our Public Schools (listed by campaign)
Wichita, Archer, and Clay Counties Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
Mothers Against Greg Abbott (listed by campaign)
Campaign website: barnettfortexas.org