Democrat incumbent to face Republican state legislator, Arlington lawyer in Texas Senate District 10 race

Texas Senate District 10 is one of many closely watched races this upcoming primary election after lawmakers expanded its boundaries to include several rural counties.

District 10 used to include most of south Fort Worth up to the northeast part of Tarrant County with cities like Colleyville, Southlake and Bedford. Now it is a predominantly Republican district following the addition of several rural, mostly white counties to the south and west of Fort Worth. Johnson, Parker, Palo Pinto, Stephens, Shackelford, Callahan and Brown counties are now in the district.

The new map gives the Republican Party a chance to swing the seat back to red after current Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Burleson, won the seat in 2018 from Republican Konni Burton. Powell is seeking her second four-year term. Two Republicans want to flip the seat: state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, and Arlington lawyer Warren Norred.

A state senator’s term is usually four years. The Fort Worth Report profiled all three candidates and their priorities ahead of the election.

Beverly Powell

Sen. Beverly Powell, 70, was first elected to state Senate District 10 in 2018 and is seeking a second term in office.

“I believe that the state of Texas deserves to have leadership that moves us to a more compassionate, empathic place,” she said. “I have demonstrated with my leadership that I am a very calm, collaborative leader, willing to compromise and take action that moves the state of Texas forward.”

Powell served for 10 years as a Burleson ISD trustee, including two terms as board president. She also served 20 years as a trustee for Texas Wesleyan University. Currently, Powell is serving on the Senate Education Committee.

During her first legislative session, Powell advocated for school finance reform, higher teacher pay and improved Texas’ standardized testing.

“It’s clear that public education and higher education and workforce development through higher education is always first and in the front of my mind in terms of how we make Texas stronger,” she said.

Alongside education, Powell said, she wants to continue to focus on creating economic opportunities that bring companies to North Texas. Addressing high uninsured rates and aging infrastructure are also top of her list.

“The economic health that brings great companies to North Texas creates great jobs and a healthy culture that lifts families out of poverty and creates thriving economic stability in our region. That’s core in order for us to thrive as a state,” Powell said.

For more information about Powell’s campaign, visit www.beverlypowell.com or you can call her Texas Capitol office at 512-463-0110 or her district office at 817-820-0007.

Phil King

Rep. King, 65, currently represents House District 61, which includes Parker and Wise counties. King served 15 years as a police officer in Fort Worth before working as an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University and then serving as a Parker County justice of the peace.

King did not respond to the Report’s calls and emails requesting an interview.

King plans to focus on curbing federal government overreach, securing property rights and the border, and limiting access to abortion.

“As you know, whether it’s the border, immigration, inflation, high gas prices or vaccine mandates, the majority of Texas’ problems are generated by the federal government,” King wrote in a November press release.

If elected, King said he believes in protecting the Second Amendment as well as increasing local autonomy of independent school districts and opposing critical race theory, according to his website. Election integrity, opposing police defunding and supporting economic relations with Israel are also his key agenda items.

In a recent appearance in Brownwood, King said that only 14.5% of the Texas population lives west of Interstate 35. The newly drawn District 10 will help conservative values or rural Texas to be represented in the Texas Senate, according to a news story in the Brownwood News.

“It’s exciting for those of us who think about family values, limited government, strong law enforcement, and other conservative principles. I think it’s really important that we have someone in office representing us who not only understands what’s going on in Fort Worth, but understands the different things we face in small communities: our schools, transportation, business development, environmental issues, family orientation.”

King has received endorsements from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, former Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

For more information about King’s campaign, visit www.philking.com or you can email him at info@philking.com.

Warren Norred

Warren Norred, 58, is an attorney based in Arlington and the founder of Arlington Classics Academy. He began his career as an electrical engineer before getting his law degree at Texas A&M University Law School. He also served as a GOP precinct chair and a member of the State Republican Executive Committee.

Texas Democrats’ July trip to Washington, D.C., which included Powell, to block GOP voting legislation motivated him to run for the seat, Norred said.

“I said somebody needs to go after this (seat) and regain this seat for Republicans because (Powell)’s refusing to do her job,” he said.

Norred has received the endorsement of Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson, former Tarrant County Young Republicans President Derrick Wilson and former state Rep. Kent Grusendorf.

His platform focuses on maintaining a balanced budget, keeping property taxes low and curbing critical race theory in schools. Norred also wants to address election integrity and restore faith in the election system; reduce crime brought on by illegal immigration at the border; and reduce business regulation and governmental overreach.

“We have lost our way, and we’re acting like an elected monarchy instead of a republic,” Norred said.

For more information about Norred’s campaign, visit electnorred.com or you can email him at team@electnorred.com.

Fort Worth Report fellow Sandra Sadek may be reached at sandra.sadek@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.