I Ask For Your Vote for Rusk County Court at Law Judge

 

Early Voting Begins February 17th - 27th

Republican Primary Election Date: March 3, 2026

 

 

Personal Background

As a fourth generation Dean in Rusk County, I was born to and raised by Wesley Ryan Dean and Helen (Jones) Dean, to whom I credit the man I am today.  My brothers are Chipper Dean who operated and owned KWRD Radio Station in Henderson for many years, and Clint Dean who we lost when he was 19 years old.  My wife Kim, since I’ve known her, has always been my with best friend and love of my life.  We are so thankful for God’s blessing us with three children and nine Grandchildren. 

 

A big part of my life has been developed by my family's lifetime attendance and service at First Baptist Church Henderson.  During that time, I was privileged to serve as a Bible teacher to several age groups including 6th and 7th graders, college students, young married couples, and now as substitute teacher in the older Adult Radio Bible Class for several years. I also was ordained as a Deacon in my 30’s. My spiritual and personal relationship to my Savior Jesus Christ is at the foundation and center of my daily life.

 

My daily commitment to my Lord, family, and community is evidenced by my participation and leadership in various organizations locally. 

First, my church as I have said.  I joined the Henderson Noon Lions Club as soon as moving back from Baylor Law School to my hometown Henderson.  I have served as Past President and Board Member for numerous years and I’m still an active member.

 

Also, I supported the community as a member of the Chamber of Commerce over the years, as a younger man, I was honored to be selected in our community by the Chamber Board as “Man of the Year” as a result of community service and leadership.  My appreciation to that organization and its importance to our community, is one of highest praise, both past, present, and future.

 

In 1995, Kim and I were here to help start the Full Armor Christian Academy.  Kim served as the first president of the PTF of the school and I served several years on the school’s Board of Directors. Since then, we have been annual contributors to the school and presently have three grandchildren attending.

 

Legal Background and Education

My education included Henderson High School, Kilgore College, Baylor University and Baylor Law School.  I had a goal to go to Baylor Law School when I was a junior in high school.  First, I went to Kilgore College on a basketball scholarship where I graduated in 1975 with a near 4.0 grade point average. 

Immediately following Kilgore College, I attended Baylor University Business School in Waco, Texas with a concentration in accounting.  I was fortunate to be accepted into Baylor Law School in 1977 before I could finish my business degree.  Baylor Law School was then and is now recognized as a premier school for producing excellent trial attorneys.

My first quarter in law school I made the Dean’s Honor Roll being in the top 15% of my class.  I went straight through the Baylor Law School Program and was able to complete the three year program in 27 months, finishing in the top third of my graduating class in the spring of 1979.  The summer of 1979, while studying for the Texas Bar I finished my Bachelor of Business Degree and passed the Law Bar in the Fall of 1979. 

 

 

 

 

While at Law School, our daily life was consumed in my law studies, while Kim crammed in college studies and worked at Citizen's Bank of Waco in the Trust Department and then as a legal assistant in a local law firm. After working her day job she worked in the evening from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm at the campus Pizza Hut as a waitress.

 

Upon completing the State Bar, Kim and I sped back to Henderson to begin our lifetime goal to live and serve in Rusk County.  We had our first child nine months later, then in two years another child, and in three more years yet another child locking into our lifetime commitment to live and raise our family here in Henderson.

 

Adult Life in Rusk County, Texas

Having completing the first part of God’s plan for our lives, we began our service to apply our education here in our home community.  For the next twenty-eight years in Rusk County I built a law practice in the areas of law practiced in this Court at Law. Those areas are Family Law, Juvenile Law, Probate and Estate Law, Misdemeanor Criminal Law and various other areas shared with the District Court.  For a better understanding of the broad jurisdiction of the Court at Law, I have attached a description of these areas below.  My legal focus was totally upon the legal matters practiced precisely in this Court at Law and the District Court here.  Also, during those years while practicing law, I had several years as the Henderson City attorney and then some years as the Henderson City Judge.  Later, I also served as the first attorney for the HEDCO board. I had a full-time private practice while holding each of those positions.  Also, for six years I was requested to serve by the Texas Board for Attorney Disciplinary Conduct on the committee covering Rusk, Gregg, Smith and Cherokee counties to hear cases involving disciplinary complaints on attorneys practicing in this four county area.

 

One of my most interesting experiences during my private practice was being employed as in-house counsel for Henderson Clay Products, Inc., a world renowned manufacturer of brick dating back to the 1940’s, which carried me into cases involved in Texas and elsewhere.  In 1986, Henderson Clay Products sold it’s oil and gas operations to ARCO Oil and Gas Corp. And it’s brick operations to Boral Bricks, an Australian based corporation.

 

I was offered a position in the legal department of ARCO but because of my commitment to my community Kim and I stayed in Henderson.  My wife and I declined the ARCO job and committed to a full-time private practice of law in Rusk County.  I have never regretted that decision, though the job with ARCO held great potential financially for me.

 

In 2006, we took a new career turn into seeking the office in which I now sit as County Court at Law Judge.  My experiences and commitment to Rusk County was seen by the voters, and I was honored to be elected Rusk County Court at Law Judge.

 

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITIZENS OF RUSK COUNTY FOR THEIR CONFIDENCE AND I CONTINUE TO PLEDGE TO YOU TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF LAW OF “THE STATE OF TEXAS” according to the oath I have taken every four years for the last nineteen years.  In the 2026 Primary Elections, you as voters of Rusk County, Texas will be charged with the solemn responsibility to all the citizens of Rusk County, to choose who best qualifies as the next Republican Nominee and in all likelihood, ultimately serves as the judge of the Court at Law

for the next four years.  I ask for your vote.

- Judge Dean