Meet The Candidates: Michael Myers For Texas State House District 10
The long game in Ellis County.
This series is called Meet The Candidates. Over the next seven months, I’ll spotlight a handful of Democratic races each month, mainly in the Legislature and in Congress. These aren’t endorsements. They’re introductions, a way to understand who’s running, the districts they hope to represent, and what’s at stake for people across Texas.
Who is Michael Myers?
Michael Myers spent more than three decades working inside the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, running operations where accountability actually mattered. As Chief of Loss Prevention across the Pacific, he oversaw investigations into everything from fraud and internal theft to contract abuse and workers’ compensation scams. Real oversight, real consequences, and a career built on making sure systems don’t get gamed.
Later, he moved into broader leadership roles, including overseeing safety and environmental standards for tens of thousands of employees worldwide. Since retiring, he’s stayed rooted in local service. Disaster relief work, city council, school advisory committees, Myers is someone who’s been involved at the ground level, not just showing up when it’s time to run for office. And when you look at his policy priorities, they reflect the same mindset.
The district.
One day Ellis County will be blue. Will it be in 2026? It would take one hell of a blue wave, but not really worth holding our breath over. That doesn’t mean we don’t try. We all saw what happened with Taylor Rehmet when Democrats really put their heads down. But HD10 is not one of those seats where Democrats can daydream their way into a flip. Trump carried the district with 64.9% in 2024, Cruz took 61.8%, and the Democratic congressional candidate only reached 32.2%. Even the state judicial Democrats were mostly landing in the low- to mid-30s. That is not a district sitting on the edge of turning blue.
Still, HD10 is not some frozen political relic either. The district is 44.7% non-Anglo overall, with a Hispanic population of 27% and a Black population of 14%, and it has a sizable number of working families, commuters, and households dealing with the same cost pressures hitting the rest of Texas. It is also a district with high homeownership, rising housing costs, and long commute times, which means there is real room for an economic message if Democrats ever decide to speak plainly and directly to the lives people are actually living. But that message cannot sound like it was written for Austin consultants. It has to be grounded in property taxes, insurance rates, public schools, healthcare access, wages, and the basic question of why working families keep paying more and getting less.
What would it take to flip HD10 in November?
For one, Democrats would need a candidate who can overperform the top of the ticket by a lot, not a little. So, Talarico would need to pull in big numbers in November.
They would also need serious field work in Ellis County. Personally, I think it’s worth the investment if they can raise the money and pull together the man-power. Ellis is one of the DFW Counties we’ve spoken about previously. We should expect both Kaufman and Ellis Counties to flip after Collin and Denton, probably in the 2030s. It’s worth building long-term infrastructure.
Third, they would need to cut the Republican margin with white suburban and exurban voters while also driving up turnout among Black and Latino voters who are already there but too often get treated like an afterthought.
And last, they would need the race to become a referendum on local economic pain, not national culture war noise. That is a steep climb. Possible in theory, yes. Likely this cycle, no. But if Democrats ever want to compete in seats like this, they have to start building before the district looks easy.
The incumbent.
If you’re a newer Lone Star Left reader, since the last Legislative session, you might not know that we took a poll. See, in the last Legislative session there was a group of the most far-right Republicans, who were constantly causing childish drama, asking Democrats conspiracy-laced questions at the mic, and pushing bills to oppress women and margenalized communities. Anyway, so our poll named this group the “Brainworm Brigade.” And HD10 incumbent Brian Harrison is the King of the Bainworm Brigade, (he’s their ring-leader).
Harrison, is by far the most camera-chasing, ego-driven, narcissistic Republican we’ve seen in Texas in a real long time. He’s worse than Ted Cruz. Even his GOP-peers have been known to call out his grand-standing:
And when he wasn’t busy making self-dealing speeches, Harrison made headlines last session when he attacked a 30-year career servent for being Black.
Republicans will countinue to re-elect him, because of their own depravity. Which is why Democrats should fight hard for this seat, even if it is an uphill battle.
In Michael Myers’ own words.
Below are some questions I asked Myers, based on previous reader polls, along with his answers.
