State

State Representative, 97th District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state representative votes on Texas laws and the state budget in the Texas House of Representatives.

Tarrant County: Benbrook and White Settlement; most of Crowley; part of Fort Worth.

Candidates Compare by issue

Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin

Democratic

Retired teacher

The gist

Opposes vouchers and publicly funded charter school expansion.
Supports local school board control over the TEA.
Supports abortion rights.
Opposes dark-money PAC funding of campaigns.
Supports a living wage, child care and affordable housing.

More about Beth

View sources (2)

Opposes vouchers and publicly funded charter school expansion.
Issues — Beth McLaughlin for Texas House District 97
Campaign website · bethfor97.com
“Using tax dollars to create parallel systems … steals money meant to educate all kids to benefit a privileged few”
Supports local school board control over the TEA.
Issues — Beth McLaughlin for Texas House District 97
Campaign website · bethfor97.com
“controlled by their elected school boards, not a politically-driven TEA”
Supports abortion rights.
Issues — Beth McLaughlin for Texas House District 97
Campaign website · bethfor97.com
“No law should restrict what you choose to do with your own body.”
Opposes dark-money PAC funding of campaigns.
Beth McLaughlin for Texas House District 97
Campaign website · bethfor97.com
“She believes political campaigns should be funded by people, not dark money PACS.”
Supports a living wage, child care and affordable housing.
Issues — Beth McLaughlin for Texas House District 97
Campaign website · bethfor97.com
“support healthcare, childcare, a living wage, affordable housing”

John W. McQueeney

RepublicanIncumbent

State representative; business owner

The gist

Supports zero tolerance for homeless encampments in public spaces.
Supports increasing housing supply in Benbrook and Crowley.
Supports protecting local water and grid access from data centers.
Co-authored the 2025 school finance law.
Opposes tax exemptions that shift burdens onto homeowners.
Supports giving parents more say in where children learn.

More about John

View sources (1)

Supports zero tolerance for homeless encampments in public spaces.
Issues - John McQueeney for Texas
Campaign website · mcqueeneyfortexas.com
“John McQueeney will push for a zero-tolerance approach to encampments in public spaces”
Supports increasing housing supply in Benbrook and Crowley.
Issues - John McQueeney for Texas
Campaign website · mcqueeneyfortexas.com
“policies that increase housing supply in communities like Benbrook and Crowley”
Supports protecting local water and grid access from data centers.
Issues - John McQueeney for Texas
Campaign website · mcqueeneyfortexas.com
“ensures local communities retain access to water, relief from the noise and disruption, and a power grid that stays reliable”
Co-authored the 2025 school finance law.
Issues - John McQueeney for Texas
Campaign website · mcqueeneyfortexas.com
“John McQueeney coauthored the school finance bill that delivers more than $8 billion in new funding”
Opposes tax exemptions that shift burdens onto homeowners.
Issues - John McQueeney for Texas
Campaign website · mcqueeneyfortexas.com
“fight the exemptions and loopholes that shift the burden onto regular homeowners”
Supports giving parents more say in where children learn.
Issues - John McQueeney for Texas
Campaign website · mcqueeneyfortexas.com
“giving parents more say in where their kids learn”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 7 issues covered in this race.