Hayden Padgett

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Hayden Padgett

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 3, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

UCLA, 2013

Personal

Profession

Technology Executive

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Hayden Padgett ran for election to the Plano City Council to represent Place 8 in Texas. He lost in the general election on May 3, 2025.

Padgett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Hayden Padgett earned a bachelor's degree from UCLA in 2013. His professional experience includes working as the director of product for a financial technology company. He has been affiliated with the Young Republican National Federation and Rotary International.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Plano, Texas (2025)

General election

General election for Plano City Council Place 8

Vidal Quintanilla defeated Hayden Padgett in the general election for Plano City Council Place 8 on May 3, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Vidal Quintanilla (Nonpartisan)	53.9	10,183
		Hayden Padgett (Nonpartisan)	46.1	8,711

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3	Total votes: 18,894
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Padgett in this election.

2022

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 70

Mihaela Plesa defeated Jamee Jolly in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 70 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mihaela Plesa (D)	50.7	29,660
		Jamee Jolly (R)	49.3	28,801

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 58,461
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 70

Mihaela Plesa defeated Cassandra Garcia Hernandez in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 70 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mihaela Plesa	55.1	2,588
		Cassandra Garcia Hernandez	44.9	2,106

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,694
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 70

Jamee Jolly defeated Eric Bowlin in the Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 70 on May 24, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jamee Jolly	52.1	4,518
		Eric Bowlin	47.9	4,151

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,669
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 70

Cassandra Garcia Hernandez and Mihaela Plesa advanced to a runoff. They defeated Lorenzo Sanchez in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 70 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cassandra Garcia Hernandez	34.2	2,513
✔		Mihaela Plesa	33.1	2,435
		Lorenzo Sanchez	32.7	2,406

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,354
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 70

Jamee Jolly and Eric Bowlin advanced to a runoff. They defeated Hayden Padgett, Daniel Chandler, and LaDale Buggs in the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 70 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jamee Jolly	38.0	4,158
✔		Eric Bowlin	32.0	3,495
		Hayden Padgett	21.4	2,338
		Daniel Chandler	6.4	694
	Submit photo	LaDale Buggs	2.2	243

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,928
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Hayden Padgett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Padgett's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My wife and I moved to Plano because it gives so many great services to residents (great parks, good roads, good schools, amazing police and fire, etc), all at a very affordable cost (we have among the lowest property taxes in NTX). To me, that’s what it means to be the “city of excellence.” I’m running to help keep it that way, to make sure we remain a city that provides extraordinary value to its people without pricing them out.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Plano has lots of aging infrastructure, which is straining our finances. We need to balance repairs to this infrastructure while still funding our city services, keeping property taxes low, and minimizing the disruptions caused by maintenance.
• Plano will face significant budget trade-offs, just as we all have with inflation. Those will need to be managed without losing our excellent staff and services.
• For too long, DART has been unresponsive to the needs of the city while failing to provide enough value to our residents. That needs to change.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

One of Plano's greatest strengths are our amazing police and fire. It's crucial we continue to provide them the resources needed to keep them on the cutting edge of public safety. Another great strength is our award winning park system and I am eager to help make them even better.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have served our community from the moment I came here, spending over 10 years as a Rotarian, 6 years on the Parks & Recreation Board (3 as it's Chair), and helping to revive the annual Plano holiday parades. It's a breadth and depth of experience that equips me to effectively help the city.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To listen to, and represent, the people.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

