Issues

STOPPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – SECURING THE BORDER

As a former U.S. Deputy Marshal, Charlie Geren has made it his mission to secure the border and enforce immigration law. In 2023 he secured the largest investment into border security in our state’s history, increasing border funding by over 630%. He added more law enforcement along the border, increased criminal penalties for fentanyl distributors and human traffickers, and designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

During the 89th Legislative Session in 2025, Charlie delivered even more results. He championed $1.5 billion for border wall expansion, providing new physical barriers in the highest-traffic smuggling corridors. He also strengthened Texas’ interstate compact on border security, increased state cooperation with ICE, and established a Homeland Safety division within the Texas Department of Public Safety. Charlie also passed legislation expanding penalties for sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to comply with immigration enforcement, building on his earlier victory in banning sanctuary cities. Local officials who obstruct federal and state law now face stronger consequences, ensuring that every level of government does its part to protect Texans.

Most notably, Charlie continues to lead the fight against the fentanyl epidemic by expanding penalties for dealers who cause overdose deaths and increasing funding for law enforcement technology to intercept drugs before they enter Texas neighborhoods. His work has made Texas a national leader in combating cartel-driven crime.

Charlie Geren has never backed down from defending Texas against the border crisis. With his law enforcement background and proven record of results, he will continue to fight to keep Texans safe and secure.

DEFENDING THE SECOND AMENDMENT

Charlie Geren is one of the BIGGEST defenders of our Second Amendment rights! As a proud gun owner, he passed Constitutional Carry in Texas, securing our freedom to openly carry a firearm. In the most recent session, Charlie supported new protections for gun owners, including banning so-called “red flag” laws without due process. He also voted to recognize out-of-state carry licenses, allow
open-carry for uniformed school marshals, and repeal outdated restrictions on certain firearms under state law. Charlie’s record proves he will always defend the Second Amendment and fight to expand the rights of law-abiding Texans.

As you would expect, Charlie is A-rated and endorsed by the NRA and the TexaState Rifle Association. To him, the words “shall not be infringed” should not be taken lightly.

PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM RADICAL AGENDAS

Charlie Geren is one of the biggest opponents of the radicals trying to indoctrinate our children in schools and online forums. In the last few legislative sessions, Charlie stopped the radical leftist agenda in its tracks. He successfully:

● Banned gender modification surgery on minors
● Prohibited explicit materials in schools
● Barred biological men from competing against women in school sports
● Outlawed drag shows in front of kids
● Banned the dangerous teaching of critical race theory in Texas schools

Charlie also passed a bill that protects our children online by requiring a parent’s permission for social media usage and preventing sexual predators and Big Tech from preying on them. Charlie believes parents and guardians should have more control over their child’s data and the digital information they consume.

SLASHING PROPERTY TAXES

Charlie Geren is a key supporter of additional property tax relief through tax cuts and exemptions. In 2023, Charlie passed the largest property tax cut in Texas history – but he didn’t stop there.

This year, Charlie increased the general homestead exemption to $140,000, saving the average homeowner nearly $500 a year. He raised the exemption for seniors and disabled Texans to $60,000 — bringing their total exemption to $200,000. Charlie also helped raise the business personal property exemption from $2,500 to $125,000, easing the burden on small businesses across Texas.

This was a great victory for Texas property owners, but Charlie is not done yet! He’s pushing for even more long-lasting and substantial tax relief and appraisal transparency. We can count on him to deliver!

SUPPORTING THE POLICE & THE RULE OF LAW

Charlie Geren is 100% behind the brave men and women who risk their lives to save ours. We owe our police officers and first responders a debt of gratitude. Charlie will continue to give our first responders the tools and resources they need to combat crime in our neighborhoods.

When the Radical Left tried to defund the police, Charlie stopped them. He passed a measure that makes it impossible for cities to defund their police departments.

Moreover, Charlie enacted a law allowing Texas residents to remove district attorneys who refuse to prosecute crimes under current law. This way, police officers’ efforts are never wasted, and criminals remain off our streets. The rule of law must be respected in Texas. Charlie is endorsed by the Fort Worth Police Officers Association.

100% PRO-LIFE

Charlie Geren has always been a faithful defender of the unborn. In 2021, he passed the Texas Heartbeat Act and the Abortion Ban Trigger Law, making Texas the most pro-life state in the country after Roe v. Wade was overturned. He also created the Thriving Texas Families Program to provide support services for children and at-risk families, and helped secure paid parental leave for state employees welcoming a child through birth, adoption, or surrogacy. And most recently, Charlie authored and passed the Life of the Mother Act, ensuring physicians are protected when making critical decisions to save a mother’s life.

Charlie is endorsed by the Texas Alliance for Life and LifePAC.