Q: Do you support a statewide minimum wage increase to at least $15/hour?
The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. This is not a living wage. So yes, I do support raising the minimum wage to at least $15.00 an hour, maybe more. The goal should be to lift workers out of poverty, not keep them there struggling to get by. I do think this increase should be phased in over 3-5 years so it does not put further inflationary pressure on our small businesses, which are being hit hard by the tariffs.
Q: Should Texas end tax subsidies and abatements for large corporations?
Yes, we should stop supporting large corporations with long-term tax abatements and subsidies. I do understand the value of offering start-up abatements for 1-2 years to get the companies to commit to building in Texas and creating jobs here. This helps with start-up and relocation costs. Having these companies in Texas does help with our employment rates, and generally, they have good starting wages. But ultimately, they need to be self-sufficient and not dependent on tax welfare to run their business.
Q: Do you oppose school vouchers and efforts to privatize public education?
I do oppose school vouchers. This is nothing more than an effort to take funds away from public schools and give them to those families who have kids in private schools. I know the state is making up some of the difference in school funding. But there is a greater issue: we are creating a division in education where not all kids are educated equally. Private schools generally provide better education, but are able to pick and choose which kids are admitted. Many are church-run schools that have classes on religion attached to them. I think we need to keep our separation of church and state intact. The money from these vouchers could be better spent on public schools, where all kids are given a chance at success.
Q: Should Texas guarantee free school meals to all K–12 students, regardless of income?
Yes. Studies have shown that kids who eat balanced meals learn better and that their test scores improve. This should not be income-based. There is no way to tell what foods are being eaten at home. Most families are two-income earners. Hurried time in the morning to get the kids off does not guarantee a balanced breakfast. Lunch is a sandwich. Eating balanced meals is essential for growing kids. My wife is an elementary school teacher. I hear the stories of hungry or neglected kids. The need is real for a lot of kids. We need to support our kids regardless of family income.
Q: Should Texas end tax breaks and regulatory loopholes for oil and gas companies, including exemptions from emissions reporting and waste disposal standards?
Yes, we need to stop supporting oil and gas companies. These companies should not be given exemptions from emissions and waste reporting . They should be held accountable for the damage they are doing to our environment. Texas needs to strongly encourage them to move quickly to renewable solar and wind power. I think the changing environment is probably the biggest threat to the world population. We are getting further and further behind.
Bonus Question: What does being a Democrat mean to you in 2026?
I am going to keep engaging the public with the mess the republicans have gotten us into. We are losing rights by the day with the current administration and those in the state government who are supporting him. These enablers (my opponent, Brian Harrison) are allowing him to take away our constitutional rights. He is dismantling the consumer protection agency that does things like prevent financial scams on seniors. The Supreme Court is no longer trusted and has become a political arm of Trump, taking away the voting rights of our communities right here in North Texas. High inflation and loss of jobs. We are no longer respected in foreign countries. Trump is making a mockery of the presidency. It is time we start calling it what it is. I am ready to return to common sense and decency. And that is why I am running for HD 10 as a proud Texas Democrat.
HD10 is a seat that still matters for Democrats.
HD10 is a tough district. No one’s pretending otherwise. The numbers are what they are, and Republicans have built a deep advantage here over time. But districts don’t stay red forever.
The same way Collin and Denton started shifting, the same way suburban Texas has been slowly changing over the last decade, Ellis County is on that path too. The demographics are moving. The cost-of-living pressure is real. And the gap between what Republicans talk about and what working families are actually dealing with keeps getting wider.
That’s where candidates like Michael Myers matter.
Because flipping a district like this happens when someone steps in early, starts having real conversations, and gives voters a reason to take a second look. It happens when Democrats stop writing places off and start showing up consistently.
And if Democrats are serious about competing everywhere, then this is what it looks like. Not waiting for the perfect district. Not waiting for the perfect cycle. Starting now.
Is this the race that flips the Texas House? Probably not.
But it could be one of the races that proves it’s possible.
You can learn more about Michael Myers on his website, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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Thank you, Michelle! I went ahead & shared this because I have an appt in the morning. The long game is so important!!!