9/11. I was in elementary school.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Government finances should be fully accessible to all residents and written in such a manner that they are comprehensible to the average person.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Hayden Padgett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Padgett's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a husband, public servant, and proud Republican activist. I am running to represent Texas' 70th House District: to keep our economy booming, our schools exceptional, our neighborhoods safe, our taxes low, and our home the land of opportunity.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I have dedicated my adult life to serving my community. I serve on the Plano Parks & Recreations Board as well as the Texas Product Development & Small Business Incubator Board. I’ve served as a Precinct Chair, Parliamentarian of the Collin County Republican Party, Chair of the Texas Young Republicans, and now Co-Chair of the Young Republican National Federation.
• My experience serving the community has taught me what Texas economy needs to continue thriving, how to keep our society free, and how to represent the people of this district.
• In Collin County, we live in a community brimming with opportunity and compassion. This is no accident; it’s the inevitable result after decades of Republican leadership. We have thousands of good jobs because of Republicans. We have some of the best schools in the nation because of Republicans. And we have some of the lowest taxes in Texas because of Republicans.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

A representative's job is to tackle the problems most urgent to their constituents. Every day, residents tell me:

- Property taxes are too high, causing some to lose their home because they cannot afford to pay their taxes.
- The lack of security at our southern border puts the safety of Texans at risk, with violence in border communities, and drugs and human trafficking throughout the state.

- That we need to ensure our Plano & Dallas schools remain exceptional, while ensuring parents have a say in what their children are taught.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, empathy, experience, conviction.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To understand the problems of their constituents. To discern which problems ought to be solved by the individual (most of them), which by local authorities (some of them), which by the state (few of them), and which by the national government (very few of them). Then, for those problems solved by the state, to work with the rest of the legislature to find a solution that works for all parties, generally across the entire state.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My father is a physician who has run his own clinic for years, aided heavily by my mother. When I was young, I used to go to the clinic with my mom and help her manage the administrative tasks - putting away charts, cleaning exam rooms, etc. In high school, my first job was to manage the front desk of the clinic, scheduling and greeting patients, and then working with insurance companies to cover procedures for those same patients. Too often, "working" with insurance companies became fighting with. I also saw how bad policies make healthcare so expensive in the United States, preventing doctors from devoting themselves fully to caring for their patients.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. It combines a compelling story with architecture (an art form I particularly admire) and a thoughtful, well-crafted political philosophy.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"You're Welcome" by Lin-Manuel Miranda

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Both hold each other in check, with the legislature driving the formation of law, the governor ensuring those laws are executed correctly, and both guarding against excesses from the other.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Property tax burdens, ensuring energy abundance, and continuing economic growth.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

The only benefit of a unicameral legislature is that it increases the speed at which legislation can be written and passed. However, I believe that is a bad thing when creating law. Lawmaker should be hard and should take a long time - it must be burdensome to meddle with the lives of people. A bicameral legislature increases the difficulty in passing legislation, ensuring that only the most well crafted and prudent are enacted.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do, as experience helps one be cautious and affords one the opportunity to develop relationships that make them an effective legislator.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely, just as it's beneficial to build relationships with colleagues in other work environments. Legislating isn't solely about ideology and politics, it's often about technical minutia and figuring out how to solve hard problems. That requires grit, collaboration, and a certain amount of grace for those moments when tensions run high.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

In late December of 2021, just before Christmas, I knocked on the door of a woman who is in her late 50s. She'd lived in her Plano home for over 20 years and raised her child in that home. Within moments of meeting her, she became to cry, right in front of me, a stranger. She told me that just minutes earlier, she'd come to the realization that she would have to sell her home with the next month because she couldn't afford her property tax bill for the following year. She realized that she had to give up her home, the place she raised her family, the community she built around her, 20 years of memories, because she could not afford a tax bill that had risen exponentially since she moved in. The look on her face is stuck in my mind - a look of anguish, desperation, and profound loss.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Yes. During a crisis, it is appropriate for the executive to have authority to act unilaterally within a specified window (usually 30-days). After that time, the legislature (the body tasked with creating legal action) must be called.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

The object of government is to solve those problems that individuals are unable to solve themselves. Compromise on the specific solutions to those problems is necessary, though never at the expense of compromising one's principles.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2025 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Plano City Council Place 8

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Personal

LinkedIn