CREATING LOCAL JOBS

Charlie Geren’s relentless push to cut taxes and slash bureaucratic red tape has made Texas the top job creator year after year, while also bringing high-impact growth right here to our district. His efforts helped position Texas as a frontrunner in competing for large data-center projects — in fact, Facebook chose Fort Worth over 219 other cities for its fifth data center, delivering billions in capital investment, local hiring, and bolstering revenues for schools, roads, and public services.

During the 89th Legislature, Charlie delivered more wins for Texas businesses: he sponsored HB 9, which radically increased the business personal property tax exemption to $125,000, easing the burden on small businesses. He also backed bills that accelerate business startup filings, modernize state-agency websites, and streamline regulations through the newly created Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO). These reforms reduce costs, speed up processing, and attract more investment

Charlie Geren, in coordination with Governor Greg Abbott and the Legislature, has achieved incredible results for the Texas economy. Charlie helped make Texas:

● The #1 state for Fortune 500 headquarters
● The #1 state for exports
● The #1 state for job creation
● The #1 state for high-value business investments
● The #1 state for foreign direct investments
● The #1 business climate in the nation

Charlie was named a “Guardian of Small Businesses” by the National Federation of Independent Businesses and called a “Champion for Free Enterprise” by the Texas Association of Business, who have both endorsed him.

DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE

Thanks to the conservative, pro-growth policies of leaders like Charlie Geren, Texas continues to be the destination of choice for families and businesses alike. Charlie knows that a rapidly growing state must invest in strong roads, reliable water systems, dependable energy, and modern infrastructure — all without raising taxes. That’s why Charlie has worked tirelessly to keep Texas on the move and positioned for the future.

This session, Charlie supported measures to provide $1 billion a year for 20 years to the Texas Water Fund and to conduct a study on flood infrastructure development across the state. He also secured nearly $40 billion for the Department of Transportation and $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, ensuring current infrastructure is maintained and new development projects receive the funding they need.

PROTECTING PRIVATE PROPERTY

Charlie also understands the importance of protecting online privacy. In the 89th Legislative Session, Charlie strengthened safeguards around biometric data and required clearer opt-out options for consumers. He also supported tougher enforcement provisions to hold companies accountable if they mishandle Texans’ personal information. These victories ensure Texas remains at the forefront of digital privacy, putting Texans – NOT Big Tech – in control of their data.

STRENGTHENING SCHOOLS

Charlie Geren believes that children are our greatest investment. That’s why he restored nearly $5 billion in funds cut from our schools and added an additional $3.2 billion for the Foundation School Program. He also significantly cut STAAR tests and enhanced local control over schools so we can ensure our kids get a great education.

Additionally, Charlie fought to empower parents in the classroom because he is committed to full transparency in public education. He improved parental access to class curricula by creating an opt-in program for school districts to use standardized materials and establishing a mechanism for parents to trigger an audit of curricular information. However, the unsung heroes of our schools are our teachers, who deserve all the help they can get. This session, Charlie accomplished this by:

● Guaranteeing $695 million for TRS-Care to help educators pay for health care services
● Reserving $3.4 billion for a cost-of-living adjustment for retired teachers
● Securing $1.6 billion for a 13th paycheck for retired teachers
● Ensuring $588.5 million was appropriated to keep TRS health insurance premiums below 10%
each year for TRS Active-Care participants.

Charlie Geren believes every child in Texas deserves a great education—and that starts with giving our schools the resources they need. With HB 2, Charlie helped secure $8.5 billion in new public education funding, including $4 billion for teacher and staff pay raises, expanded merit pay through the Teacher Incentive Allotment, and significant boosts for early literacy, special education, and school safety. Under HB 2, there is also strong investment for small and rural schools and more money for teacher preparation and certification. These steps mean better classrooms, more qualified educators, and stronger student support across Texas.

Charlie is also pushing ahead on Career & Technical Education (CTE), securing $153 million to expand technical certification programs – that means more funding for state-of-the-art facilities and training that will allow our students to graduate into high-demand, well-paying careers. And after fighting for many years, Charlie is happy to announce that the dreaded STAAR Test is finally being eliminated, making way for a less stressful testing approach that will pinpoint each student’s exact areas for improvement while holding our school districts accountable.

UPHOLDING CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE VALUES

As our Republican State Representative, Charlie Geren always fights for our values. In fact, he’s worked hard to transform Texas into a state that’s a conservative model for the whole country. He gets the job done year after year by prioritizing:

● Securing the border
● Cutting taxes
● Creating a pro-business environment
● Empowering parents
● Defending religious liberties
● Protecting the Second Amendment
● Reducing the size of government
● Upholding the sanctity of life

Charlie was proud to stand up for our Christian values when he voted to include a copy of the 10 Commandments in every public school classroom, and when he voted to give school districts the right to establish a time of prayer during the school day. Charlie will always defend our faith and ensure that Texas schools reflect the Christian values that have long been the foundation of our communities.