By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews.com
MCKINNEY — Jackie Bescherer, who campaigns as “Jackie B,” is a longtime Collin County resident and Democratic candidate for Texas House District 61 running on a message she says is simple: Texas is shortchanging public schools, pricing out working families, and letting big money shape too many decisions in Austin.
Jackie B, who has lived in HD-61 since 2000 and raised two sons in McKinney ISD, told TX3DNews her career has included service in the Navy Reserve, a decade with the Dallas Police Department, and more than two decades in telecom engineering.
“That experience taught me conflict resolution,” Jackie B said. “To see both sides and deescalate as much as possible.”
Why she decided to run
Jackie B said she entered the race after growing increasingly concerned about decisions coming out of Austin — especially those impacting schools and working-class families.
“I’m here because they’re taking away our public schools,” she said. “They’re doing everything they can to bankrupt them.”
She described her decision to campaign as a continuation of how she has approached challenges throughout her life.
“I’m a fighter,” Jackie B said. “I felt the need to step up.”
Public education as a “community” issue
Jackie B framed public education as more than a classroom issue, arguing that strong schools are tied to long-term opportunity and economic health.
“Public schools build community,” she said. “They build a strong workforce, and that builds a stronger Texas.”
Jackie B said her opposition to vouchers, as currently structured, was one of the biggest factors that pushed her to run.
“I am fearful for the future of our democracy,” she said. “There won’t be good education available for the common person if we stay on this path.”
Asked what she believes is the biggest day-to-day issue facing families in HD-61, Jackie B said school funding is at the center of pressures that are already playing out locally.
“Austin decides how much per student schools receive,” she said. “That decision affects everything down here.”
Voucher policy and oversight
Jackie B said vouchers are often framed as “school choice,” but argued the current structure mainly benefits families who already have the means to pay private tuition.
“This $10,000 voucher is not helping underprivileged people,” she said. “It’s subsidizing the wealthy.”
If vouchers remain in Texas law, Jackie B said she would push for income caps and stronger accountability for participating private schools. She also said any voucher program should be religiously inclusive.
“If we keep the voucher system, there need to be income caps,” she said. “It needs to be all-inclusive of all religions, not just Christianity.”
Jackie B added that she does not support religious doctrine being required in public schools.
“We do not need church in the public schools,” she said.
Affordability and the “starter home” problem
Jackie B said rising housing costs and the shrinking availability of starter homes are also shaping daily life in the district, especially for young families and younger adults.
“What people aren’t talking about enough is not being able to buy homes,” she said, describing the challenge of entering the market even in modest-sized houses.
She described the broader economic divide as a growing political issue in Texas.
“It’s the working class versus the billionaire class,” Jackie B said.
First priorities in office
Asked what actions she would prioritize early if elected, Jackie B said she would focus first on political reforms that she believes are necessary before other issues can be solved.
“My first priority is full representation for everybody,” she said, calling for changes to redistricting and a process she believes would reduce gerrymandering and make elections more competitive.
Jackie B said she would also target campaign finance, lobbying, and ethics rules.
“I want campaign finance and lobbying reform,” she said. “I want to stop billionaires from buying our elections.”
Jackie B also supported stronger enforcement against lawmakers personally profiting while in office.
“No insider trading,” she said. “No making money off working for the people.”
Running in a Republican-leaning district
Jackie B acknowledged that HD-61 is widely viewed as favorable territory for Republicans, but said her message is aimed at voters who feel the political system is not serving working families — regardless of party.
“I’m not going to talk left and right,” she said. “I want to talk top and bottom.”
“That’s suppression” — local platforms and who gets heard
Jackie B also addressed what she described as an unequal playing field for Democrats in a district widely viewed as Republican-leaning, pointing to recent controversy involving a local McKinney-focused podcast and online community discussions.
She criticized the reasoning offered publicly for not interviewing Democratic candidates early in the race, calling it a form of political exclusion.
“That’s suppression,” Jackie B said. “That’s my whole point.”
Jackie B told TX3DNews she would decline an invitation under conditions that require a Democrat to meet a polling threshold before being granted a platform.
“I think I’d turn him down,” she said. “I don’t think I would bother. I’m not going to give him the views.”
Closing message
Jackie B said her campaign is ultimately about who gets represented in Austin and what issues state leaders prioritize.
“I believe in strong schools,” she said. “Education is our foundation.”
Jackie B’s campaign website is jackieb4tx.com.
Editor’s note: TX3DNews is covering candidates in contested local races through interviews and public statements. This coverage is not an endorsement.