Branch ran and won his last two elections in District 108, a district evenly divided along party lines, with over 60% of the vote in 2008, and over 65% of the vote in 2010. Earlier this year, he was reelected by his House colleagues in North Texas to lead the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation for a second term.

Branch is the Chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education, a member of the Legislative Budget Board, and serves on the Calendars, Redistricting, Elections, and State Sovereignty Committees. Recently, he was appointed Co-Chairman of the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence, and Transparency.

During his time in the Texas Legislature, Branch has been a leading advocate of budget and education reforms. He sponsored the new laws to create more Tier One universities, reform the "Top 10%" college admissions rule, and was responsible for numerous successful initiatives to rein in the "Robin Hood" public school funding scheme.

This session, Branch authored successful bills to get more value out of limited tax dollars by steering college funding toward student success measures, reducing university administration costs, and lowering the cost of college textbooks. His legislative efforts have earned high marks from many sources, including recognition as a "2011 Champion of Free Enterprise" by the Texas Association of Business, as well as being listed by both Texas Monthly and Capitol Inside among their "best" of the Texas Legislature in 2009 and 2011.

"We are doing the hard work to provide an environment where more jobs can be created, and help lead our state through a challenging economy," Branch said. "We cut state spending four years in a row and lowered property tax rates, while increasing strategic investments in education, border security and transportation. There is more work to be done and I offer a record of results-oriented leadership with respect for our tradition of limited, effective government."

Configurations of Texas House districts, including District 108, are currently under review by the federal courts. Last week, while awaiting a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, two federal judges in San Antonio ignored the boundary lines enacted by the governor and 181 members of the Texas Legislature, and ordered new interim maps. Earlier today, the Texas Attorney General asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and reverse the actions of the two federal judges.

Branch said, "I strongly disagree with the overreaching actions by a pair of federal judges, and I support the Texas Attorney General's efforts before the U.S. Supreme Court. For the sake of Texas voters, I hope these redistricting issues can be resolved quickly, and that justice prevails. Whatever the result, I look forward to laying my record before the voters in the heart of Dallas district."

Branch and his wife, Stacey, have five children and have lived and worked in District 108, the central Dallas area, for over 25 years. Branch is a former president of The Dallas Assembly and is a shareholder with Winstead PC.

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