SMITH COUNTY, Texas — Republican incumbent Cole Hefner has secured a third term for the District 5 seat in the Texas House of Representatives, beating Democratic challenger LaWyanda Prince.
District 5 encompasses a portion of Smith County, as well as all of Camp, Morris, Wood, Rains and Titus counties.
“Our freedoms are being attacked from every direction,” Hefner said on his website. “I look at the America I was raised in, compared to the America of today, and am fearful for my children's future. What will they be forced to endure? I want to be able to tell my children I did all I could to preserve your future.”
Endorsed by major groups like Texas Right to Life, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and Grassroots America, Hefner has run on a hardline conservative platform: anti-abortion, border security, low government spending and second-amendment rights.
Much of his career in this past term has reflected those values, with the majority of his legislation centering on pro-life and pro-Second Amendment laws. He’s authored 33 bills, including a recently passed bill that abolished the cap on how many teachers at a school could carry guns on campus.
Hefner is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
During his current term as District 5 representative, Hefner has served on several committees, including the Appropriations, Transportation and select Statewide Health Care Costs.
Hefner will be taking the seat during the next redistricting session when legislators are required to redraw education and congressional districts. But with the census date cut short this year, many experts have warned that a potential undercount could adversely affect redistricting.
Along with several other legislators, Hefner called for Texas to open quickly after it was shut down and advocated for the reopening of hair salons in April.
Hefner has also signed a Back the Blue pledge, vowing to discourage any plan to defund police departments.
“The time is now,” Hefner wrote on his campaign site. “We must stand for what is right and true. We must secure our freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms. We must end the brutal murders of the unborn. We must protect our rights for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”