While career politicians in Austin grow government faster than kudzu, Paulette Carson is preparing to take a machete to the bureaucratic undergrowth choking the life out of Texas families. The Trinity County rancher and Texas First Pledge signer officially launched her campaign for Texas House District 9, bringing a message that should terrify every big-spending Republican warming a seat in the Capitol: the people are coming, and they’re bringing common sense.
Carson isn’t your typical political newcomer looking to climb the ladder in Austin. She’s a small business owner and cattle rancher who understands what it means to balance a budget because her family’s livelihood depends on it. When she looks at Texas government, she sees what every Texan with a lick of sense sees — a bloated bureaucracy that’s forgotten who pays the bills.
The Texas First Commitment
On November 4, 2023, Paulette Carson did something that separates the wheat from the chaff in Texas politics — she signed the Texas First Pledge. Administered by the Texas Nationalist Movement’s Political Action Committee, this pledge isn’t some feel-good campaign promise. It’s a binding commitment to prioritize the interests of Texas and its citizens above any other nation, state, or entity.
The pledge supports the fundamental right of Texans to self-governance and advocates for legislation that could lead to a referendum on Texas independence. For Carson, this isn’t abstract political theory. It’s about recognizing that Texans are perfectly capable of governing themselves without federal overlords or Austin bureaucrats telling them how to live.
Follow the Money, Find the Problem
Carson brings a businessman’s eye to the disaster that is Texas government spending. The numbers tell a story that should make every taxpayer’s blood boil. The Texas state budget exploded from $248 billion in 2021 to $338 billion in 2025 — a staggering $90 billion increase in just four years.
“Every Republican agrees that government at every level is too large,” Carson declared in her campaign announcement. “That growth threatens our families because it places more regulations on us and requires us to pay for it with ever higher taxation.”
Here’s where Carson’s business acumen shines through with crystal clarity. That $90 billion increase? It’s roughly what Texas collects in property taxes every year. “What if we had frozen the budget in 2021?” Carson asked. “That $90 billion, if applied to property taxes instead of more government, could have significantly cut everyone’s property taxes.”
It’s the kind of common-sense observation that makes you wonder why we send anyone to Austin who hasn’t run a business or met a payroll.
Property Taxes: The Real Threat to Texas Families
Carson’s primary target is the property tax monster that’s devouring Texas families and forcing them from land their families have owned for generations. “Every Texan should truly own their home and land,” she declared, cutting through the political doublespeak that treats property taxes as some immutable law of nature.
This isn’t just campaign rhetoric from someone who’s never felt the sting of a property tax bill. Carson and her husband Charlie own a small business and operate a cattle ranch in the Davy Crockett National Forest. They know what it means to watch government grow while families struggle to keep what they’ve earned.
Real-World Experience, Not Political Ambition
Carson brings something increasingly rare to Texas politics — actual experience in the real world. Her background in contracts management within the global engineering and construction industries, including leadership roles at Brown & Root, Inc., and overseeing contracts for gold-mining operations in Africa, taught her how to be a responsible steward of other people’s money.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University, with an emphasis on Management and Economics. More importantly, she and Charlie are active members of Harmony Hill Baptist Church, reflecting the faith and community values that built East Texas.
Taking on the Austin Establishment
Carson isn’t afraid to call out the Republican establishment that’s betrayed conservative principles. In her previous 2024 campaign, she directly challenged incumbent Trent Ashby for aligning himself with House Speaker Dade Phelan and voting with Democrats when it mattered most.
The fact that she’s running again after an unsuccessful 2024 primary shows the kind of determination East Texas needs. This isn’t about political ambition — it’s about principle. Carson understands that changing Austin requires persistence, not politicians who fold the moment they face pressure from leadership.
Her platform extends far beyond fiscal issues. She’s committed to protecting family, faith, and freedom. That means safeguarding parental rights, securing our borders, protecting gun rights, defending religious freedom, and ensuring free speech isn’t trampled by politically correct commissars.
East Texas Values, Texas First Principles
District 9 covers Angelina, Houston, Polk, San Augustine, Trinity, and Tyler counties — the heart of East Texas where people still understand that government works for the people, not the other way around. These are communities where neighbors help neighbors, where faith matters, and where common sense isn’t considered a radical political position.
Carson’s campaign focuses on grassroots support because she understands that real change comes from the people, not from political consultants and special interest groups. Her website, carsonfortexas.com, emphasizes election integrity, border security, and Second Amendment rights — issues that matter to East Texans who’ve watched Austin politicians pay lip service to conservative values while governing like Democrats.
The Broader Vision
Carson’s alignment with the Texas Nationalist Movement through the Texas First Pledge represents something larger than traditional Republican politics. It’s about recognizing that Texas has the resources, the people, and the spirit to chart its own course without Washington bureaucrats or Austin establishment politicians calling the shots.
While Carson focuses on practical issues like eliminating property taxes and shrinking government, her pledge commitment suggests support for legislation that could advance Texas sovereignty. For voters tired of watching their tax dollars flow to Washington only to return with federal strings attached, Carson offers a different path.
A Choice for East Texas
The 2026 Republican primary for District 9 offers East Texas voters a clear choice between more of the same establishment politics and a candidate who’s actually lived the values she’s campaigning on. Carson isn’t asking voters to trust her because she’s cut deals with Austin insiders or because she’s got the backing of political action committees funded by out-of-state interests.
She’s asking for their support because she understands that Texas families deserve better than a government that grows while their paychecks shrink and their property tax bills soar.
“Every Texan should truly own their home and land,” Carson said. It’s a simple statement that gets to the heart of what’s wrong with Texas government and what needs to be fixed.
For East Texans who believe their representatives should fight for them instead of the Austin establishment, Paulette Carson’s campaign represents more than just another political race. It’s about sending someone to Austin who remembers that she works for the people of East Texas, not the other way around.
The establishment won’t like it. The big spenders certainly won’t approve. But as Carson has proven through her commitment to the Texas First Pledge and her willingness to challenge incumbents who’ve lost their way, she doesn’t work for them.
