Detrick DeBurr, a Democrat from The Colony, is running against Republican incumbent Mitch Little for Texas House District 65 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Asked why he is running, DeBurr said in the Flower Mound Times candidate questionnaire: “I'm running for the Texas House to ensure that Texas works fairly for everyone. Every community deserves the opportunity to thrive, and that starts with a state government that invests in its people.”
Candidate information
Party: “Democrat”
Occupation: “Software Engineer/Technical Architect for the past 25 years”
Education: DeBurr listed “BS Computer Information Systems -DeVry University” and “Master of Foresight Studies (Currently) - University of Houston” in his questionnaire. The University of Houston identifies the graduate program as a Master of Science in Foresight.
Family: “Divorced, Father of 4, Terry 35, Joshua 29, Aisha 27, Cora 2”
Experience and public service
DeBurr said in his questionnaire: “I have served as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner in North Texas.”
The Colony’s official newsletter records his appointment to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission in June 2022.
According to BallotReady’s candidate profile, his professional experience includes work as a technical consultant at Broadcom Software from 2019 to 2022, a senior lead developer at Bank of America Merrill Lynch from 2016 to 2018 and a capital ally at HBCUvc beginning in 2025.
Lone Star Left’s profile identifies DeBurr as a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity and an author. His books include Deal Us In! How Black America Can Play and Win in the Digital Economy and Build Gamified Websites with PHP and jQuery, which the publisher listing dates to September 2013.
On the issues
School funding: Asked whether the school funding formula is adequate, DeBurr said: “Absolutely not.”
He said: “I would start by defunding the current voucher program.”
He also said he would “tie allotments to enrollment, not attendance. When a child doesn't attend school, the costs of running the school don't decrease, so funding shouldn't either.”
Property taxes: Asked about proposals to eliminate school district property taxes, DeBurr said: “No, I don't support that approach. I believe the state should first take on a larger share of public school funding so annual property tax increases aren't so sharp.”
He added: “When people can clearly see where their property tax dollars go and compare property tax increases with increases in their property's value, many would be more comfortable with their current tax bill.”
Infrastructure: DeBurr said: “We have sharp people at the local level doing a yeoman's job to manage growth in our cities and counties. In Austin, we should get out of their way and let them do their jobs, giving them the resources they need rather than tying their hands with mandates from Austin.”
First bill: Asked what bill he would file first, DeBurr said: “‘Local Livable Wage’ legislation that sets a minimum wage indexed to the Consumer Price Index. Indexing the wage allows businesses to plan while removing political volatility from wage policy.”
The legislation “would also allow cities with populations over one million to set local minimum wages above the state standard,” he said.
Endorsements
Blue Voter Guide’s 2026 district page lists endorsements from AFL-CIO Texas, the North Texas Area Labor Federation, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and the Texas Progressive Caucus, among others.
Candidate responses were collected through the Flower Mound Times questionnaire. Quotations have been excerpted for length without changing the candidate’s wording. Biographical claims and policy positions are attributed to DeBurr unless otherwise noted.
