2026 Texas General Election

2026 Texas General Runoff

Nonpartisan

Denise Dick

Denise previously ran for the HCDE Position 3 at-large seat in 2024. She also ran for a Precinct 4 HCDE seat in 2022 and lost the general election.

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- Opposes curriculum containing “gender ideology,” “critical race theory,” or age-inappropriate sexual content in Harris County Department of Education student programs.
- Proposes allowing families to opt out of program content that conflicts with their faith or values without penalty.
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- Plans to bring Senate Bill 11 implementation before a Harris County Department of Education board vote.

- Plans to request a review of all Harris County Department of Education divisions’ budgets from the ground up within 90 days.
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- Prioritizes reducing gaps in occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy caseloads and reducing wait times across 25 districts.
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- Supports placing school chaplains on Harris County Department of Education campuses and providing student-led faith groups access to campus resources.
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- Prioritizes adult high-school-equivalency and English-language programs to meet demand among working-age Harris County residents.
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Alejandra Gracias

Buket Urgen

Denise Dick previously ran for the HCDE Position 3 at-large seat in 2024. She also ran for a Precinct 4 HCDE seat in 2022 and lost the general election.

Danielle will push for a formal Parent Advisory Board with standing authority to review HCDE curriculum in Head Start and the special schools and bring concerns directly to the Board of Trustees before materials are approved. This is not a public comment process. It is a structured role for parents in the oversight of what their children are being taught.

Parental Rights and Family Values

Specific Policy Commitments

No age-inappropriate sexual content, gender ideology, or critical race theory in any HCDE program serving students, and an annual board review of all curriculum materials to confirm compliance
A meaningful, easy-to-use opt-out right for any family from any program content that conflicts with their faith or values, with no penalty or adverse treatment for families who exercise it

Specific Policy Commitments

A meaningful, easy-to-use opt-out right for any family from any program content that conflicts with their faith or values, with no penalty or adverse treatment for families who exercise it
Head Start family engagement programming reviewed annually to confirm it treats parents as the authority on their own families and does not attempt to redirect parental values or decision-making

Danielle will bring SB 11 implementation to a board vote as early as possible. For HCDE’s specific student population this is not a peripheral matter. The twelve-step recovery framework underlying most evidence-based addiction treatment — the framework used at Fortis Academy — is built on spiritual principles.

Faith and Values

Pledges to "push for a formal Parent Advisory Board with standing authority to review HCDE curriculum in Head Start and the special schools and bring concerns directly to the Board of Trustees before materials are approved."

Opposes curriculum containing “gender ideology,” “critical race theory,” or age-inappropriate sexual content in Harris County Department of Education student programs.

Proposes allowing families to opt out of program content that conflicts with their faith or values without penalty.

Plans to bring Senate Bill 11 implementation before a Harris County Department of Education board vote.

- Pledges to "push for a formal Parent Advisory Board with standing authority to review HCDE curriculum in Head Start and the special schools and bring concerns directly to the Board of Trustees before materials are approved."
- Opposes curriculum containing “gender ideology,” “critical race theory,” or age-inappropriate sexual content in Harris County Department of Education student programs.
- Proposes allowing families to opt out of program content that conflicts with their faith or values without penalty.
- Plans to bring Senate Bill 11 implementation before a Harris County Department of Education board vote.

School Curriculum

The 90-Day Zero-Based Audit

Within ninety days of taking her board seat, Danielle will formally request a comprehensive zero-based budget review of all HCDE divisions. Zero-based budgeting means every program justifies every dollar of spending from scratch. Not from last year’s budget plus an inflation adjustment. From zero.

Fiscal Responsibility: The Full Plan

The dollars recovered from the cuts above do not go into reserves and they do not fund administrative restructuring. They go directly back to the people HCDE exists to serve. In order of priority:

Closing documented gaps in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology caseloads across the twenty-five districts, with specific attention to the districts currently experiencing the longest wait times for evaluations and services
Sustaining full staffing and therapeutic resource levels at all four specialized schools, with particular attention to Fortis Academy’s recovery programming and Highpoint’s intensive support services

Spending Priorities

Plans to request a review of all Harris County Department of Education divisions’ budgets from the ground up within 90 days.

