Candidates clash as race heats up in state Senate District 30 ahead of November elections

Democrat Dale Frey And Republican Brent Hagenbuch will compete in November to fill the spot vacated by Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, who did not run for re-election for Texas Senate District 30.

Since before the primary, Hagenbuch has faced accusations that he lives outside the district, but he still managed to win the Republican nomination in the May primary against Jace Yarbrough.

Frey defeated Michael Braxton in the runoff for the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat.

District 30 covers 11 counties, including parts of Denton, Collin, Parker and Wichita counties, and all of Grayson and Cooke counties. In Denton County, that includes the northeastern and eastern portions of the county and most of the city of Denton.

In interviews with the Denton Record-Chronicle, Hagenbuch spoke about preserving conservative values, including building a border wall, while Frey spoke about progressive causes such as advocating for a better health care system.

Brent Hagenbuch

Hagenbuch is a U.S. Navy veteran who owns and operates a trucking company and was elected chairman of the Denton County Republican Party in 2021.

Candidate Carrie de Moor challenged Hagenbuch in the run-up to the primaries eligibility to run for the seat due to claims that he lives outside the district. A judge ruled against Hagenbuch's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, but allowed him to remain on the Republican primary ballot.

Hagenbuch said the lawsuit was a political tactic against him and that he has since focused on the election.

“They tried to go to court and lost,” Hagenbuch said. “I am a resident of District 30, am certainly eligible and intend to become the next senator for this district.”

Hagenbuch said Frey supports progressive and far-left Democratic values, while his own values ​​are traditionally conservative.

“I think my values ​​are much more aligned with the majority of people in District 30,” Hagenbuch said. “…I am pro-Christian, pro-family, pro-life, pro-guns, pro-free market.”

If elected, Hagenbuch said he would address the crisis at the Texas-Mexico border. He also said he has spoken with public safety officials concerned about fentanyl and human trafficking issues. He pointed to security concerns regarding violent gangs as a border problem, citing the reported increase in Venezuelan gang activity Aragua Train in North Texas.

“There are concerns about that in every province,” Hagenbuch said.

Voters have also told him they are concerned about the economy.

“People are having trouble making ends meet these days,” says Hagenbuch. “I think it's because of — I know it's because of — Biden's inflation.”

He said he would advocate for school choice and address rapid growth in District 30 counties, as well as address infrastructure issues to keep up with growth.

Hagenbuch said he is motivated to keep the county red and inspired by former President Donald Trump, who endorsed him, to preserve the area's traditional values.

“I think Texas is what America used to be, and I want to keep it that way,” Hagenbuch said. “…I was very motivated by a businessman like Trump, who can cut through all the bureaucracy and everything and actually bring our country back to its original values.”

Dale Frey

Frey said he is surprised Hagenbuch has gotten this far into the election with the allegations about his residency.

“Hagenbuch lives in a nice, beautiful lake house in Senate District 12,” Frey said. “…He rented an apartment – ​​a run-down, cheap apartment – ​​in Senate District 30, and he claimed to live there.”

Frey claimed that there would have been a replacement if Hagenbuch had been disqualified earlier. However, Frey told the Record-Chronicle that his attorney advised him to focus on the election now and then and on a possible post-election lawsuit.

“Should he win the general election, the seat would simply remain vacant in this case,” Frey said. “That's why we haven't quite pulled the trigger yet.”

Frey graduated from George Mason University and has worked with several government agencies, including the General Services Administration, the US Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

He is currently involved in web development and supporting scientists and technical writers reporting on climate change and its effects on the environment, agriculture and the economy.

Frey moved to Denton County with his wife several years ago to be closer to her family. He said his father-in-law's cancer diagnosis made him realize that Texas' health care system is flawed.

That inspired him to run for office, he said, advocating for a better health care system. Since then, he said, he has spoken to several people who have suffered because of Texas' failure to expand Medicaid.

“I really want to try to do what I can to fix the broken health care system here,” Frey said.

Frey also wants to support public school funding and, if elected, will advocate for better pay and pension funds for teachers. Frey said he will also focus on blocking or eliminating education savings accounts, also known as vouchers, because they could take away funding for public education.

Frey also said he will advocate for better road and water infrastructure, with a specific focus on issues in Wichita Falls.

About one decade agoWichita Falls was in danger of running out of water. Although the water did not run out, the construction of a new lake, Ringgold Lake, is an ongoing problem.

Ringgold Lake is a 15,000-acre reservoir that Wichita Falls city leaders want to build in Clay County, about 30 miles east of the city. City leaders say a new reservoir will ensure Wichita Falls doesn't run out of water during droughts. Opponents say it would flood permanently thousand hectaresand a court case was filed in August to halt construction of the lake.

Frey said the area should create a water recycling system, which he said will cost more but will address the problem of water scarcity. He believes other areas within the provinces would benefit from water recycling.

“We can fix our broken roads – we pay for the infrastructure today, upgrade our water infrastructure, which is also desperately needed, and if they really wanted a school choice program, they can fund it with our huge surplus,” Frey said. “But that is not what is being proposed. Instead, the voucher program specifically takes money away from a public education system.”

Early voting for the November 5 general election runs from Monday, October 21 through November 1.