Houston’s latest political plot twist is unfolding at the Harris County Department of Education, where longtime trustee Eric Dick may soon share the dais with his wife.
Danielle Dick, who says she prefers to go by her middle name, Denise, is making a third run for an at-large seat on the HCDE board, putting her name on the same ballot line-up as her husband. Early voting begins next Tuesday, and the March 3 primary will determine who moves on to November’s general election.
As reported by the Houston Chronicle, Dick said she opted to campaign as “Denise” because “it just feels more like me.” She told the Chronicle that her priorities include supporting special-education services and making sure taxpayer dollars “give back to the community.” The outlet notes she is a law firm manager and that she has already run for the HCDE board twice, in 2022 and again in 2024.
What the Harris County Department of Education Does
The Harris County Department of Education is a county-level agency that provides special programs, early childhood services and alternative-campus support for the region’s 25 school districts while collecting a maintenance-and-operations tax. According to the Harris County Department of Education, a seven-member board oversees budgets, programs and tax decisions that affect thousands of students across the county.
Trustee’s Record and Local Scrutiny
Her husband, Eric Dick, has served as an HCDE trustee since January 2017 and is a familiar figure in Houston education politics. He has faced a series of legal and ethics controversies in recent years, including court sanctions and an arrest last year that did not result in a detention order, issues outlined by Houston Public Media. His headline-making history adds extra scrutiny to the prospect of both spouses serving on the same board.
Ethics, Disclosure And Conflicts
State guidance says potential conflicts of interest for local officials are governed by the Texas Local Government Code and that trustees must disclose, and sometimes recuse themselves from, votes that would create a personal financial interest. The Texas Education Agency notes that disclosure and abstention rules, and in some charter contexts limits on family members serving together, are standard tools to address conflicts and protect public trust.
Who’s On The Ballot
According to the Houston Chronicle, Dick is running in the Republican primary for Position 7 against Madison Guillory and Beverly Barrett. If she secures the GOP nomination, she would face Democrat and incumbent Silky Joshi-Malik in the November general election. Joshi-Malik currently serves on the HCDE board, according to the department’s trustee profiles on the Harris County Department of Education website.
What To Watch
The race is, on paper, about familiar local issues: special-education funding, oversight of countywide programs and how far each tax dollar stretches. At the same time, it highlights a more delicate question for voters, namely how comfortable they are with a married pair potentially occupying two of the seven HCDE seats.
Voters get their first say during next week’s early voting period. As the campaign heats up, expect pointed questions about transparency, recusal practices and how the board would handle any situation where family ties intersect with public business.
