MEET LESLIE

I ask for the honor of serving as your state representative for House District 97.  To me, passing legislation that strengthens and improves the community I care about is the highest calling one can pursue.  My background as a business lawyer, mother of three, wife of a combat veteran, and God-fearing, land-loving ranch owner gives me confidence that I am the best choice to advocate for our community in Austin.

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As a sixth generation Texas lawyer who grew up in Fort Worth, there was almost no other choice for me but to be drawn to the law.  My great-great-great grandfather, John Preston White, was the first judge appointed to the Texas court of appeals.  My great-great grandfather, Elisha Bishop Ritchie, earned our family ranch as a legal fee, then made his way down to Austin to represent Palo Pinto County in the legislature in the early-1900’s.  For me, public service is a way of life, and I cannot wait to become the first female in my family to represent this great community.

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I am no stranger to Texas politics; in fact, I have been intimately involved in implementing the lasting, positive changes that have made Texas the global leader it is today since the Republican party took the majority in Texas in 1999.  If I am elected to be your State Representative, the 89th Legislative Session will mark the 25th year since I stepped foot on the capitol lawn as an intern to then-Representative Phil King.  Since then, my admiration for good leadership and appreciation of the impact sound public policy has on our Texas families has only matured.  I hope you will give me the opportunity to lead the next generation of Republican leaders into the fight for an even brighter future for Texas.

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For the past 20 years, I have taken the skills I learned during the early days working at the Texas Capitol and leveraged them into a legal career focused on representing business clients before state agencies and Texas state and federal courts.  Today, I am recognized as a leading legal expert in commercial litigation, having practiced  with many of the state’s most renowned law firms. I am honored to have received numerous board nominations and accolades, such as consistently being named a “Rising Star” by Thomson Reuter’s Texas Super Lawyers magazine and the 2021 recipient of the 40 under 40 honor by the Fort Worth Business Press.

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Aside from my legal and business acumen, my strong conservative principles are rooted in my deep-seated belief that families serve as the cornerstone to healthy and thriving Texas communities.  As your State Representative, I will prioritize job growth and economic prosperity by continuing to strengthen the pro-business environment of the district.  Additionally, as a product of both the Fort Worth public and private school systems, I recognize the urgent need to provide Texans with lasting property tax cuts and parental empowerment over their children’s education. I am steadfastly committed to a fully secured southern border, defending our Constitutional rights, and being a stalwart voice for protecting the lives of the unborn.

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I firmly believe that Tarrant County is a shining example of conservative policies put into action, and I am proud to call Fort Worth home to my three young children and husband, Kevin–an entrepreneur and honorable Navy veteran who has seen multiple combat deployments to Afghanistan and Africa. I am ready to put my experience, combined with my love of Tarrant County to good use and get to work representing the constituents of Texas House District 97!