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Terry Wilson (Texas)

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Terry Wilson
Image of Terry Wilson
Texas House of Representatives District 20
Tenure

2017 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

8

Compensation

Base salary

$7,200/year

Per diem

$221/day

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Texas A&M University, 1990

Graduate

Air War College, 2003

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1983 - 2015

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Personal
Birthplace
Odessa, Texas
Religion
Baptist
Profession
Military officer
Contact

Terry Wilson (Republican Party) is a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 20. He assumed office in 2017. His current term ends on January 12, 2027.

Wilson (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 20. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Wilson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Terry Wilson was born in Odessa, Texas. Wilson served in the U.S. Army from 1983 to 2015. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Texas A&M University in 1990 and a graduate degree from Air War College in 2003. Wilson has been affiliated with the National Rifle Association and Rotary.[1]

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Wilson was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Wilson was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Wilson was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Texas committee assignments, 2017
Criminal Jurisprudence
Defense & Veterans' Affairs

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2024

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Incumbent Terry Wilson defeated Stephen Wyman in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson (R) Candidate Connection
 
59.8
 
64,086
Image of Stephen Wyman
Stephen Wyman (D)
 
40.2
 
43,148

Total votes: 107,234
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Stephen Wyman advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Stephen Wyman
Stephen Wyman
 
100.0
 
7,050

Total votes: 7,050
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Incumbent Terry Wilson defeated Elva Janine Chapa in the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson Candidate Connection
 
59.4
 
13,945
Image of Elva Janine Chapa
Elva Janine Chapa Candidate Connection
 
40.6
 
9,532

Total votes: 23,477
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Wilson in this election.

2022

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Incumbent Terry Wilson defeated Raul Camacho in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson (R)
 
59.1
 
49,345
Image of Raul Camacho
Raul Camacho (D) Candidate Connection
 
40.9
 
34,175

Total votes: 83,520
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Raul Camacho advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Raul Camacho
Raul Camacho Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
7,875

Total votes: 7,875
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Incumbent Terry Wilson advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on March 1, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson
 
100.0
 
16,145

Total votes: 16,145
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Campaign finance

2020

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Incumbent Terry Wilson defeated Jessica Tiedt in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson (R)
 
71.4
 
78,884
Image of Jessica Tiedt
Jessica Tiedt (D) Candidate Connection
 
28.6
 
31,648

Total votes: 110,532
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Jessica Tiedt advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jessica Tiedt
Jessica Tiedt Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
13,092

Total votes: 13,092
Candidate Connection = 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 20

Incumbent Terry Wilson advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson
 
100.0
 
26,102

Total votes: 26,102
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Campaign finance


2018

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 20

Incumbent Terry Wilson defeated Stephen Wyman in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson (R)
 
71.5
 
57,885
Image of Stephen Wyman
Stephen Wyman (D)
 
28.5
 
23,069

Total votes: 80,954
Candidate Connection = 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 20

Stephen Wyman advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Stephen Wyman
Stephen Wyman
 
100.0
 
5,882

Total votes: 5,882
Candidate Connection = 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 20

Incumbent Terry Wilson advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 20 on March 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson
 
100.0
 
17,812

Total votes: 17,812
Candidate Connection = 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.

2016

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.[2]

Terry Wilson ran unopposed in the Texas House of Representatives District 20 general election.[3]

Texas House of Representatives, District 20 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Terry Wilson  (unopposed) 100.00% 61,745
Total Votes 61,745
Source: Texas Secretary of State


Terry Wilson defeated incumbent Marsha Farney in the Texas House of Representatives District 20 Republican Primary.[4][5]

Texas House of Representatives, District 20 Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Terry Wilson 54.26% 18,773
     Republican Marsha Farney Incumbent 45.74% 15,827
Total Votes 34,600

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Terry Wilson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wilson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I was born in Odessa, Texas, and after high school I joined the Army. Several years later I realized I needed higher education to reach my goals in life. I left the Army with the rank of Sergeant, enrolled in Texas A&M University and graduated with a BS in Business Administration. I later earned an MS in Strategic Logistics Plans and Management from the Air War University. I was commissioned as an Army Officer after graduation from Texas A&M, just as Operation Desert Storm began.

