Cody Grace

Cody Grace wants to see more opportunities available for East Texas, leading him to pursue the Texas House of Representatives District 6 seat.

“I’ve seen our community grow, but it hasn’t grown in the way we expect,” Grace said. “I want to take those opportunities we could get in Austin and bring them back to East Texas.”

As the local business owner announced his campaign Thursday, Grace was surrounded by supporters who wore campaign T-shirts, raised red signs above their heads and excitedly cheered his name at the downtown Tyler square.

The younger generations are being left behind by their representatives, said Shirley McKellar, District 3 Councilmember for the City of Tyler. She said Grace is intrinsically integrated into the East Texas community at all generational levels.

“We need that person that can reach that generation and the generation above him. That’s where he has the knack of being able to relate so well to every person,” McKellar said.

Grace said he is dedicated to improving public education and teachers’ pay. Growing up in and raising his teenage daughter in public education, he’s seen the hard work and dedication teachers have for their students.

“They put their heart and soul into that job, and they’re just not getting the attention, respect, or pay they deserve,” he said.

Education, infrastructure and economic development are focal points of his campaign.

Grace was praised for his extensive knowledge of Smith County, intergenerational perspective and kindness. Supporters believe these characteristics make him an ideal candidate for the role.

“He’s our Smith County Wikipedia. He knows everything. He’s a very bright, intelligent young man,” Democratic County Chair Hector Garza said. “What I like about him the most is that he’s not doing it for the Democrats. He’s not doing it for the Republicans. He’s doing it for the constituents. He’s doing it for the citizens of Smith County.”

Constituents should vote for representatives whose values align most similarly with their own. Voters should take the time to research the candidates and examine the platforms they’re running on. Garza said people must stop looking solely at political party affiliation when voting.

“A lot of voters feel disenfranchised because there’s a lot of things that happened in the state legislature that don’t affect us here locally,” Grace said. “They don’t enhance our lives in any way. I want to ensure we can enhance our lives at the state level.”

Grace encourages constituents to participate in local elections to ensure they have a voice in Austin that will bring their issues to the forefront. For more information about his campaign, visit www.facebook.com/GraceForTexas.

Grace’s announcement comes after current House District 6 Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) recently announced he won’t be seeking re-election. Grace ran against Schaefer in the last election cycle, where Schaefer pulled out the win with 73.3% of the vote while Grace received 26.7%.

Local businessman Daniel Alders also recently announced he will run as a Republican with hopes to fill Schaefer’s role.

The elected representative will represent the region of Tyler, Whitehouse, Bullard, Arp, Chapel Hill, Noonday, Troup and surrounding areas.