AUSTIN (KXAN) – Voters who live in State House District 52 – which stretches from east Leander to Thrall in Williamson County – will have a new person representing them at the State Capitol next session. They’ll choose that representative in the Nov. 8 election.

How do I know if I’m in District 52?

The State House District 52 represents more than 201,500 residents in parts of Leander, south Georgetown, Taylor, Hutto and surrounding areas in Williamson County. To find out if your address falls into District 20, you can use this search tool.

Who’s on the ballot for District 52?

After redrawing the political maps in 2021, District 52 incumbent Rep. James Talarico decided to move out of the district. Talarico is running for the District 50 seat in Travis County. The District 52 race now pits Republican candidate Caroline Harris against Democratic candidate Luis Echegaray.

Harris touts herself as a Round Rock native and life-long Republican. According to her campaign website, she has seven years of experience working with the legislature, advised conservative State Senator Bryan Hughes on subjects such as border security, election integrity, and anti-abortion regulations such as the Heartbeat Act.

She is a strong supporter of conservative values and earned endorsements from Gov. Greg Abbott, Former Governor Rick Perry, Texas Right to Life and the Texas Home School Coalition. 

Democratic candidate Luis Echegaray will face Harris. The U.S Army veteran sets his focus on the improvement of VA benefits and the advancement of mental health care services, specifically for veterans and children.

In an interview discussing the priorities and goals of his campaign, the former educator also points to the lack of funding in education. “To be frank with you, the state really does need to step up and fully fund public education, go back to the 55-60% levels”.

Echegaray also shares his thoughts on local issues that, in his opinion, need to be addressed: “There are a lot of areas in District 52, specifically on the eastern side that need rural broadband for telehealth for education. And we really need to make that investment”.

Why is this election significant?

This will be the first election to take place since Texas lawmakers drew new maps for the state House and Senate districts in 2021. Voters are now faced with demographic shifts that might lead to a change in representation – residents might see a different incumbent in their district.

More importantly, voting in the midterm will be central to the further development of the state. All 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives are up for election. The outcome can change or maintain partisan breakdown in the lower chamber of the Texas State Legislature.

What changes were made to District 52 in 2021?

Previously, District 52 was made up of Round Rock, Hutto, Taylor and south Georgetown in Williamson County. Now, with the new district lines, District 52 consists of large parts of east Leander, south Georgetown, northeast Round Rock, Hutto, Taylor, Granger, Weir and surrounding areas.

When & where can I vote?

Early voting will begin on Oct. 24 and will end Nov. 5. Election Day is Nov. 8.