Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

State Representative, District 54

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

State of Texas
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Brad BuckleyBrad BuckleyRepublican Incumbent
Dawn RichardsonDawn RichardsonDemocratic
On ballot as
Brad Buckley
Dawn Richardson
Current role
State Representative, Texas House District 54 (since January 8, 2019; fourth term)
Retired educator
Background
  • Bachelor's degree, Texas A&M University (1989)
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University (1993)
  • Killeen ISD schools (per official biography)
  • Veterinarian, Killeen
  • Born and raised in rural Bell County (per official biography)
  • Lives in Salado
  • Bachelor's degree, LeMoyne College (1981)
  • Graduate degree, University of Phoenix (2010)
  • Born in New York, New York
  • Moved to Killeen "by way of the Army" (per campaign)
  • Two children, Killeen ISD graduates (per campaign)
Experience
  • Chairman, House Public Education Committee (per official biography)
  • Member, Natural Resources Committee (per official biography)
  • Author, House Bill 2 (2025, public school finance)
  • House sponsor, Senate Bill 2 (2025, education savings account program)
  • Won November 2024 general election over Dawn Richardson, 61.1% to 38.9%
Show all 7
  • Former Killeen ISD school board member
  • Past chair, Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce (per official biography)
  • Educator for 39 years, the last 27 in Texas (per campaign)
  • Taught 7th to 12th grade science and math (per campaign)
  • Coached basketball and cheerleading (per campaign)
  • Democratic nominee, this seat (2024); lost to Brad Buckley, 38.9% to 61.1%
  • Said in a 2024 Ballotpedia survey she was president of the Exchange Club of Killeen
Top priorities
  • "I will reduce your property taxes and bring down rates once and for all."
  • "I will increase our border security resources, including adding more law enforcement"
  • "I voted to stop no-cash bail for violent criminals and voted to end parole for rapists and murderers."
  • "stand up for Texas land owners to protect them from unfair eminent domain practices tied to transmission projects"
  • Told the Killeen Daily Herald the disabled veterans property tax exemption reimbursement is a "critical issue"
  • "I will continue to fight for money to fully fund our public schools up to the national average and beyond"
  • "We have no right to tell a woman what to do with her body."
  • "We need to expand Medicaid"
  • Says the 100% disabled veteran property tax exemption "needs to be fully funded by the state"
  • "We must do more now to protect this precious resource from corporate pollution" (on water supply)
Tidbits
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site: "I will increase our border security resources, including adding more law enforcement"
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: says he authored an education funding bill "providing $8.5 billion to improve our public schools and provide historic teacher pay raises"
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: "I will reduce your property taxes and bring down rates once and for all."
  • Abortion: Campaign site: "We have no right to tell a woman what to do with her body. That choice should be between her, her doctor, and her God."
  • Border and immigration: No public statement found
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "I will continue to fight for money to fully fund our public schools up to the national average and beyond"
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: says the 100% disabled veteran property tax exemption "needs to be fully funded by the state"
Endorsements
  • Texas Values Action
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas AFT
  • Bell County Texas Democratic Women
  • Blue Horizon Texas PAC
  • Beto O'Rourke, former United States Representative (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
buckleyfortexas.com
dawn4texas.org
Brad Buckley

Brad Buckley

Republican Incumbent
On ballot as
Brad Buckley
Current role
State Representative, Texas House District 54 (since January 8, 2019; fourth term)
Background
  • Bachelor's degree, Texas A&M University (1989)
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University (1993)
  • Killeen ISD schools (per official biography)
  • Veterinarian, Killeen
  • Born and raised in rural Bell County (per official biography)
  • Lives in Salado
Experience
  • Chairman, House Public Education Committee (per official biography)
  • Member, Natural Resources Committee (per official biography)
  • Author, House Bill 2 (2025, public school finance)
  • House sponsor, Senate Bill 2 (2025, education savings account program)
  • Won November 2024 general election over Dawn Richardson, 61.1% to 38.9%
Show all 7
  • Former Killeen ISD school board member
  • Past chair, Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce (per official biography)
Top priorities
  • "I will reduce your property taxes and bring down rates once and for all."
  • "I will increase our border security resources, including adding more law enforcement"
  • "I voted to stop no-cash bail for violent criminals and voted to end parole for rapists and murderers."
  • "stand up for Texas land owners to protect them from unfair eminent domain practices tied to transmission projects"
  • Told the Killeen Daily Herald the disabled veterans property tax exemption reimbursement is a "critical issue"
Tidbits
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site: "I will increase our border security resources, including adding more law enforcement"
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: says he authored an education funding bill "providing $8.5 billion to improve our public schools and provide historic teacher pay raises"
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: "I will reduce your property taxes and bring down rates once and for all."
Endorsements
  • Texas Values Action
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
Campaign website
buckleyfortexas.com
Dawn Richardson

Dawn Richardson

Democratic
On ballot as
Dawn Richardson
Current role
Retired educator
Background
  • Bachelor's degree, LeMoyne College (1981)
  • Graduate degree, University of Phoenix (2010)
  • Born in New York, New York
  • Moved to Killeen "by way of the Army" (per campaign)
  • Two children, Killeen ISD graduates (per campaign)
Experience
  • Educator for 39 years, the last 27 in Texas (per campaign)
  • Taught 7th to 12th grade science and math (per campaign)
  • Coached basketball and cheerleading (per campaign)
  • Democratic nominee, this seat (2024); lost to Brad Buckley, 38.9% to 61.1%
  • Said in a 2024 Ballotpedia survey she was president of the Exchange Club of Killeen
Top priorities
  • "I will continue to fight for money to fully fund our public schools up to the national average and beyond"
  • "We have no right to tell a woman what to do with her body."
  • "We need to expand Medicaid"
  • Says the 100% disabled veteran property tax exemption "needs to be fully funded by the state"
  • "We must do more now to protect this precious resource from corporate pollution" (on water supply)
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign site: "We have no right to tell a woman what to do with her body. That choice should be between her, her doctor, and her God."
  • Border and immigration: No public statement found
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "I will continue to fight for money to fully fund our public schools up to the national average and beyond"
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: says the 100% disabled veteran property tax exemption "needs to be fully funded by the state"
Endorsements
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas AFT
  • Bell County Texas Democratic Women
  • Blue Horizon Texas PAC
  • Beto O'Rourke, former United States Representative (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
dawn4texas.org

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