The following Q&A was sent to each candidate in August 2026. Responses provided were submitted by the Sun’s press deadline in mid-October and fit within a given wordcount.
Terry Wilson (Republican, Incumbent)
Why did you choose to run for the House?
Terry Wilson: In 2016, just after I retired from 32 years of service in the US Army, I was approached by neighbors and friends who felt their voices were not being heard by the sitting State Representative. Since winning that race, I have made it my mission to listen to constituents at every opportunity, even those who disagree with me. Listening to constituents is the most important part of the job.
What prior experience do you have that qualifies you to serve in this capacity?
Wilson: As a Department of Defense Acquisition Executive, I managed research, development, and manufacturing programs with multi-billion-dollar budgets and partnered in systems development with major corporations and universities. In my nine years as State Representative for District 20, I have passed 226 bills, helped hundreds of constituents navigate issues with state agencies, aided small businesses get the licenses and permits they needed. I have been focused on providing water, utilities and roads for my community. I have been a soldier and a businessman. I am a husband and a father. I have experienced having kids in both public and private education. I understand the challenges parents face in raising a family.
What part of the district are you from and how do you relate to the community?
Wilson: Georgetown is my home. After years of moving from posting to posting, we chose to settle down in Central Texas, where we raised two sons. We wanted to give them a steady home in a good community, and Central Texas was the best place in the country for that. The strong sense of values, family, and community is second to none. Twenty years later, with one serving as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and the other finishing up college with the hope to serve his country in the civil service workforce, I’d say it was the right choice.
What issues are you campaigning on?
Wilson: I’ve always focused on what matters most to families in our community. Keeping crime low, protecting our children, keeping down costs and property taxes so families can keep food on the table, and providing quality education.
If elected, what would you hope to accomplish with your time in office?
Wilson: I will continue to make it easier for Texans to provide for their families through lowering property taxes, making it easier for local producers to bring healthy fresh foods to market, and lowering the cost of insurance, medical care and prescription drugs. In addition to lowering costs, I will continue building workforce training programs, career advising, and research/development programs that attract investment and industry. Nothing helps provide for a family as much as a better job in a meaningful career.
What makes District 20 different from other Texas districts?
Wilson: Williamson County is the second fastest-growing county in the nation, and HD-20 is at the center of that growth. Fast growth brings a great deal of benefits and opportunities, but it also brings challenges that few other districts face. Building new infrastructure for transportation, water supply, and education sets us up for the future, but the cost of that new infrastructure places a strain on those who already call Williamson County home. We have a unique challenge of keeping those costs low while some of our school districts are expanding at 7% per year.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
Wilson: In addition to my three prior decades of public service in the United States Army, I am also the only person in this race who has held any position of public service, responsibility, management or leadership. I am also the only candidate to have raised a family in Central Texas, experiencing the challenges that come with both putting children through our schools and paying the property taxes that fund them.
Outside of your candidacy, what are you known for in your neighborhood or small community?
Wilson: Outside of my role as State Representative, I am most widely known in Williamson County for my involvement in Rotary, as a mentor to young adults, and advising small businesses. I am also known for my integrity, being a straight shooter on issues and building consensus to come up with the best solutions for all.
Matthias Early (Democrat)
Why did you choose to run for the House?
Matthias Early: I originally wanted to be a doctor because I want to help people, but after working in the emergency room, I realized I could help more people through politics. We can’t create a better system for people until the people stand up and fight the systems that are actively exploiting people and withholding necessary treatment. Now more than ever, we need people in office who understand the shifting economy and how we can move forward beyond our current system that most working Americans say is not working for them.
What prior experience do you have that qualifies you to serve in this capacity?
Early: I studied political science in college and worked in the emergency room, where I saw every day the flaws of our system. A healthcare system that doesn’t care for people and drug companies making life-saving medicine for pennies that they sell for hundreds of dollars. My background in the political space and serving as a volunteer in government has exceptionally prepared me for this role, as I have experience with the failures of healthcare, as well as spending years studying different government approaches to building a safe society and a strong economy.
What part of the district are you from and how do you relate to the community?
Early: I am from Georgetown; this area is an up-and-coming district in Texas. It is attracting young, hardworking families. My family comes from this district. I grew up loving the character of Georgetown, Leander, and Cedar Park, and the beauty of Liberty Hill, Florence and Jarrell. I relate to the community because this district is a rapidly growing area attracting young families and job opportunities. Unfortunately, the infrastructure of water and electricity is not ready to address this influx, and the current state legislature refuses to fund the needed development.
What issues are you campaigning on?
Early: Healthcare, education and workforce development. Medicine is not sold at reasonable price margins, Texans would pay anything to ensure their children are safe and healthy and medicine companies use that to charge exploitative prices, Texas can mimic the success in capping insulin to other drugs. Access to strong free education is access to the American dream, by having weak schools we are denying the hardworking student from a poor neighborhood the opportunity to move this country forward. Texas has a massive infrastructure issue in water, electricity, cybersecurity, etc. and workers trying to find better jobs can combine these to improve Texas infrastructure and create entry level jobs.
If elected, what would you hope to accomplish with your time in office?
Early: To change the A-F accountability system that deprioritizes school districts that need help. The reason parents turned towards school vouchers is because our public education system was crippled by Texas policy. We need to make the system better if we want parents to turn back towards public education. I will do a comprehensive review on profit margins of prescription drugs to limit exploitative price gouging. The Texas government, without raising taxes, can create workforce programs that allow people trying to enter the workforce to improve Texas water and electric infrastructure at the same time as creating jobs and providing experience.
What makes District 20 different from others?
Early: District 20 is one of the fastest-growing districts in Texas, attracting both retirees and young families seeking opportunity. The representative must understand how to balance representing both retirees who want to see a decrease in property tax as well as young families looking for quality public education. Nobody cares more about the future economy of Texas than the upcoming generation, and it’s time our political institutions reflected that.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
Early: My age: I am 22, and the average of the Texas House is 55. The number one issue facing Texans is the economy, yet our electors are already well set in their careers. This means they don’t see the struggle facing the average Texan or younger Texans struggling to enter the workforce. Our modern economy is shifting because of AI; we don’t need someone in office with experience from 30 years ago, we need people who understand the changing world today.
Outside of your candidacy, what are you known for in your community?
Early: I am known as a reliable person who volunteers for the community and is always willing to lend a kind hand. It’s hard to speak for myself on how the community views me. I hope my actions every day speak for themselves. And my hair.