Chair — Senate Education Committee
2026Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in March 2026 to serve as the new Chair of this critical committee that shapes the future of our state.
Issues & Priorities
Education & Parental Rights
Every parent deserves the right to choose the best school for their child.
Dr. Donna Campbell has authored, joint-authored or co-authored school choice legislation in every regular session since she took office in 2013. In the 89th Legislature she joint-authored the law creating Education Savings Accounts, and in March 2026 Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appointed her Chair of the Senate Committee on Education.
The stakes are personal for the families of District 25. The district is home to well over a hundred thousand K-12 students across more than twenty school districts. More than half of district adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — far above the state average — and they expect academic excellence. But they also expect something more fundamental: the right to direct the upbringing and education of their own children. Dr. Campbell has backed Education Savings Accounts that give parents genuine school choice (a standard account is worth about $10,000 a year), cosponsored the 2025 school finance law that funded pay raises for experienced teachers, and authored legislation to require written parental consent before children receive human sexuality instruction, which passed the Senate in 2025.
She has also taken on issues that go to the heart of what kind of culture Texas schools will reflect. She supported legislation requiring parental oversight of school library materials, banning cell phones in classrooms, displaying the Ten Commandments, allowing voluntary prayer and Bible reading, and teaching students about the horrors of communist regimes. And she fought for a cost-of-living adjustment for retired teachers who spent their careers serving Texas children. Dr. Campbell's vision for education is simple and unwavering: parents lead, teachers teach, and government gets out of the way.
Proven Record
Vice Chair — Education K-16 Committee
2025Served as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Education K-16 during the 2025 regular session, when the Legislature created Education Savings Accounts.
Joint-authored the law creating Education Savings Accounts — a standard account is worth about $10,000 a year, and up to $30,000 for students with disabilities — that families can use for private school tuition and other approved education expenses.
Cosponsored the 2025 school finance law, which created a teacher retention allotment to fund pay raises for experienced classroom teachers, investing in the public school teachers who form the backbone of education across our state.
View all 16 accomplishments
Authored legislation to require written parental consent (opt-in) before children receive human sexuality instruction. Passed the Senate in 2025 but did not pass the House before the session ended.
Joint-authored the law expanding parental oversight of school library materials, barring indecent or profane content from school libraries and giving parents a meaningful role in protecting their children.
Cosponsored the law requiring school districts and charter schools to prohibit student use of cell phones and other personal communication devices on school property during the school day, giving students a more focused learning environment.
Joint-authored legislation requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms. Voted for it on the Senate floor, where it passed 20-11.
Joint-authored the law giving eligible retired teachers a cost-of-living adjustment and a one-time supplemental payment for older retirees, recognizing the decades of service these teachers gave to Texas children.
Authored curriculum requirements teaching students in grades 4 through 12 about communist regimes and ideologies, ensuring the next generation understands the human cost of totalitarianism.
Authored the law allowing public schools, charter schools and universities to rent their facilities to religious organizations for worship services on the same terms as nonreligious groups, and barring any government from penalizing or defunding a school that chooses to do so.
Joint-authored legislation protecting the religious speech rights of public school employees, ensuring teachers and staff are not punished for expressing their faith.
Authored the law letting students who complete an elementary school dual language immersion program satisfy one of their two required high school foreign language credits, freeing up an elective.
Authored the law making anyone convicted of a felony ineligible to serve as a school board trustee, strengthening accountability for the officials who oversee local education. A bipartisan effort — sponsored in the House by Rep. Dutton (D).
Authored legislation requiring TEA to provide child identification kits to school districts, giving families a critical tool for child safety.
Authored the law requiring new teachers to receive instruction on mental health, substance abuse and youth suicide as part of their certification training, drawn from the state's list of best-practice programs.
"Parents — not the government — have the fundamental right and responsibility to direct the upbringing and education of their children. I have filed school choice legislation every session since 2013, and I will not stop until every Texas family has that freedom."
Dr. Campbell's Promise
Why do we need to keep Texas Smart?
Because we don't have another Texas to move to.
Donate to Keep Texas SmartExplore More Issues
Pro-Life Leadership
Dr. Donna Campbell joint-authored the Texas Heartbeat Act and has been repeatedly honored by the Texas Alliance for Life. Her record defending the unborn in SD-25.
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Property Tax Relief
Dr. Donna Campbell co-authored 2023's SB 2, part of what Gov. Abbott called the largest property tax cut in Texas history, delivering savings for SD-25 homeowners.
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Healthcare — The Physician-Senator
Dr. Donna Campbell brings 30+ years as a board-certified ER physician and retired ophthalmologist to Texas healthcare policy. See her record in SD-25.
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Keeping Texas Smart
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Support Dr. Campbell's fight for parental rights and school choice