6 hours Ago By Katecey Harrell
Newly elected House District 6 Representative Daniel Alders, a Tyler native, announced his staff ahead of the 89th legislative session. “Each member of our team brings valuable experience and a commitment to our conservative principles, and I’m confident they will represent you with excellence,” the announcement stated. Alders introduced the team that will help him serve HD 6 in a post on his website Tuesday.
Chief of Staff Daniel Friend joins Alders’ team with experience from The Texan, where he was a reporter and marketing and media manager. An Azusa Pacific University graduate, Friend earned his Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Political Science and Humanities and completed an internship in the Washington, D.C.
office of former Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK). Legislative Director Victoria Engman previously served as deputy legislative director in the office of Rep.
Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake). She has also worked as assistant clerk for the House Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services and deputy caucus director for the Innovation & Technology Caucus. Engman, a Baylor University graduate, began her public service career working for former Rep.
James White (R-Hillister). District Director Jack Short has been dedicated to serving House District 6, previously working as district director for longtime Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler).
Alders’ team said it is fortunate to have Short continue in this role. Legislative Assistant Robert Bennett, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Tyler, served as president of the Smith County Young Republicans and the UT Tyler College Republicans. Bennett has demonstrated a passion for service that will serve Alders well in Austin, his team said.
Originally from Corsicana, Bennett works as a Navarro College recruiter. House District 6 encompasses 81% of Smith County, 100% of the cities of Arp, Emerald Bay, New Chapel Hill, Noonday, Tyler and Whitehouse and a majority of Bullard and Troup. Alders replaces Rep.
Matt Schaefer , who announced in August 2023 that he would not seek reelection . In the district, the Texas Tribune reported Alders with 72.4% of the vote and his Democratic opponent Cody Grace with 27.
6% of the vote with 78.59% of precincts reporting. The Texas House has 150 members, each representing around 113,000 people for two-year terms.
The Legislature meets every odd-numbered year to pass laws and address state issues. Bills go through review, public hearings and multiple votes before becoming law. Alders aims to begin his legislative journey including committee placement, relationship building and accountability.
His priorities are elected a conservative Speaker of the House, filing legislation that is important to the district and the state, and securing committee positions. The 89th Texas Legislature will convene for its regular session from Jan. 14, to June 2.
During this session, the Texas Senate and House of Representatives will address various state issues, introduce bills and pass legislation that impacts Texas residents. Alder said HD 6 belongs to the people, and stressed the need to stay connected to his community and balance his time in Austin and home. He encourages open, accessible communication with constituents, even if he disagrees with them on certain issues.
“We look forward to the good work we’ll accomplish together on behalf of East Texas,” the announcement said. “Thank you for your continued support, and stay tuned for updates as we begin this new chapter.” Anyone with questions or who wishes to contact Alders’ team can email them at info@danielalders.
com ..
