Elaine Hays has filed her ballot application for Texas House District 64.

Hays, who formerly served on Amarillo City Council after first being elected in 2017, chose not to seek a third term in 2021 following a failed congressional primary bid in 2020. After leaving city council, Hays moved to Runaway Bay in Wise County, where she is now running for Texas State House.

Hays is already facing an uphill battle in her race. Incumbent Lynn Stucky is running, as is Andy Hopper. Hopper previously challenged Stucky during the 2022 primary, coming within a few points of ousting the incumbent. Hopper already has the backing of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Hays has proven to have some popularity in the district, however. During her 2020 bid for Congress, the only portion of the district won by Hays was Wise County.

Hays was an ally of former mayor Ginger Nelson while serving on city council. One of the few instances of Hays voting opposite Nelson came in late 2019 when Hays voted no on a string of budget and tax rate related items. However, some critics have argued that Hays’ votes were simply a prelude to her 2020 congressional bid, as that was the only year she voted against the budget and tax increase.

District 64 covers all of Wise County and a portion of Denton County. The deadline to file for the ballot is Monday, December 11th at 6 p.m. The primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5th.