Paul Dyson, who is running to be State representative for Texas House District 14, threw a campaign rally at Pebble Creek Country Club in College Station on Feb. 13. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who announced his endorsement for Dyson in December 2023, attended the event and gave a speech in support of Dyson.

In his speech, Abbott said the Dallas Independent School District has “a resource catalog for families in their district so that families can learn how students in the district can change their genders.” Abbott said school districts should be focused on essentials like reading and writing “so we can be a competitive state and nation against foreign nations that are educating kids to be superior to ours.”

Both Abbott and Dyson spoke in favor of school choice.

“I am supporting the rights, God-given rights, of all parents in the state of Texas to be able to choose an education pathway that is suitable for their child,” Abbott said.

“I think there is a comprehensive solution … which is to bolster and strengthen our public schools while also giving parents that choice,” Dyson said.

Dyson said the curriculum for public schools should not be set by school districts, but be set at the state level.

Abbott said the number one issue in District 14, Texas and the United States is “securing the border.”

Dyson said Abbott’s border policies are needed to secure the Southern border.

“What happens when the federal government or the administration who’s charged with doing it [national security] advocates their responsibility to do it?” Dyson said. “Then a state has to step in, and I think that’s what you’re seeing Governor Abbott do and what he’s led Texas to do to make sure we secure the Southern border.”

Dyson said he has plans to improve the local housing situation.

“When you’re talking about housing, the focus is about having attainable housing, and one of those things is the permanent property tax relief we’ve been talking about,” Dyson said. “It can also help push down lower rental rates too because if we lower the property taxes for landlords, the owners don’t have as much that they’re trying to make up on the rent side. So that would be the focus, I think, when it comes to housing.”

When asked about policies Dyson would like to see implemented in relation to the issue of homelessness in Bryan and College Station, he said, “There are charities, some great organizations in town that help to serve that community, but no policies that come to mind right now.”