Democrat · Texas's 30th District · 2026
Frederick Haynes III
Haynes III grew up in San Francisco as the son and grandson of preachers, then returned to his birthplace of Dallas for college.
Biography
Frederick Haynes III grew up in San Francisco with a father and grandfather who were pastors, then returned to his Dallas birthplace for college.1 He and his wife, Debra, have one adult daughter.1 His work has included the radio show Freddy Haynes Unscripted and the books Soul Fitness and Healing Our Broken Village.1
He graduated from Bishop College in 1982, studying religion and English, and later earned a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.1 In 2025, he completed a PhD in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric at Christian Theological Seminary.2
Haynes has led Friendship-West Baptist Church since 1983.1 His community work includes the THRIVE internship and leadership program, which provides young people with paid work, mentoring and job training.3 He has also worked with the Center for Responsible Lending against predatory lending and supported college scholarships through the church.1
His platform calls for interest rate caps, stronger consumer protections, affordable housing, paid family leave and wages reflecting actual living costs.4 In an October interview, he supported abolishing ICE and creating a pathway to citizenship through immigration reform.5 He faces Republican Everett Jackson for the open congressional seat, with their agendas differing on federal spending, immigration and economic policy.647
Record and controversies
House financial disclosure
The Tribune reported in July 2026 that Haynes's House candidate financial disclosure was overdue; his campaign said it would finish within a week.8 The complete 2026 public House index retrieved October 29 contained no matching Haynes entry; that does not establish whether he had submitted paperwork not yet indexed.9
Employment lawsuit and reported settlement
October 2026 reporting recounted a former assistant's racial discrimination lawsuit against Friendship-West Baptist Church.10 The report recounted Haynes's explanation at the time that she was dismissed for poor work performance.10 The report dated the settlement to September 2010 without disclosed terms and did not establish a finding against Haynes.10