• Home to the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor - the first institution in the state to grant degrees to women.

• Headquarters of Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas. 

• Temple has a strong culture of research and innovation, and has become a focal point for medical research, residency programs, and training the next generation of healthcare professionals.

• The Norse community, established in the 1850s, remains one of the most visible and culturally intact Norwegian settlements in the United States.

• Meridian, the county seat, sits at the geographic center of Texas.

• Clifton, hosts a vibrant arts community and the Bosque Arts Center, one of the largest rural arts centers in the state.

• A major agricultural hub - ranked among the top counties in Texas for cattle and grain production.

• The county seat, Marlin, was once known as “The Hot Mineral City of Texas,” thanks to natural mineral springs that gave the town early renown and attracted visitors.

• Blends working‑town roots and farmland with small‑town families and rural heritage - a reflection of the classically hardworking communities I aim to fight for.

• A part of the broader Central Texas rural network, where communities rely on farms, modest incomes, and close-knit neighbor support.

• A place where the rural-town identity still matters, and where residents deserve representation that understands small-town challenges as deeply as urban ones.

• Birthplace of Willie Nelson - born in Abbott in 1933. The town still reflects the roots and culture that shaped one of America’s most influential musicians.

• Early adopter of public education investment in rural Texas (late 18800s) - funded and maintained by local residents who believed every child deserved access to learning.

• One of the fastest-growing counties in North Texas. With its expanding racial and cultural diversity, Johnson county is a dynamic, evolving region shaped by growth, economic opportunity, and changing population patterns.

• One of the smaller, rural counties in the region - home to folks who often live quietly, work hard, and carry the kind of values (community, self-reliance, neighborliness) that rarely make headlines.

• A reminder that TX-17 includes more than cities - it includes rural heartlands that need a voice just as much as mainstream suburbs.

• Home to Waco, Texas, a hub city at the heart of Central Texas with a mix of urban energy and small-town grit.

• A county with rich history: from early-settler frontier roots to military service contributions during WWI and WWII.

• Reflects the district’s diversity: from students and educators, to working families and industrial workers, making it a microcosm of the challenges and hopes across TX-17.

• Traditional rural Texas county with farms, ranches, and small towns, embodying the hardworking, land-rooted spirit of the state.

• Represents counties in TX-17 where agriculture, local businesses, and rural way of life still define community bonds and values.

• A landscape that reflects its rural roots and working‑land heritage, with 854 square miles of flat to gently rolling terrain, the county contains a mix of fertile river bottoms, upland prairies, and timberland

• Agriculture, ranching, and small‑town businesses remain part of the county’s backbone - not city-glitz or big corporate factories, but a way of life built on hard work, land, and community.