Republican primary runoffs: Who’s in a runoff for Matt Krause’s open Texas House seat?
Voters will pick between a former Southlake mayor and a former pastor with ties Mercy Culture Church in Fort Worth in the May runoff for an open North Texas House seat.
Texas Rep. Matt Krause isn’t seeking election, instead running for Tarrant County district attorney. Republicans Laura Hill, who served as mayor from 2015-2021, and Nate Schatzline, who was a pastor at The House Fort Worth, a church in Watauga, advanced into a runoff from a pool of three candidates. The winner will face Democrat KC Chowdhury, who ran unopposed, in the November general election.
Schatzline was the top vote-getter with 43% of votes to Hill’s 37%.
Hill would bring local government experience to the Texas Capitol, where local versus state control is often debated.
Hill said she’s heard local issues related to transportation and traffic brought up on the campaign trail, particularly in the northern parts of the district. The district includes parts of north Tarrant County. Voters also want to support police and have raised concerns about property taxes, because they want to be able to stay in the area, she said.
“They love their communities, but they’re getting taxed out of their homes, so they want to know what the plan is not so much for city taxes and county taxes but school district taxes,” Hill said.
On a state level, people raise concerns about the border and election integrity. She also noted that one of her priorities is “making sure that parents are invited back into the classroom.”
Issues of parents’ role in education and discussion of race, racism and sexuality in classrooms, often labeled as “critical race theory,” have become a rallying cry for many Republicans, though educators have said it’s not a problem in schools. In this month’s school board races, candidates across North Texas who were backed by conservative groups saw wins.
Hill was involved in this debate while serving as mayor of Southlake as the district considered a diversity plan for schools. Abbott boasted her stance on “critical race theory” in endorsing her for the House seat. Abbott described Hill as a “battle-tested conservative.”
But Schatzline pitches himself as the more conservative candidate in the race. He is recommended by the True Texas Project, which was recently named on Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of extremist groups as a general anti-government organization.
“I’m a true conservative,” he said, adding “I’m not a career politician.”
Schatzline, who has spoken at area school board meetings, has made opposition to “indoctrination in our schools” a key part of his campaign, as well as opposing access to gender affirming health care for transgender children. Schatzline also said property taxes are a major issue — he thinks they are unconstitutional — as well as border security.
Schatzline has also highlighted his faith, crediting Mercy Culture Church with getting him into the runoff. Schatzline is member of the Fort Worth megachurch, whose leadership is known to wade into politics. Mercy Culture’s pastors Landon Schott and Heather Schott have endorsed him in the race.
If elected, it would be impossible to legislate outside of his faith, Schatzline said.
“If you’re voting for me, let’s make it very clear: You’re voting for a Christian, conservative, husband and a father,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to legislate from. That my sense of morality and my truth comes from the word of God.”
