In this week’s episode of the Bluebonnet News Headlines and Heartlines podcast, listeners will hear from Tarkington resident and congressional candidate Dwayne Stovall, a Republican running for Texas’ newly created U.S. Congressional District 9. The district, which includes Liberty County and east Harris County, is one Stovall believes fits him naturally—geographically, culturally, and historically.
Stovall’s campaign centers on reducing federal authority, restoring the balance of power to the states, and reining in what he describes as an ever-expanding federal bureaucracy. It is a message shaped by decades of watching how Washington’s decisions reach down into local communities like the one he has called home for nearly 30 years.
Although he lives in Tarkington today, Stovall’s family roots in Liberty County run deep—about 125 years deep. Both his father and grandfather were born in Daisetta, and their stories shaped much of his own. Stovall was born in Baytown, raised in a family connected to Humble Oil Company, which later became Standard Oil and eventually Exxon.
As a young man, Stovall spent two years working alongside his father on pipelines in Alaska. When he returned to Texas, he built a long career with Atlantic Ridgefield in Pasadena, staying for 14 years before stepping out on his own. That leap into entrepreneurship led to the creation of Diamond K Equipment, Inc., followed later by Liberty Testing, a company that performs third-party oilfield testing.
Shortly after starting his business, Stovall and his family settled in Tarkington, where they have remained ever since. His ties to District 9 extend beyond Liberty County, reaching deep into east Harris County, where he once rodeoed, worked, built business relationships, and formed connections that have lasted decades.
Long before his current campaign, Stovall invested years studying and engaging in state politics. He spent countless days at the Texas Capitol watching legislation move, learning how funding decisions were made, and speaking up on issues affecting rural families. His early work building bridges for Diamond K introduced him to the complexities of state funding, and those questions ultimately drew him deeper into public policy.
Around the same time, Stovall won a seat on the Tarkington ISD school board, where he became heavily involved in education policy. He spoke before legislative committees in Austin and the State Board of Education on issues such as early debates over Common Core math and other statewide curriculum concerns. These experiences helped shape his belief that state and local voices should carry more weight than federal mandates.
Stovall has also been a delegate to state Republican conventions and has authored several planks in the party platform. He points to this work as evidence of a well-established record supporting conservative principles, saying there is no uncertainty about where he stands on major issues.
Another subject Stovall speaks about passionately in the podcast interview is commercial driver’s licenses and who receives them. He believes CDL certification should be restricted to American citizens, saying that unlicensed or undocumented drivers pose a danger to other motorists because they may not understand road signs and safety regulations.
“This has been going on for decades, and it’s just now really drawn attention,” he said, adding that “fly-by-night companies” hiring illegal drivers create a constant turnover of identities to avoid accountability. Stovall warns that the practice harms both public safety and lawful truck drivers who, he said, “are being cut out of work.”
During the conversation, he stressed that manufacturers, customers, driver companies, and transport firms all have a role to play in correcting the problem. He believes the industry must eventually come to the table to end the hiring of undocumented drivers and restore confidence in the system. The issue, he argues, is another example of how federal and regulatory failures affect everyday Texans.
When asked why he chose to run for the U.S. House instead of seeking a state senate seat, Stovall said the decision came down to proximity—this new district is home. He believes he can best represent the people he knows personally, the ones who share his background and daily experiences.
If elected, Stovall said he plans to hold monthly meetings with constituents so they can stay informed about his work in Washington, D.C. He believes consistent communication is essential to maintaining transparency and preventing any drift toward the “D.C. bubble” that often separates representatives from their communities.
Listeners can hear Stovall’s full conversation—along with his thoughts on federal overreach, education, transportation safety, transparency, and the future of District 9—on the Bluebonnet News Headlines and Heartlines episode by clicking here to listen on YouTube, or here to listen on Spotify. The interview will also be aired on KILE FM 94.9 Radio in Cleveland on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and Friday, Dec. 5. The radio show times are at 10 a.m. and can also be heard at www.kilefm.com.