Democrat Sam Eppler is running for the chance to challenge U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Irving, in Texas’ 24th Congressional District.
Eppler, the principal of North Lake Early College High School in Irving, was the first Democrat to announce a campaign after filing Dec. 5.
“There is no doubt I was given opportunities that kids in the wrong ZIP code were not,” Eppler said in a statement. “These opportunities need to be available to every kid and family… a good education in a safe school shouldn’t be political.”
The 27-year-old Eppler is the youngest principal working in Dallas ISD and recently earned a master’s degree in education from Southern Methodist University.
He will run against Democrat Francine Ly, a Dallas court coordinator who ran for state Senate District 12 in 2022. No other Republican announced intentions of running against Van Duyne.
The 24th Congressional District covers portions of 23 cities in northern Dallas and Tarrant Counties, including Fort Worth, Keller and Grapevine. In 2020, President Donald Trump won the district by 12 percentage points.
U.S. House members earn an annual salary of $174,000 and serve two-year terms. The primary election is March 5, and the general election is Nov. 5.
Matthew Sgroi is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org. 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.
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