| State Representative Jill Dutton proudly represents House District 2, which encompasses Hopkins, Hunt, and Van Zandt counties, and she serves on the House Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee and the County Affairs Committee. Rep. Dutton was elected in a special election on January 31, 2024.
Rep. Dutton is a strong, conservative Republican who believes in securing the Texas border, low taxes, and vigorous safeguarding of the right to bear arms, private property rights, election integrity, and the state's robust, business-friendly climate. She actively supports a stellar education for every child and protection of our most vulnerable Texans from conception to natural death.
Rep. Dutton is Director of Administration for CA Partners, Inc., a commercial construction consulting firm that she co-founded with her husband David and business partners Chris and Trina Rehkemper. She also serves as an invited member of the Construction Industry Advisory Council at Texas A&M University and holds membership in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Rep. Dutton has been active in the Republican political arena for 25 years. In 2021, she spearheaded the Republican Women of Van Zandt, a Texas Federation of Republican Women (TFRW) club in her home county. As club President, she has advocated for Republican unity, party growth, and increasing voter awareness of key issues.
Rep. Dutton has served as Secretary of the Van Zandt County Republican Executive Committee, represented Van Zandt County as a delegate to four Republican Party of Texas conventions, and twice served as Chair of the Congressional District 5 Caucus. She began her GOP service at ground level, serving as a precinct chair, block-walking, working phone banks, planning events, and fundraising for local, state, and congressional Republican candidates.
A community leader and active proponent of quality education, Rep. Dutton served 10 years as a Trustee of the Van Independent School District. During her tenure, she served as Board Secretary, oversaw the hiring of a new superintendent, worked to train and arm teachers to protect students, and championed parental and community involvement in the Van public schools. Under her leadership, the district built the first Career and Technology Center in Van Zandt County and was the first school district in Texas to build a STEAM Bus with student input and design. The wheeled classroom brings science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics to students in rural areas.
When Van ISD needed a permanent source of outside funds to help ensure student success, Rep. Dutton stepped up as a co-founder of the Van ISD Education Foundation, then served as Vice President. In addition, she has served as Chair of the Van ISD School Health Advisory Council.
Rep. Dutton is an active member of the Kiwanis Club in Van and of the Rotary Club and the Lion's Club in Canton. In addition, she and her husband David are founding members of Connections Church in Van. She considers her faith in Christ Jesus to be the cornerstone and foundation of all of her political and social ideology.
Rep. Dutton earned a bachelor's degree in political science at University of Texas at Tyler, from which she graduated summa cum laude. Prior, she attended public schools in Dallas, Texas, and graduated from Dallas Christian School, located in Mesquite.
The Duttons are proud of their three adult children and three grandchildren, ages 9, 10, and 11. The family enjoys spending time with Rep. Dutton's in-laws, the Tunnells, whose forebears settled in Van Zandt County before Texas was a Republic. Rep. Dutton's paternal great-grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon in the late 1800s and put down roots in Greenville, Texas. |