Daniel Alders

In the Texas House District 6 race, Republican Daniel Alders earned the seat over Democrat Cody Grace, both well-known in Tyler. Alders’ victory secures his spot in Austin for the 89th Texas Legislature starting in January.

Alders will replace Rep. Matt Schaefer, who announced in August 2023 that he would not be seeking reelection.

The Texas House has 150 members, each representing around 113,000 people for two-year terms. The Legislature meets every odd-numbered year to pass laws and address state issues. Bills go through committee review, public hearings, and multiple votes in both chambers before becoming law.

House District 6 encompasses 81% of Smith County, 100% of the cities of Arp, Emerald Bay, New Chapel Hill, Noonday, Tyler, and Whitehouse and a majority of Bullard and Troup.

In Smith County, Alders received 55,158 votes, or 72.36%, while Grace received 21,070 votes, or 27.64%, according to unofficial results with all 38 local polling places reporting. In the district, the Texas Tribune reported Alders with 72.4% of the vote and Grace with 27.6% of the vote with 78.59% of precincts reporting. 

Seventh-generation Texan and East Texas native Alders ran for state representative to advocate for life, liberty, and personal responsibility in Austin. Alders is president of Tyler-based Drake Management Services, a commercial property management company.