Purposeful Leadership, Real Connection

We believe that who we choose to lead is an extension of our values and our vision for a stronger community. While these candidates bring diverse professional backgrounds and unique life experiences to the table, they are united by a deep love for purposeful service, thoughtful advocacy, and a commitment to real connection.

This space is dedicated to highlighting the leaders who are doing the work to ensure our community remains a place where every voice is heard and every neighbor can thrive. We invite you to get to know the individuals running to represent you—not just as names on a ballot, but as neighbors dedicated to the collective good.

Leslie Booker: Candidate for the 512th District Court

With over 30 years of legal experience, Leslie Booker brings a rare "360-degree" perspective to the bench. Having served as both a Chief Felony Prosecutor and a defense attorney, she understands the courtroom from every angle.

Leslie’s judicial philosophy is rooted in balance and consistency. She views the role of a judge as an impartial arbiter—calling "balls and strikes" fairly while protecting constitutional rights and taxpayer resources.

Her Commitment to Williamson County:

  • Efficiency: Streamlining court operations to respect jurors’ time.

  • Safety: Supporting evidence-based diversion programs to reduce repeat offenses.

  • Integrity: Bringing sound judgment and life experience to the newly created 512th District.

As a history-making prosecutor and an Ironman triathlete, Leslie embodies the resilience our community deserves. In Williamson County, down-ballot voting is critical—every vote ensures a bench defined by fairness, accountability, and trust.

Learn more about Leslie here and how you can support her campaign.

Laura Marques: LISD Board of Trustees, Place 6

Dr. Laura Marques is an education advocate and parent running for Leander ISD Board of Trustees, Place 6, committed to ensuring public schools deliver excellence for every child. With a deep belief in the transformative power of public education, Laura brings passionate advocacy and a vision for innovation to the school board.

Her campaign is rooted in opportunity and partnership. Believing that strong public schools build stronger communities, she understands that when schools work for every family, kids dream bigger, families thrive, and neighborhoods grow.

Her Vision for Leander ISD:

  • Educational Excellence for All: Setting high standards that build creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills for every student, not just some.

  • Community Partnerships: Building real partnerships with local businesses and organizations to give schools the resources and relevance to prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

  • Innovative Solutions: Supporting Leander ISD in finding creative ways to deliver for students, even when funding is tight.

  • Advocacy for Every Family: Serving as a tireless voice for the students, families, and educators who make public education work, and for kids who need someone in their corner.

Laura is committed to making every neighborhood public school the best option for the families it serves.

Learn more about Laura here and how you can support her campaign.

Heather Jefts: Candidate for Williamson County Judge

Heather Jefts has been a small business owner, community leader, nonprofit volunteer, and member of the Cedar Park City Council for 4 terms. She and her husband Richard moved to Cedar Park in 2005 and raised their two sons through LISD public schools. Heather graduated from UT Austin with a degree in Sustainability and Economics and has put it to good use in public service.

During her tenure on City Council, Heather prioritized infrastructure and sustainable growth, bringing in quality jobs and businesses, fiscal responsibility, and creating Cedar Park’s first-ever Homestead Exemption, public safety investments, traffic and mobility solutions, and new parks and trails.

Priorities for Williamson County:

  • Water access and conservation: With continued droughts and rapid growth, we need to rethink how we build and use our most precious resource

  • Fiscal responsibility and cost of living: Williamson County has an unsustainable level of debt from road bonds, the result of irresponsible and unmanaged growth. This costs every resident in the county. It’s time to get serious about reining in expenditures.

  • Transit and mobility: Constant road expansions are a temporary and very expensive fix for traffic. I plan to take a holistic approach to mobility across our region.

Heather has been working for eight years now on a better way to run local government, and it’s sure working in Cedar Park. She intends to bring that same energy, people-centered policies, and work ethic to our county government.

Learn more about Heather here and how you can support her campaign.

Claire Reynolds: Candidate for U.S. Congress in Texas’s 11th Congressional District

Claire Reynolds is an attorney and progressive Democrat running for U.S. Congress in Texas's 11th Congressional District. With 24 years of legal experience — including over a decade with the State Bar of Texas prosecuting attorney misconduct — Claire brings a deep commitment to accountability, the rule of law, and the principle that no one is above the rules.

Her campaign is rooted in constitutional duty and service. Having made Texas her home since 2007, she understands that the people of District 11 — from Odessa and Midland to San Angelo and north Austin — deserve a representative who listens to communities, defends civil liberties, and works for everyday families rather than entrenched interests.

Her Vision for Texas District 11:

  • Constitutional Accountability: Restoring Congress's role as a check on executive power and defending the Bill of Rights for every American.

  • Working-Class Priorities: Standing up for working families, protecting jobs, and putting constituents ahead of billionaire donors and special interests.

  • Civil Rights & Civil Liberties: Protecting free speech, due process, and the rights of immigrants, women, and communities of color.

  • Representation That Listens: Showing up across the district to hear from voters directly and deliver solutions communities define for themselves.

Claire is committed to a District 11 — and a country — where government works for ordinary people and leaders govern with courage, empathy, and humanity.

Learn more about Claire here and how you can support her campaign.