Voters in Texas’ 26th congressional district – covering parts of Denton, Roanoke, Frisco, Prosper, Celina and surrounding communities – will choose their U.S. House representative on Nov. 3. The race features three candidates: Republican incumbent Rep. Brandon Gill, Democratic challenger Steven Shook, a critical‑care nurse practitioner, and Libertarian candidate Phil Gray.
Candidate backgrounds
Brandon Gill is the sitting Republican congressman. He describes himself as a finance professional, conservative‑media commentator and entrepreneur. Gill did not submit answers to the questionnaire before the press deadline, so his specific priorities for the upcoming term remain unlisted.
Phil Gray is running as the Libertarian option. Like Gill, Gray did not provide responses to the questionnaire, leaving his platform undisclosed at this time.
Steven Shook brings nearly two decades of frontline health‑care experience. He is a North Texas native, a critical‑care nurse practitioner, and a former humanitarian medical aid worker. Shook’s answers give voters a clear view of his policy focus.
Why Steven Shook is running
Shook says he is motivated by a belief that North Texas deserves a representative who puts people before politics. He has witnessed how policy failures affect families, health‑care access and household costs, and he wants to bring that practical, service‑oriented perspective to Congress.
Top challenges identified by Shook
According to Shook, the district’s most pressing issues include:
- Health‑care access and rising prescription‑drug costs
- Affordability of housing and overall cost of living
- Funding for public schools
- Support for rural hospitals
- Reliable water supplies, road conditions and grid reliability
- Responsible growth and infrastructure development
He emphasizes that families across Denton, Cooke and Wise counties need leaders focused on solving real problems rather than partisan distractions.
Proposed solutions
Shook outlines a plan to address these challenges:
- Work to lower prescription‑drug prices and protect rural hospitals
- Expand mental‑health services and improve health‑care affordability
- Strengthen public‑school funding and support for teachers
- Invest in roads, bridges and broadband to improve connectivity
- Safeguard clean water resources and promote responsible growth
- Collaborate with any lawmaker serious about delivering results for North Texas
Shook’s top priorities if elected
He says his highest priorities will be health‑care affordability, protecting rural hospitals, lowering costs for working families, bolstering public education, improving infrastructure, preserving water resources and defending civil rights. Shook frames his agenda as practical solutions that improve daily life for North Texas residents.
What voters should know
The three candidates represent distinct political philosophies: Gill continues the Republican incumbency, Shook offers a Democratic platform centered on health‑care and family‑focused policies, and Gray provides a Libertarian perspective. While Gill and Gray have not supplied detailed answers, Shook’s responses give a concrete sense of his policy agenda.
Voters should consider each candidate’s background, stated priorities and how those align with the needs of the district. The election will determine which voice represents the diverse communities of Denton, Roanoke, Frisco, Prosper, Celina and beyond in the U.S. House.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Denton — read the source article.
