She holds a Master of Arts in Humanities and is near completion of a second Master of Arts in History. 

Heather is running to bring practical experience, common sense, and accountability back to state government.

Heather Wallace for Texas House District 88

Heather J. Wallace holds a Master of Arts in humanities.

Our students still compete against students from Dallas, Houston, Austin and across the nation for university admissions, scholarships, internships, and careers. Some face this same competition internationally. So when Texas passes restrictive laws like HB 3979, Senate Bill 3, HB 900 rural students are the ones who fall furthest behind.

As an AP World History teacher, speech and debate coach, and former Gifted Education Coordinator, I can tell you exactly what gifted and high-achieving students need to succeed at the university level:

They need analytical thinking.

Heather Wallace for Texas House District 88 — Content

Heather works as an Advanced Placement World History teacher and speech and debate coach. She previously served as a Gifted Education Coordinator.

2026 Texas General Election

As of July 22, 2026, Heather J. Wallace’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Economy

Public Safety

Healthcare

Education
I have spoken out before on the decline of our small, rural towns. I know and understand the fears and concerns felt by declining population. I know this because I have talked to constituents about their desire for generational links to continue. 
I know you want your children returning home to raise their children. Let’s start working on change a cracked system so they have more reason to do so. Let’s fix education so each community has a strong foundation for youth to return home post university or to stay and run local businesses while they raise our future generations. 
If we fail to invest in our children now rural Texas risks losing them permanently.

That is why I am deeply concerned about the direction Texas is moving with state-controlled reading policies, curriculum mandates and growing book restrictions in our schools.

Texas students deserve an education grounded in honesty, critical thinking, and academic freedom rather than fear, political pressure or censorship. Recent legislation in Texas, particularly Texas House Bill 3979 and Senate Bill 3, has created a chilling effect in both English and history classrooms by restricting how educators discuss race, inequality, historical injustice, gender and current events.

I trust parents to be involved in their children’s education. I support transparency and age-appropriate instruction. I support educators being trusted within their academic fields. Professional judgement matters. I do not support politicians micromanaging classroom libraries from Austin while rural schools struggle. As your representative, I will fight for public education that values literacy, critical thinking, local input and intellectual honesty. I will stand with teachers, parents and students against censorship driven by fear and political theater.

As your representative, I will fight for strong public schools, local teacher support, academic freedom and honest education grounded in evidence and professionalism rather than through partisan fear campaigns.

I trust our educators.
I trust our students.
And I trust the people of District 88 to recognize that real learning sometimes requires uncomfortable conversations because growth itself is uncomfortable. History is uncomfortable. Democracy is uncomfortable. But avoiding truth has never made a society stronger.

The American Historical Association itself warned that Texas curriculum restrictions could negatively affect Advanced Placement and dual-credit instruction because difficult historical discussions are foundational to college level coursework. What does this mean in rural Texas?

Many District 88 students already have fewer opportunities for advanced coursework simply because of district size and staffing limitations.

Some rural schools can only offer a handful of AP or dual-credit courses.
Some students depend heavily on school libraries because families cannot easily access large bookstores, university libraries, or extensive online resources.
Some students are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

Now imagine limiting the very books and discussions that prepare them for that next step. That is not protecting students. That is limiting them. I have taught gifted students who were desperate to discuss world philosophy, constitutional rights, historical injustice, ethics, revolution, religion, literature, propaganda and political systems. Those conversations are not dangerous. They are education. Difficult conversations improve critical thinking skills. They are not evidence of indoctrination. Universities expect students to already know how to engage with those ideas before arriving on campus. When we remove books, narrow curriculum, or discourage critical inquiry we are not making students stronger. We are making them less prepared. The reality is that our students will enter universities where they will encounter every kind of idea imaginable. If we fail to teach them how to think critically now, we fail them later. There is a difference between protecting children and limiting intellectual growth.

I will fight for academic rigor.
I will fight for AP and dual-credit opportunities.
I will fight for every gifted student in District 88 who dreams of attending university, entering leadership or changing the world beyond our county lines.

My stance offers a three part plank. As your representative I would advocate for change. I would advocate for our now, as well as our future.

First, Texas must increase dedicated rural gifted education funding.

Right now, many small districts stretch one teacher across multiple campuses or rely on limited pull-out programs that may only meet briefly each week. Research on rural Texas GT programs consistently identifies limited funding and staffing as major barriers to quality services. A stronger rural GT allotment should: provide incentives for districts under a certain enrollment size, help fund certified GT coordinators, support advanced curriculum materials, increase distant learning opportunities k-12 and expand access to enrichment opportunities beyond standardized testing.

First, Texas must increase dedicated rural gifted education funding.