Prioritizes reducing gaps in occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy caseloads and reducing wait times across 25 districts.

- Plans to request a review of all Harris County Department of Education divisions’ budgets from the ground up within 90 days.
- Prioritizes reducing gaps in occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy caseloads and reducing wait times across 25 districts.

School Facilities & Resources

She will also support the placement of school chaplains at HCDE campuses under the Texas law authorizing that role since 2023, and will ensure that student-led faith groups have full access to HCDE meeting spaces and campus resources.

Supports placing school chaplains on Harris County Department of Education campuses and providing student-led faith groups access to campus resources.

- Supports placing school chaplains on Harris County Department of Education campuses and providing student-led faith groups access to campus resources.

Student Wellbeing

As of September 11, 2026, Denise Dick’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Teachers

Prioritizes adult high-school-equivalency and English-language programs to meet demand among working-age Harris County residents.

Supports school choice to give "parents direct control over their children’s educational environment."

Access to Education

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Silky Joshi Malik has a dual bachelor's degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Houston and a master's in business administration from West Texas A&M.  She lives with her husband. 

LinkedIn

Silky previously worked as a book author for Terrier Publishing, as vice president of strategy at Owlfa, LLC, as an associate teacher for Houston ISD, and as charity events coordinator for the Association of British Women in Malaysia.

Silky Joshi Malik is currently a trustee for the Harris County Department of Education, Position 7 At-Large. She was appointed by the HCDE Board of Trustees in April 2025 and is serving the remainder of the term through December 2026.

Silky Joshi Malik Sworn In as Board Trustee, Begins Duties with ...

Silky Joshi-Malik

Silky is currently a trustee for the Harris County Department of Education, Position 7 At-Large. She was appointed by the HCDE Board of Trustees in April 2025 and is serving her 1st term. Previously, she ran for U.S. Congress in Texas's 2nd Congressional District in 2018, but did not win.

Supports investing in classrooms, staff, and training to prepare children for kindergarten.

Supports evidence-based educational supports, such as behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, and life-skills programming.

- Supports investing in classrooms, staff, and training to prepare children for kindergarten.
- Supports evidence-based educational supports, such as behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, and life-skills programming.

Wants to "maintain strong oversight of HCDE’s budget and financial practices."

Wants to ensure spending aligns with community needs and long-term planning.

- Wants to "maintain strong oversight of HCDE’s budget and financial practices."
- Wants to ensure spending aligns with community needs and long-term planning.

As of July 22, 2026, Silky Joshi Malik’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports expanding Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms.

Plans to prioritize outreach to families who have been historically excluded from early education systems.

Wants to protect and expand after-school and enrichment programming across Harris County.

Supports prioritizing enrichment opportunities that foster academic success and social-emotional development.

Supports prioritizing enrichment opportunities that "foster academic success and social-emotional development."

Wants to ensure educational programs are safe, affordable, and accessible.

- Supports expanding Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms.
- Plans to prioritize outreach to families who have been historically excluded from early education systems.
- Wants to protect and expand after-school and enrichment programming across Harris County.
- Supports prioritizing enrichment opportunities that "foster academic success and social-emotional development."
- Wants to ensure educational programs are safe, affordable, and accessible.

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Silky Joshi Malik

- Votes on various issues, including funding, tax rates, new construction projects, educational programming. They also hire the county superintendent for day-to-day operations.
- Works to equalize educational opportunity for emotionally disturbed or disabled students, students expelled from home campuses, and students recovering from substance abuse or dependency. Also provides adult education and after-school programming.
- Provides county with purchasing cooperative to streamline vendor obtainment process for government entities, including construction, school supplies, education technology, and food.
- Supports educators and school staff with school safety and emergency preparedness training and alternative certifications.
- Are elected in a partisan election for six-year terms. Candidates must be registered to vote in county and precinct (if running for a particular one), cannot be connected to public schools of any district, be at least 18 years old, cannot be a convicted felon, and must have lived continuously in Texas for at least a year and six months in the county.
- Board is paid through tax rate of 0.48%, grants, fees charged for additional services provided, and purchasing cooperative run by board. Members get paid $6 for every meeting they hold.

Establishes policies and provides services to local alternative schools.

Harris County Department of Education Board Member, Post 7

Election results

Candidates (2)