Dawn Richardson For House District 54
The Blue Battle 2024: Inside the Democratic races.
Can you believe early voting starts in only nine days? For a long time, it felt like the election would never happen, but now it’s right around the corner. Bell County is one county that has seen a low voter turnout over the last several years. However, with a strong turnout, they could quickly flip. Republicans know this. That’s why they gerrymandered the House districts in this into a doughnut.
House District 54 is on the outside of the doughnut. Bell County is a majority-minority county with a 57% non-Anglo population. This year, Democrats could flip both these seats if they showed up. Let’s get into it.
Who is Dawn Richardson?
Dawn Richardson is more than just a political candidate—she’s a community advocate and a passionate defender of public education with roots in Killeen. After moving to the area with her retired Army veteran husband, Dawn became a dedicated member of her community, raising two daughters who graduated from Killeen ISD. With 39 years of experience as an educator, 27 of which were spent in Texas, she’s seen firsthand the challenges and successes of the state’s school system. But for Dawn, education isn’t just part of her platform—it’s part of her life’s work.
Her decision to run for Texas House District 54 came from the frustration of watching public education constantly attacked. When local leaders in Bell County discussed the qualities needed in a candidate, Dawn’s name came up for a reason. Her experiences in the classroom, witnessing firsthand the impacts of budget cuts and misguided policies like vouchers, fuel her fight for fully funding public education. She’s also deeply committed to women’s rights and veterans’ benefits, knowing how critical these issues are for her district.
Who is she running against?
Representative Brad Buckley is the House architect of vouchers. As the Chair of the Education Committee, he has pushed vouchers multiple times in the regular and special sessions. There are many reasons to vote against Brad Buckley, vouchers being a big one, but my biggest gripe with him is how he uses his position of power to harm the people in his community.
Remember how Bell County is a majority-minority county? Here are some of the direct votes Buckley made to hurt his neighbors and constituents:
In 2021, Buckley was a co-sponsor of the bill that punished cities for using police department money to fund mental health or community initiatives. The reason this is especially problematic for Bell County, a county that still houses a Confederate statue on the lawn of the Halls of Justice, is because Bell County has had a lot of issues over the years with police violence. So, if Bell County takes steps to address mental health in place of policing, then the state will punish them. It was an incredibly racist bill aimed at keeping a system of police violence in place.
Buckley voted in favor of the trigger bill, which altogether banned abortions in Texas, once Roe v. Wade was overturned. This harmed all women in Texas, but Black women were disproportionately hurt. As a result of this ban, 134.4 Black women out of 10,000 pregnancies will die during pregnancy or birth, which is nearly double the rate of white women. Black women in Texas have the same risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth that they do in Zambia, a developing country.
Representative Buckley voted in favor of the bill that banned the GOP’s interpretation of Critical Race Theory. Republicans will often use a Lee Atwater way of explaining how their CRT ban isn’t racist. Still, the idea of the bill is to whitewash history and shield the next generation from learning about the atrocities of American colonization and imperialism. It’s the Lost Cause 2.0.
He also voted to ban Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion in Texas colleges, which was by far the most racist bill to come out of the 88th Legislature.
It’s just the tip of the iceberg: since Buckley was first elected in 2018, his votes have always aligned with the bills that harm communities of color the most. From enabling pollution and cancer clusters to targeting the voting rights of voters of color, you would never know that Buckley lived alongside 80,000 Black and 90,000 Hispanic people in his community. But maybe we should expect as much from a white Republican who could only get elected through gerrymandering in a county that says to the majority of their population that as long as there’s an ode to white supremacy on the Courthouse lawn, there will be no equal justice.
Plus, Brad Buckley (along with Senator Brandon Creighton) was the architect of school vouchers in the 88th Legislature. Buckley has such a hard-on for stripping money away from public schools and funneling it into the pockets of the wealthy that he unconstitutionally tried to push a voucher bill through without a committee hearing or public testimony—and was shut down by fellow Republicans.
In fact, this exchange ⬆️ is what prompted Governor Abbott to give $700,000 to Ernest Bailes’ primary contender, Janis Holt, in exchange for a “yes” vote on vouchers. Buckley’s lack of integrity cost other Republicans their seat.
Despite Buckley’s district being 59% non-Anglo and having a poverty rate higher than the state average, Buckley lives in a million-dollar mansion in the small village of Salado, which is 84% white. He doesn’t know or interact with his constituents. He never has. He just relies on them not to vote and keep him in power.
What about this district?
When Republicans redrew this district in 2021, they only gave themselves a +6.9 advantage. This shows that with a strong turnout, this district can be flipped.
Buckley did have a Democratic challenger in 2022. Still, the voter turnout for HD54 that year was only 29.17%, so it’s difficult to draw any conclusion from that midterm election other than Democrats largely stayed home.
The path to flipping House District 54 is clear, and it boils down to one thing: turnout. This race is winnable if Democrats show up. Republicans have a slim advantage of just +6.9%. That gap can be overcome, especially in a general election where critical issues like public education, healthcare, and reproductive rights are on the line.
Bell County is on the verge of becoming one of Texas’ next battlegrounds. With a large military population, a significant percentage of low-income families, and a majority-minority demographic, the district has the kind of diversity and economic challenges that favor Democratic policies. When you look at the facts—a district facing cuts to public education, a majority of students on free or reduced lunch, and local healthcare struggles—it’s clear that the policies from representatives like Buckley aren’t in line with the community’s needs.
Voter turnout in 2022 was dismal, but that was a midterm election year, and many Democrats didn’t show up. With the energy surrounding the defense of public schools and reproductive rights, especially after the state’s extreme stance on both, voters in HD54 have a real chance to push back against the Republican agenda that has harmed their district for years.
If we want a government that reflects the needs and values of the people in this district, we have to show up.
Dawn Richardson is ready to fight for our public schools, our healthcare, and our rights. It’s up to us to support candidates like her who understand the real issues facing Bell County. The time for apathy is over. It’s time for action. Early voting is around the corner, and the opportunity to flip this district is in our hands. Let’s not waste it.
Vote early, vote often, just vote.
You can learn more about Dawn Richardson on her website and Facebook.
The Blue Battle 2024 is my series covering races in the Texas Legislature (in no particular order). This series will highlight Democratic candidates once or twice a week leading to the November election. If you missed the previous installments:
October 7: Last day to register to vote.
October 21: First day to early vote.
October 25: Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot.
November 1: Last day to early vote.
November 5: Election day!
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