Right now, many small districts stretch one teacher across multiple campuses or rely on limited pull-out programs that may only meet briefly each week. Research on rural Texas GT programs consistently identifies limited funding and staffing as major barriers to quality services. A stronger rural GT allotment should: provide incentives for districts under a certain enrollment size, help fund certified GT coordinators, support advanced curriculum materials, increase distant learning opportunities k-12 and expand access to enrichment opportunities beyond standardized testing.

Second, we need aggressive teacher recruitment and retention incentives specifically for rural GT and advanced academic educators.

Texas already requires teachers serving GT students to complete specialized training. Additionally, after the initial 30 credit hour of training educators are required to complete a 6 hour update annually. But our reality is many of our districts struggle to recruit teachers with AP certifications, GT training, debate coaching experience, advanced STEM backgrounds, or dual-credit qualifications. Based on my experience as a teacher, I believe Texas should offer student-loan forgiveness for rural advanced academic educators, housing stipends, salary supplements for GT-certified teachers, and state-funded continuing education partnerships through Education Service Centers and universities.

Second, we need aggressive teacher recruitment and retention incentives specifically for rural GT and advanced academic educators.

Texas already requires teachers serving GT students to complete specialized training. Additionally, after the initial 30 credit hour of training educators are required to complete a 6 hour update annually. But our reality is many of our districts struggle to recruit teachers with AP certifications, GT training, debate coaching experience, advanced STEM backgrounds, or dual-credit qualifications. Based on my experience as a teacher, I believe Texas should offer student-loan forgiveness for rural advanced academic educators, housing stipends, salary supplements for GT-certified teachers, and state-funded continuing education partnerships through Education Service Centers and universities.

Third, Texas must dramatically expand virtual and shared rural advanced coursework.

Many of our schools simply do not have enough students or staff to offer courses in critical areas, such as AP Physics, AP Calculus, advanced research seminars, specialized humanities electives, or advanced foreign languages. We should not limit students’ futures. Texas should create regional Panhandle academic consortiums where districts share: virtual AP classes, dual-credit instructors, debate and UIL academic coaching, mentorship programs, and university partnerships. We already know rural dual-enrollment partnerships can work when schools collaborate creatively with colleges and regional institutions.

Opposes state-controlled reading policies, curriculum mandates, and growing restrictions on books in schools.

Supports academic freedom, honest education, and professional discretion for educators while opposing political micromanagement of classroom libraries.

Plans to fight for Advanced Placement and dual-credit opportunities for District 88 students.

Proposes increased dedicated funding for gifted education in rural Texas.

Proposes recruitment and retention incentives for rural gifted and advanced academic educators.

Proposes expanded virtual and shared advanced coursework for rural Texas students.

- Opposes state-controlled reading policies, curriculum mandates, and growing restrictions on books in schools.
- Supports academic freedom, honest education, and professional discretion for educators while opposing political micromanagement of classroom libraries.
- Plans to fight for Advanced Placement and dual-credit opportunities for District 88 students.
- Proposes increased dedicated funding for gifted education in rural Texas.
- Proposes recruitment and retention incentives for rural gifted and advanced academic educators.
- Proposes expanded virtual and shared advanced coursework for rural Texas students.

Education

Beyond education, Heather is a strong advocate for individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, and local control. She supports protecting constitutional freedoms, strengthening infrastructure and water security in the Panhandle, and ensuring rural communities are not ignored by Austin insiders.

Supports strengthening Panhandle infrastructure and water security.

- Supports strengthening Panhandle infrastructure and water security.

Energy & the Environment

Voting & Elections

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Heather J. Wallace

- Proposes increased dedicated funding for gifted education in rural Texas.
- Proposes recruitment and retention incentives for rural gifted and advanced academic educators.
- Proposes expanded virtual and shared advanced coursework for rural Texas students.

Heather is an AP World History teacher. She works at a Texas public high school, where she has spent most of her career working directly with students and families. She previously worked as a speech and debate coach and as a Gifted Education Coordinator.

Supports student loan forgiveness for rural educators.

Supports providing incentives for districts under a certain enrollment size, helping fund certified GT coordinators, supporting advanced curriculum materials, increasing distant learning opportunities k-12 and expanding access to enrichment opportunities beyond standardized testing.

Supports individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, and local control.

Supports strong public schools, local teacher support, and academic freedom.

Promises to advocate for "academic rigor."

Supports advanced placement (AP) and dual-credit programs for students.

Supports transparency and age-appropriate instruction in schools.

Supports parental involvement in their children's education.

Opposes "politicians micromanaging classroom libraries from Austin while rural schools struggle."

Supports education policies that prioritize student learning, teacher support, and equitable access to quality education.

Supports teaching students to think critically.

Believes that "a student who reads broadly becomes more compassionate."

Believes that "a student trusted with truth becomes stronger not weaker."

