WOODVILLE — Paulette Carson, who is running in the Republican primary to represent Texas House District 9, will appear at a town hall meeting on Monday, Nov. 10, at the Emporium Stage in downtown Woodville.
Carson’s town hall event will last from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and is being hosted by the Concerned Citizens of Tyler County (CCTC). According to the event’s organizers, the town hall is a free event and open to the public in order to give residents the opportunity to meet Carson, who will be ready to discuss key issues important to Tyler County residents.
Carson announced her bid in June to fill the spot in the Legislature that Trent Ashby currently occupies. She announced prior to Ashby’s own announcement that he planned to run for the Senate seat, which Robert Nichols, who is retiring, has held for several terms. Carson had previously ran against Ashby in 2024.
For the coming 2026 Republican primary, Carson is facing opponent Rocky Thigpen, of Lufkin, and there are no announced Democratic candidates for that party’s primary.
Carson is a rancher, businesswoman and community advocate, who, with her husband, Charlie, has operated a heavy equipment sales and refurbishing business for more than 30 years, as well as raising cattle.
House District 9 encompasses Tyler, Trinity, Angelina, Houston, Polk and San Augustine counties. Throughout her record of political involvement, Carson has served as the vice chair of the Trinity County Republican Party and as a state delegate for the GOP. She has also served as the founder of Voices 4 Special Needs – East Texas, which is a non-profit devoted to serving families of children with special needs.
“Texas isn’t just where I live—it’s my home, my heritage, and my responsibility to protect,” Carson said. “I’m running to ensure the voices of East Texans are heard loud and clear in Austin.”
The event host, CCTC, according to organizer Sal Baldovinos, is a platform to help educate and inform the community, so that they can make informed decisions, and hosting a candidate forum is in line with that mission.
The party primaries in Texas for 2026 have a March 3 election day, with May 26 designated for run-offs. The general election is on Nov. 3, 2026.
