Ruth Torres

From Staff Reports

Eight Texas counties will showcase the 2024 Democratic candidates for county, state and federal positions at the Northeast Texas Democratic Rally from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Carroll Green Civic Center in Quitman.

Former ABC News sportscaster Dale Hansen will emcee the event featuring candidate speakers and a presentation from Voters of Tomorrow on Project 2025, a conservative movement.

Food and beverages are available for purchase from on-site food trucks and entertainment is provided by the band Paging Betty and jazz duo Steve “Catfish” Howard and Scott Buchlin.

Speakers include Madeline Gibson who is running for Wood County Precinct 3 Commissioner.

Gibson is a Navy veteran and has a degree in environmental science with a minor in construction science. Her career experience includes preparing documents for road and bridge widening as well as working with some of the founders of Google and prominent engineers and coders to provide wi-fi coverage for rural areas. Learn more about Gibson on gibsonforpct3.com.

Texas House Representative District 7 candidate Marlena Cooper serves Gregg, Harrison and Marion counties. Raised in East Texas, she is the president of High Heels to Hardhats/MP Construction and Development, a commissioners for the Longview Planning and Zoning Commission, the Minority Coalition for Economic Development treasurer, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Longview and a member of the Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary International Organization.

Priority issues for Cooper include women’s rights, rural healthcare and education. Learn much more about her accomplishments and goals on marlenafortexas.com.

Cody Grace is a candidate for Texas House Representative District 6 covering the southern half of Smith County. He is a Tyler-native and a small business owner with 20-plus years in information technology and a Microsoft Cloud Specialist.

Priority issues for Grace include healthcare, border security, safer and better schools and reducing crime and gun violence. Go to his website to learn more, gracefortexas.com.

Also appearing is Kristen Washington running for Texas House Representative District 2 for Hopkins, Hunt and Van Zandt counties. Washington is a 2005 Greenville High School graduate and most recently served her hometown as councilwoman for District 3.

Her top issues include appropriately funding education, investing in infrastructure and strategic use of taxpayer dollars to eliminate wasteful expenditures and lowering the tax burden on citizens while providing needed services. Find more information on KristenWashington.com.

Simon Cardell is running for U.S. House of Representatives, Texas District 4 which includes parts or all of Bowie, Collin, Delta, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Rains, Red River and Rockwall counties. Cardell graduated from Braswell High School in Little Elm, and attended the University of North Texas.

He is an advocate for safeguarding natural resources, protecting reproductive rights, community security, equitable education and prioritizing access to substance abuse resources and mental health services. Read more about his journey and causes on simon4texas.com.

Ruth Torres is running for U.S. House Representative, Texas District 5 which covers an eastern portion of Dallas County, and Henderson, Kaufman, Van Zandt, Wood counties and half of Upshur County. She earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Dallas College and Dallas Baptist University, a master’s degree in international management from Florida International University, as well as Senior Professional in Human Resources and mediation certifications. Torres left an executive regional role with a national organization to start a Human Resources Consulting firm in 2007.

For 25 years she has championed worker’s rights, and is a strategic, hands-on problem solver in the areas of border security and immigration reform, infrastructure and economy, gun violence prevention, national security and veterans, criminal justice reform, women’s rights, public education and healthcare. Find out more about Torres on truthincongress.com.truthincongress.com.

If you are not registered to vote, you will be able to register at this event so you can cast your vote in the 2024 election. The public is invited to attend and there is no entry fee. The civic center is located at 602 McAllister Street behind Governor Jim Hogg City Park off Highway 37 near downtown Quitman.

For more information on the rally, visit Facebook.com/WoodCountyDem or call 214-668-4907.