I have extensive experience in providing leadership, balancing budgets, and working with Congress, Homeland Defense, the State Department and foreign governments. After I retired from the Army, I leveraged that experience as an advocate for exceptional and talented small businesses, helping them break through bureaucracy to deliver technology to our warfighters.

I have been married to my wife, Shannon, for 28 years and together we have two sons, William and Benjamin, who both attend Texas A&M as members of the Corps of Cadets. We are members of First Baptist Church. I am also an Assistant Scout Master and support local education by speaking to students in the schools and serving on special projects.

I serve as Chairman of the House Committee on Defense & Veterans’ Affairs, which oversees all matters dealing with the relationship between the State of Texas and the Department of Defense, as well as issues impacting veterans and emergency response. I am also honored to serve on
  • Border security - Texas ought to explore the creation of a specialized agency or a distinct division within the Department of Public Safety, dedicated exclusively to handling border-related criminal activities. Establishing such an entity is crucial for unifying and optimizing the state’s current border security initiatives. The primary function of this focused agency would be the investigation of an array of border-related crimes, encompassing human smuggling, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
  • Excelence in Education - Education is key to Texas history. The original Texans listed Mexico's failure to provide a free system of public schools as a bigger problem than dissolving the Texas legislature by force. Texans have always and will always demand good education for their children. In my time in the legislature, I have helped build structures to improve Vocational education starting in the seventh grade, allowing students to find their passion and get the training and certifications they need right out of high school. We have also pushed back against the use of critical race theory and DEI in our public schools, ensuring that parents have a say in their children's education.
  • Improved Infrastructure - From Water to Transportation, infrastructure is essential to allowing Texans to build the future of our state.
Water and Infrastructure. Every generation has a responsibility to build things up to hand over a better future for their children. For today’s children to live in the prosperity we experience we must build up the infrastructure and resources necessary to keep food on the table and water in the pipes.
I loved my Granddad, W. E. (Bill) Howard. If I’m going to follow any person’s example, it would be his. He became the man of the house at the age of 13 after his father died. He enlisted in the Navy during World War II, surviving after his ship was torpedoed by the Japanese. He later attended and graduated from Texas Tech University, opened his own CPA firm, and created a comfortable life for his family. He was both practical and principled, and he was the smartest man I ever knew. He would say, “If you’re on time, you’re late,” and “If you want friends, show yourself friendly.” He taught me that hard work paid off, and that family, love, and laughter are important. He lived to be 90 years old...one of the last of the Greatest Generation. I miss him every day.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a great movie. It was released in 1939 but still rings true today. Mr. Smith, played by Jimmy Stuart, gets elected as a representative and is disappointed and angry at the gamesmanship and dishonesty in Washington’s political scene. He decides he can make a difference (and he does) without selling out his principles. I believe being honest and decent and standing up for the people least likely to be heard is the job of a statesman. The people need a voice in the face of political interests.
Knowing the limited role of government. Adam Smith, the father of Capitalism, said the four legitimate purposes of government were:

1. Provide for national security and public safety
2. Enforce contracts
3. Provide infrastructure
4. Maintain a strong currency
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson stated that governments are instituted among men to protect “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

