By Shirley Layton

 

I’m Shirley Layton and I’m running to be your next State Senator. I’m a veteran, a retired Telecommunications Manager, and a caretaker for my ninety-two-year-old father.
I am fighting for equal access to quality education and healthcare for every family. For too long, the middle-class workers and their families have been forgotten.

As a Fifth Generation East Texan, I know and proudly stands for East Texas values of decency and respect for all people.

Why I’m running:

I’m running because everyone deserves a fair chance and that begins with a good education, access to quality healthcare and a decent paying job.  I’m the best candidate because I’m dedicated to working to solve the issues and backed only by my desire to see a better future for the district.

Experience:

I was raised on a poultry farm in Chireno, Nacogdoches County. I know, first-hand, the meaning of hard work.  I started to college, at SFA, where former State Representative, Jim McReynolds was my History professor.  He taught the history of how unions helped build a strong middle-class. We’ve seen the unions and the middle-class in decline over the last 30 years.  We must reverse that trend. When finances became an issue, with two older sisters in college, I joined the military.  I spent two years in telecommunications training and four years overseas.  Upon exiting the military, I joined the brand new wireless industry, in Houston, and continued to work and pursue my education. After thirty-four years of advancement in network roles, in the telecommunications industry, including six years in the U.S. Navy and eighteen months building out the wireless network in Argentina, I opted for early retirement to help my Dad take care of my Mom in her last years with Parkinson’s and dementia.  I hold a Bachelor’s in Information Technology from AIU. I also passed the EC-6 Texas Teacher Certification and took courses in Biology and Healthcare. I’m eager to get to work on solving the problems we face in East Texas.  Again, my name is Shirley Layton and I’m running for Texas Senate District 3.