In a video from the event, Luther spoke to supporters while standing on the steps of the Denton County Courthouse.
“You better bet I’m putting my hat in the ring,” she said to applause.
Luther will be running for Prosper state Sen. Pat Fallon’s seat, which The Texas Tribune reported he will vacate early next year. Candidates must file by Friday for the Sept. 29 special election, according to a proclamation by Gov. Greg Abbott.Backing the Blue in Denton County pic.twitter.com/r7wfgPIKeu
— Shelley Luther (@ShelleyLuther) August 22, 2020
Earlier this month, Fallon won the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives during an atypical election. He’s favored to win that congressional seat since the district is overwhelmingly conservative.
Although Luther has never held office, political science experts believe she could still win. Earlier this year, she attracted media attention after she defied state and local mandates to close her business, Salon à la Mode.
“You better bet I’m putting my hat in the ring." - Dallas hair salon owner Shelley Luther
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Luther spent some time in jail as a result, but she also won the support of many of the state’s top Republican politicians along the way. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz dropped by her salon for a haircut and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick donated $7,000 to a GoFundMe to help pay for her legal costs.
Now, Luther is presenting herself as a tough-as-nails conservative candidate.
“If you want someone that doesn’t have to tell you they’ll fight, if you want someone that doesn’t have to tell you they’ll stand up and go to jail for you — I’ll do it again and again because I will fight to keep our Texas values,” Luther said during Saturday’s event.
In May, Luther gained increased national notoriety after appearing on daytime talk show The View. That same month, she joined rock musician Ted Nugent, himself a fervent backer of President Donald Trump, in a televised duet.
Working off that momentum, Luther has spoken at numerous events around Texas. She’s also thrown her support behind the state’s bar owners, some of whom are themselves resisting a state-mandated closure order.
To win her bid, Luther will have to beat seasoned politicians, including the frontrunner, state Rep. Drew Springer, who tweeted that he has Fallon’s endorsement. Denton Mayor Chris Watts may also be considering a run, according to The Texas Tribune.