If it isn’t on one of those lists, the government should stay out of it.
Leadership and Integrity. As a Retired US Army Colonel of 32 years, 14 of those years a nation at war, I lead teams to do everything from capturing enemy objectives to building the latest technology that will power our forces for the next 50 years. I have brought that experience to my time in the legislature, and to my time serving as the whip for the Republican Caucus. You can only lead people into battle successfully when they know that you mean what you say and back it up with your actions.
Listening to the people. Elected officials are supposed to serve as the voice of the people and carry out their will.
I would like to leave a legacy of bringing people together through honesty and hard work, showing that we can find common ground and build something that benefits us all.
I was almost five years old when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Of course, I didn’t really understand what a significant accomplishment this was at the time, but I remember the excitement and the feeling that we were a part of something really momentous.
It is beneficial but not always necessary. Experience in leadership and within the community can count just as much if not more.
It is absolutely necessary to build relationships with other legislators, on both sides of the political aisle. So many issues that come before the legislature aren’t strictly liberal or conservative, and being able to come to a consensus with people who think very differently than you is a vital skill.
David Simpson. He proved that you can be extremely conservative, never compromise your principles, and still be a statesman who treats everyone with respect and honor, even those you disagree with.
I believe I was called to what I am doing now, and I am committed to this position.
Stefanie Turner. She lost her son Tucker after he took a single pill that had been contaminated with fentanyl. She took her pain and her grief and poured it into making sure no mother ever had to lose a child that way again. With her help, we passed Tuckers Law in the 88th session, allowing parents like her to be able to tell their stories in schools directly to students.
The legislature is the representative body of the people. Emergency powers should be limited in scope and subject to rigorous oversight by the legislature.
The creation of a Border Protection Unit within the Office of the Governor. Texas cannot rely on the federal government to defend our borders. We must establish a permanent force to secure it when the federal government will not.
Governor Greg Abbott,

Governor Rick Perry,
Senator Charles Schwertner,
Senator Bryan Hughes,
Senator Mayes Middleton,
Texas Alliance for Life,
Texas Right to Life,
Young Conservatives of Texas,

National Rifle Association, 

Texas Home School Coalition,
Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND,
Texas State Rifle Association,
Texas Realtors PAC (TREPAC),
Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick,
The Honorable Ron Garland,
The Honorable Kevin Pitts,
The Honorable Steve Fought,
The Honorable Andy Webb,
The Honorable Josh Schroeder,
The Honorable Edna Staudt,
Donna Province (Sun City),
Milam County District Attorney Bill Torrey,
Warren Gillespie,

and more than 20 Williamson County Precinct Chairmen residing in House District 20.
Defense and Veteran’s Affairs, Agriculture and Livestock
Governments owe the people they serve absolute and complete transparency in how their tax dollars are spent.

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

Terry Wilson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Terry Wilson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Wilson's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

Immigration: We must secure the border, put an end to sanctuary cities, reject amnesty, and put an end to the incentives that encourage illegal immigration.

National Security: As a combat veteran of the U.S. Army, I have seen first hand the evil of terrorism and know it must be taken seriously. Our border agents are overwhelmed with potentially dangerous illegal aliens who are crossing into our country at an alarming rate and are intent on destroying our values of freedom.

Second Amendment: One of the most important rights we hold as Americans is our right to keep and bear arms. I will fight to eliminate the regulations and "gun-free zones" that put law abiding citizens in danger and limit our ability to exercise our God-given Constitutional rights.

Pro-Life: I am 100% pro-life and will fight to put an end to abortion in Texas.

Taxes: I will work hard to lower the tax burden on families and small businesses therefore putting more money back into your pocket.[6]

—Terry Wilson[7]

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Terry Wilson campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Texas House of Representatives District 20Won general$639,626 $548,260
2022Texas House of Representatives District 20Won general$452,930 $180,872
2020Texas House of Representatives District 20Won general$156,498 N/A**
2018Texas House of Representatives District 20Won general$84,693 N/A**
Grand total$1,333,747 $729,132
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Endorsements

2016

In 2016, Wilson's endorsements included the following:[8]

  • Texas Right to Life
  • Texans for Fiscal Responsibility
  • Conservative Republicans of Texas
  • Cathie Adams - President, Texas Eagle Forum; Former Chair of Texas GOP
  • Sgt. Sam Cox - Former KLBJ Conservative Radio Host
  • JoAnn Fleming - Executive Director, Grassroots America - We the People

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Texas

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Texas scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017







See also


External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
-
Texas House of Representatives District 20
2017-Present
Succeeded by
-


Current members of the Texas House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Dustin Burrows
Representatives
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Jay Dean (R)
District 8
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Pat Curry (R)
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Ken King (R)
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Toni Rose (D)
District 111
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Ray Lopez (D)
District 126
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John Bucy (D)
District 137
Gene Wu (D)
District 138
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Hubert Vo (D)
District 150
Republican Party (88)
Democratic Party (62)