Three Democrats are running for Texas House District 97 in the March 3 primary election that will decide who faces in November.
Democrats , and Diane Symons will face off in the primary. McLaughlin did not respond to the Fort Worth Report鈥檚 multiple requests for an interview.
McQueeney is running uncontested in the Republican Party.
encompasses White Settlement, Benbrook, most of Crowley and western and southern portions of Fort Worth. House members are elected for two-year terms.
McQueeney is seeking his second term. In 2024, he , who held the seat since 2013 before running for federal office.
The March primary marks a second attempt for both Ray and Symons to represent the Fort Worth area.
Ray, an Azle native, unsuccessfully challenged Republican Bill Zedler in 2018 in the , now represented by David Cook.
He said his background in education, property tax and finance 鈥� areas he plans to prioritize if elected 鈥� will best serve the residents of House District 97.
Critical of Gov. Greg Abbott鈥檚 proposal to , Ray is concerned the plan would have significant and negative impacts on schools, local governments and the housing market.
鈥淚 think it would be a great value to the community to provide some expertise and hopefully guide policy in a way that we can provide tax relief that鈥檚 fair and doesn鈥檛 create more problems,鈥� Ray said.
Ray, who owns a tax firm, holds 16 years working in property tax consulting and served on the Crowley ISD board for 10 years.
If elected, Ray plans to bring bipartisan solutions to the Texas Capitol.
Like Ray, Symons aims to reform property tax laws.
A self-employed photographer, Symons was raised in various parts of District 97. She for Texas House District 97 against Democratic candidate Carlos Walker by a slim margin in a May 2024 runoff.
She proposes specific demographics, such as low-income households and recipients of social security, be exempt from paying property taxes to create more affordable living.
She wants to prioritize funding higher education opportunities for students and increase minimum wage.
Critical of private school vouchers, Symons believes lawmakers need to introduce legislation 鈥渢hat gives everybody a fair chance.鈥�
鈥淚 want to make sure that when I鈥檓 faced with a vote, that y鈥檃ll get a poll because I want to see what y鈥檃ll want and not what I want,鈥� Symons said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really important, that people really let the people decide.鈥�
While McQueeney is not set to run against a Democrat until November he is already thinking about the work he hopes to see in the 2027 legislative session.
The legislator 鈥� a business owner and fast food franchisee 鈥� considers eliminating school property taxes realistic but eliminating property taxes as a whole unsustainable.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 eliminate property taxes without a means to provide,鈥� McQueeney said. 鈥淢y office will be doing everything we can to lead on that.鈥�
He wants Texas to become the most economically competitive state by not overregulating business and investing in workforce. Industries such as have been at the center of conversations between local and state officials regarding the state鈥檚 growth, economy and power demands.
Infrastructure is one of the biggest focuses for the Texas Committee on State Affairs, said McQueeney, who makes up one of its 15 members.
The public can expect lawmakers to continue identifying a balance between economic growth and responsibly managing the state鈥檚 power grid, McQueeney said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anybody better equipped in this district than myself to go down and continue to fight for that balance of pro-business policies as well as infrastructure investment and having an understanding of what that actually means,鈥� McQueeney added.
Aside from running his own business and franchises, McQueeney is a local business leader and remains closely tied to his alma mater, Texas Christian University, through board and committees.
Ahead of the November election, McQueeney reflected on the successes that came out of the 2025 legislative session, including investments in public education.
鈥淚t was important to me 鈥� to leadership that we were able to deliver on all fronts there. As we go into this (next) session, we鈥檙e going to need to make sure that we continue to double down on that,鈥� he said.
Early voting for the primary election runs until Feb. 27. Election Day is March 3.
Editor鈥檚 note: The story was updated 11 a.m. Feb. 24, 2026 to reflect three of the candidates鈥� campaign finance expenses and contributions since the date of the election filing.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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