Believes students should be taught in an environment that fosters curiosity, encourages reading, respects teachers, and prepares students to lead with wisdom.

Believes parents should have a strong voice in their children’s education, teachers deserve respect and support, and students should be prepared for life, work, and citizenship—not political agendas; however, she refuses to let her classroom become a political pawn.

Supports strengthening infrastructure and water security in the Panhandle.

Heather is an educator. She works as an AP World History teacher and speech and debate coach. She previously served as a Gifted Education Coordinator.

Heather J. Wallace's campaign for Texas State Representative, District 88 is her first entry into politics.

Holly Jeffreys secures Republican ballot spot for District 86

West Texas district GOP, Democratic results for house, senate seats

Texas House candidates | TCTA

Supports student-loan forgiveness for rural educators.

Believes curriculum restrictions hinder teachers from assigning challenging literature and advanced historical analysis, ultimately affecting college readiness.

Believes Texas curriculum restrictions could harm Advanced Placement and dual-credit education, as challenging historical topics are essential for college-level coursework.

Supports access to diverse literature in schools, and opposes book bans driven by fear and political pressure, not legal violations.

Opposes state-controlled reading policies, curriculum mandates, and book restrictions in schools.

Said, "I trust our educators. I trust our students. And I trust the people of District 88 to recognize that real learning sometimes requires uncomfortable conversations because growth itself is uncomfortable."

Supports transparency and age-appropriate instruction in education.

Heather is an AP World History teacher. She previously served as a Gifted Education Coordinator and a speech and debate coach.

Supports advanced placement (AP) and dual-credit opportunities for students.

Supports an education system free from "fear, political pressure, and censorship."

Opposes House Bill (HB) 900, which restricts certain books, saying it disproportionately targets literature on race, LGBTQ+ identities, women’s experiences, and social inequality, limiting students' exposure to diverse, meaningful literature that fosters empathy and critical skills.

Believes many educators fear professional consequences for leading honest classroom discussions, resulting in self-censorship and reduced classroom engagement.

Believes there is a difference between parental involvement and political censorship in education.

Supports allowing educators to teach history without censorship.

Supports student-loan forgiveness for rural advanced academic educators, housing stipends, salary supplements for gifted and talented-certified teachers, and state-funded continuing education partnerships through Education Service Centers and universities.

Believes parents should have a strong voice in their children’s education, teachers deserve respect and support, and students should be prepared for life, work, and citizenship—not political agendas.

Supports providing resources for gifted students in District 88 to pursue higher education and leadership opportunities.

Supports providing children with every opportunity to succeed.

Believes that "too often, people here feel like decisions are already made by the time anyone asks what we think."

Supports addressing the issue of rising property taxes.

Supports offering student-loan forgiveness for rural advanced academic educators, housing stipends, salary supplements for GT-certified teachers, and state-funded continuing education partnerships.

Supports a stronger rural GT allotment to address funding and staffing barriers in education, aiming to enhance services and opportunities for small districts.

Supports parental involvement in education, emphasizes respect for teachers, and aims to prepare students for life and citizenship without political agendas.

Fights for strong public schools, local teacher support, academic freedom, and evidence-based education.

Opposes micromanagement of classroom libraries by politicians and emphasizes the struggles of rural schools.

Plans to advocate for academic rigor, AP and dual-credit opportunities, and support for gifted students in District 88.

Supports an education grounded in honesty, critical thinking, and academic freedom, opposing fear, political pressure, and censorship.

Opposes restrictive policies and book challenges that limit students' exposure to literature involving race, LGBTQ+ identities, women's experiences, and social inequality.

Opposes self-censorship among educators and the removal of educational materials from classrooms due to fear of professional consequences.

Supports teaching difficult truths in history, including slavery and civil rights, to enhance civic literacy and global awareness among students.

Opposes restrictive policies and book challenges that limit students' exposure to diverse literature, which she believes is essential for building empathy and critical thinking skills.

Supports helping first-generation college students pursue higher education.

Supports the development of skills necessary for students pursuing higher education, scholarships, competitive careers, military academies, or advanced technical fields, including research, evidence analysis, complex reading, persuasive writing, and problem-solving.

Supports protecting constitutional freedoms, strengthening infrastructure and water security in the Panhandle, and ensuring rural communities are not overlooked.

Supports protecting constitutional freedoms and ensuring rural communities are not overlooked by government officials.

Buket Urgen

Mauricio Mendez

Ken King

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Texas House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Texas State Legislature
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. 
- There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, each representing a single district. Representatives must be at least 21 years old and reside in the state for at least two years before their election. 
- State representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years. There are no term limits. 
- State representatives make $7,200 annually in addition to a $221 payment per day during legislative sessions and mileage reimbursements.

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives.