who presides over the texas house of representatives
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The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no term limits. The House meets at the State Capitol in Austin. Leadership The leadership for the 88th Legislature is as follows: The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer and highest-ranking member of the House. The Speaker's duties include maintaining order within the House, recognizing members during debate, ruling on procedural matters, appointing members to the various committees and sending bills for committee review. The Speaker pro tempore is primarily a ceremonial position, but does, by long-standing tradition, preside over the House during its consideration of local and consent bills. Unlike other state legislatures, the House rules do not formally recognize majority or minority leaders. The unofficial leaders are the Republican Caucus Chairman and the Democratic House Leader, both of whom are elected by their respective caucuses. Composition Republicans currently hold a majority of seats in the House. Texas’ legislative districts are somewhat an example of gerrymandering, however, requirements in the Texas Constitution are more strict than other states. List of current representatives Notable past members Eligio (Kika) De La Garza, II, first Mexican-American to represent his region in the US House and the second Mexican-American from Texas to be elected to Congress (1965–1997). Ray Barnhart, Federal Highway Administrator (1981–1987) Anita Lee Blair, first blind woman elected to a state legislature Jack Brooks, U.S. Representative (1953–1995) Dolph Briscoe, Governor of Texas (1973–1979) Frank Kell Cahoon, Midland County oilman and representative from 1965 to 1969; only Republican member in 1965 legislative session Joaquin Castro, U.S. Representative (2013–present) Jasmine Crockett, U.S. Representative (2023–present) Henry Cuellar, U.S. Representative (2005–present) Tom DeLay, U.S. Representative (1985–2006) and House Majority Leader (2003–2005) Jake Ellzey, U.S. Representative (2022–present) Pat Fallon, U.S. Representative (2021–present) John Nance Garner, U.S. Representative (1903–1933), Speaker of the House (1931–1933), and Vice President of the United States (1933–1941) Lance Gooden, U.S. Representative (2019–present) O.H. "Ike" Harris, Dallas County representative from 1963 to 1965; state senator (1967–1995) Sarah T. Hughes, United States district court judge Robert Dean Hunter, former executive vice president of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas Suzanna Hupp, House of Representatives (1997–2007), survived the Luby's shooting, went on to champion individual gun ownership and carry rights. Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Senator (1993–2013) Ray Hutchison, husband of Kay Bailey Hutchison Eddie Bernice Johnson, first Black woman ever elected to public office from Dallas, first woman in Texas history to lead a major Texas House committee (the Labor Committee), and the first registered nurse elected to Congress. Samuel Ealy Johnson, Jr., father of President Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) Dan Kubiak, representative from Rockdale known for his support of public education Mickey Leland, U.S. Representative (1979–1989), died in a plane crash. Charles Henry Nimitz (1826–1911) Born in Bremen. In 1852, built the Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg, which now houses the National Museum of the Pacific War. Grandfather of United States Fleet
Texas House of Representatives
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The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the Legislative Budget Board. Under the provisions of the Texas Constitution, the lieutenant governor is president of the Texas Senate. Unlike with most other states' senates and the U.S. Senate, the lieutenant governor regularly presides over the chamber rather than delegating this function to the president pro tempore or a majority leader. By the rules of the Senate, the lieutenant governor establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his choice. The lieutenant governor decides all questions of parliamentary procedure in the Senate. The lieutenant governor also has broad discretion in following Senate procedural rules. The lieutenant governor is an ex officio member of several statutory bodies. These include the Legislative Budget Board, the Legislative Council, the Legislative Audit Committee, the Legislative Board and Legislative Council, which have considerable sway over state programs, the budget and policy. The lieutenant governor is also a member of the Legislative Redistricting Board (together with the speaker of the House, attorney general, comptroller, and land commissioner), which is charged with adopting a redistricting plan for the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, or U.S. House of Representatives after the decennial census if the Legislature fails to do so. In the case of a vacancy in the lieutenant governor's office, the Senate elects one of its members to act as President of the Senate until the next statewide office election, in effect becoming the lieutenant governor. A senator elected as presiding officer in this way retains their district seat and the voting privileges entailed with his Senate election. The lieutenant governor is sworn in on the third Tuesday every four years, the same as the governor. Dan Patrick has been the lieutenant governor of Texas since January 20, 2015. The term of office was two years from 1846 to 1972. Voters then increased it to four years, effective for the 1974 election. The lieutenant governor assumes the powers of the governor of Texas when the governor is out of the state or otherwise unable to discharge the office. The lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor, rather than on the same ticket; it is therefore possible for the governor and lieutenant governor to be from different political parties (which was the case during Governor George W. Bush's first term and also during Bill Clements's two non-consecutive terms). The lieutenant governor becomes the governor if the elected governor resigns, dies or is removed from office via impeachment and conviction. Former governor Rick Perry took office upon George W. Bush's resignation on December 21, 2000, ahead of Bush becoming U.S. president. When Perry became lieutenant governor on 19 January 1999, he became the first Republican
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
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The government of Texas operates under the Constitution of Texas and consists of a unitary democratic state government operating under a presidential system that uses the Dillon Rule, as well as governments at the county and municipal levels. Austin is the capital of Texas. The State Capitol resembles the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., but is faced in Texas pink granite and is topped by a statue of the "Goddess of Liberty" holding aloft a five-point Texas star. The capitol is also notable for purposely being built seven feet taller than the U.S. national capitol. Executive The statewide elected officials are: The executive department consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of the General Land Office, and Attorney General. Texas has a plural executive branch system which limits the power of the Governor. Except for the Secretary of State, all executive officers are elected independently, making them directly answerable to the public, not the Governor. Although elected statewide, the executive department does not include Railroad Commissioners nor the Agriculture Commissioner. Partly because of many elected officials, the governor's powers are quite limited in comparison to other state governors or the U.S. President. In popular lore and belief the lieutenant governor, who heads the Senate and appoints its committees, has more power than the governor. The governor commands the state militia and can veto bills passed by the Legislature and call special sessions of the Legislature (this power is exclusive to the governor and can be exercised as often as desired). The governor also appoints members of various executive boards and fills judicial vacancies between elections. All members of the executive branch are elected statewide except for the Secretary of State (appointed). State agencies The executive branch also includes several boards and commissions that are constituted through a mixture of elections and gubernatorial appointments confirmed by the Senate. Even with the Governor appointing several members of boards and commissions, the overall effect is a sprawling network of administrative bodies that neither the Governor nor the Legislature are able to coordinate or completely control. The Governor appoints the directors of a handful of state agencies, and the Governor exercises direct authority over these offices. Most state agencies are headquartered in Austin. The Texas Administrative Code contains the compiled and indexed regulations of Texas state agencies and is published yearly by the Secretary of State. The Texas Register contains proposed rules, notices, executive orders, and other information of general use to the public and is published weekly by the Secretary of State. Legislature The Texas Legislature is bicameral. The Texas House of Representatives has 150 members, while the Texas Senate has 31. The Speaker of the House presides over the House, and the Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate. It is a powerful arm of the Texas government not only because of its power of the purse to control and direct the activities of state government and the strong constitutional connections between it and the
Government of Texas
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Marion Price Daniel Jr. (June 8, 1941 – January 19, 1981) was an American politician from Texas who served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 to 1975. He was a member of the house from 1969 to 1975. He is also known for his death during his marriage to his second wife in 1981, after he had written her out of his will and her third time filing for divorce. Early life Daniel was a Texas state politician, born in Austin on June 8, 1941, into a political dynasty that dated back to his great-great-great grandparents Sam Houston and Margaret Lea Houston. At the time of his birth, his father Marion Price Daniel Sr. was a state representative who eventually rose to the office of Governor of Texas. Daniel Sr. also served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, as United States Senator and Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. His mother Jean Houston Baldwin, a member of both the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Daughters of the American Revolution, was a direct descendant of Sam and Margaret Lea Houston. Daniel Sr.'s brother William Partlow Daniel, also served in the Texas House of Representatives and had been appointed Governor of the U.S. Territory of Guam by President John F. Kennedy. He was raised in Austin and followed the political career of his father. By age twelve, he was making speeches on his father's behalf. He graduated from Austin High School in 1959, Baylor University in 1964, and Baylor Law School in 1966. While still enrolled in the university, Daniel started a mail-order book business that specialized in rare books of Texas history. Political career After receiving his law degree, Daniel moved to Liberty, Texas, and began his legal practice there, where he was also elected Justice of the Peace for Liberty County. In 1968, at age 27, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives from the same seat his father had held from 1939 to 1945. After the fallout from the Sharpstown scandal, with those connected being voted out of office, there was a 50% turnover in both houses of the Texas Legislature. On January 9, 1973, Price Jr. was unanimously elected Speaker of the House by his fellow Democratic Party state representatives, who had a 133 to 17 majority over the Republican Party in the House. Under Daniel's leadership, the reform-minded Sixty-third Texas Legislature passed new ethics, financial disclosure, and open-records laws. The Legislature also updated and strengthened open-meetings, and lobbying laws. He believed that it should be illegal for the speaker to offer favors or make threats in order to get votes. Because of the great power of the office, Daniel believed that no speaker should be elected for more than one term, and consequently he did not seek reelection in 1974. There had been talk of Price Jr. running for Governor in 1974, but he was apparently not interested. Price Jr. served as president of the
Price Daniel Jr.
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The 1932 United States presidential election in Texas took place on November 8, 1932, as part of the 1932 United States presidential election, which was held throughout all contemporary 48 states. Voters chose 23 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. Texas voted for the Democratic nominee, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York, over the Republican nominee, incumbent President Herbert Hoover of California. Roosevelt ran with Speaker of the House John Nance Garner, a Texas native while Hoover ran with incumbent Vice President Charles Curtis of Kansas. Roosevelt defeated Hoover in Texas by a landslide margin of 76.71%. In this era, Texas was a one-party Solid South state dominated by the Democratic Party, but Roosevelt's performance was overwhelming even relative to the many prior Democratic landslides, and remains the largest blowout victory by any presidential nominee in the state. Furthermore, Roosevelt carried every single county with more than 65% of the vote, marking the only time in history that a presidential candidate has swept every county in the state of Texas. With 88.06%, Texas would prove to be Roosevelt's fifth strongest state in popular vote percentage after South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia. , this is the last election in which Kendall County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate; in fact, despite Roosevelt carrying the county with over 73% of the vote, no Democrat has since reached even 45%. Results Results by county See also United States presidential elections in Texas Notes References Texas 1932 1932 Texas elections
1932 United States presidential election in Texas
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The 103rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1993, to January 3, 1995, during the final weeks of George H. W. Bush's presidency and in the first two years of Bill Clinton's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1990 United States census. This is the most recent Congress to have a Democratic senator from Texas, Bob Krueger, who lost election to finish Lloyd Bentsen's term in 1993. Along with two Democratic senators from the state of Tennessee, Jim Sasser and Harlan Mathews. Jim Sasser lost re-election and Harlan Mathews retired in 1994. In addition, a Democratic senator from the state of Oklahoma, David Boren, resigned in the final weeks of the Congress. Both chambers maintained a Democratic majority, and with Bill Clinton being sworn in as president on January 20, 1993, this gave the Democrats an overall federal government trifecta for the first time since the 96th Congress in 1979. Major events January 20, 1993: Bill Clinton became 42nd President of the United States. February 17, 1993: President Clinton addressed a joint session of Congress February 26, 1993: World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a van bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center exploded, killing 6 and injuring over 1,000. February 28, 1993: Waco siege: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, with a warrant to arrest leader David Koresh on federal firearms violations. Four agents and 5 Davidians died in the raid. April 19, 1993: Waco siege: The 51-day standoff ended with a fire that killed 76 people, including Koresh. September 22, 1993: President Clinton addressed a joint session of Congress to promote health care reform. October 3, 1993: Operation Gothic Serpent: In Mogadishu, Somalia, two U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawks were shot down and the operation left over 1000 Somalis dead and over 73 Americans WIA, 19 KIA, and 1 captured. January 17, 1994: 1994 Northridge earthquake: A magnitude 6.7 quake hit the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles at 4:31 a.m., killing 72 and leaving 26,029 homeless. February 22, 1994: Aldrich Ames and his wife were arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. February 28, 1994: 4 United States fighter jets shot down 4 Serbian jets over Bosnia and Herzegovina for violating Operation Deny Flight and its no-fly zone. September 19, 1994: Operation Uphold Democracy: American troops staged a bloodless invasion of Haiti to restore the elected president to power. October 1, 1994: Palau achieved independence and became an associated state under the Compact of Free Association. November 8, 1994: Republican Revolution: The Republican Party won control of both the House and the Senate in midterm congressional elections, the first time in 40 years the Republicans secured control of both houses of Congress. Major legislation
103rd United States Congress
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Dennis Higgins Bonnen (born March 3, 1972) is an American businessman and politician. Bonnen served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. A Republican, Bonnen represented District 25 of the Texas House from 1997 to 2021. In 2013, then-Speaker Joe Straus appointed Bonnen as Speaker Pro Tempore, presiding over the House in the Speaker's absence. In January 2019, Bonnen was elected Speaker. He did not seek re-election in 2020. Early life, education, and career Born in Angleton, Texas, in the Greater Houston area, to attorney David and homemaker Matina Bonnen, as a child Bonnen was diagnosed with dyslexia at Texas Children's Hospital. He struggled with the condition in his childhood education, spending his fourth grade year in a special school that used phonics-based techniques. Nevertheless, he graduated from Angleton High School in 1990, and received a B.A. in Political Science in 1994 from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. Bonnen worked in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Greg Laughlin, worked for the Can Manufacturers Institute, became the general manager of a computer business called MDS, and "traveled the nation in 1995 working on the Bob Dole presidential campaign". In December 1995, Bonnen announced his candidacy in the Republican primary to succeed state representative Jack Harris, who was retiring from the legislature to run for a county commission seat. As a candidate, Bonnen sought to reduce government regulation of business and education, allowing schools greater flexibility in establishing their curriculum, budget, and teaching methods. Bonnen also supported sending misbehaving students to boot camp facilities, and eliminating parole for criminals, to be paid for by returning to the work farm system. After winning second place in the four-way primary race by just ten votes, Bonnen won an April 1996 run-off election to clinch the Republican nomination. He beat Democrat Tim Miller to win the seat in November 1996. becoming the youngest member in the legislature at that time. Legislative career As a legislator Bonnen was active in the community, for example serving as the keynote speaker at the Brazoria County Peace Officers Association awards in August 1997, and at the Brazoria County Youth Conference the following month. He spoke out in defense of the county detention center against allegations of improper use of force, with Bonnen characterizing proposed legislation as a state effort to usurp local government. Bonnen ran unopposed in 1998, and was subsequently reelected over the next two decades, during which he "earned a reputation as a pugnacious lawmaker". His personal struggle with dyslexia also served as a cornerstone for many of his policy initiatives and public service endeavors. Bonnen secured passage of legislation to create a pilot project allowing Brazosport College, Midland College, and South Texas College to offer limited four-year degrees in 2003, and to remove the pilot status of these degree grants in 2007. Also in 2007, Bonnen gained national attention for authoring Texas House Bill 1098 to overturn a controversial executive order by then-Governor Rick Perry mandating administration of the
Dennis Bonnen
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Branch Tanner Archer (December 13, 1790 – September 22, 1856) was a Texan who served as Commissioner to the United States and Speaker of the House of the Republic of Texas House of Representatives and Secretary of War of the Republic of Texas. Early life Archer was born in Fauquier County, Virginia on December 13, 1790 to Major Peter Field Archer and Frances Tanner. He attended the College of William and Mary and received his medical degree in 1808 from the University of Pennsylvania. Archer married Eloisa Clarke on January 20, 1813; their union produced six children. Archer practiced medicine and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates representing Powhatan County from 1819–1820. Archer was elected as a presidential elector in the 1820 United States presidential election, casting his vote for Virginia's native son, James Monroe (Democratic-Republican). On May 13, 1828, Archer killed his cousin, Dr. James Ottway Crump, in a duel fought with pistols near Scottsville, Virginia, in Powhatan County. In service to Texas Archer arrived in Texas about 1831, residing in Brazoria County. Archer was an active Mason and helped organize a Masonic Lodge in Brazoria. He was also an outspoken advocate of Texas' independence from Mexico and was elected to represent Brazoria at the Convention of 1833. In October 1835, Archer fought at the Battle of Gonzales which ended in a Mexican withdrawal. The next month he was elected Chairman of the Consultation of 1835, meeting in San Felipe de Austin which formed a provisional government for Texas. Although Archer was a hard-liner in favor of independence, he acceded to the will of the majority which voted to support a return to the Mexican Constitution of 1824. The Consultation subsequently elected Archer, along with Stephen F. Austin and William H. Wharton to serve as Commissioners of Texas in the United States. Their purpose was to raise funds, recruit troops and gain support among Americans for the cause of Texas. The trio sailed from Galveston to New Orleans in late December 1835 and moved up the Mississippi River over the next several weeks making speeches to crowds before moving east to Washington, D.C. While the Commissioners were in Washington, on March 2, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. The United States refused to recognize the nascent republic at that point. Archer returned to Texas and was elected to the Texas House of Representatives representing Brazoria. He also supported the election of his former colleague Austin to be President of Texas. Austin died before the election was held and Sam Houston was elected president. In 1837, during the Second Session of the First Congress, Archer was elected Speaker of the Texas House. While in Congress, Archer joined James Collinsworth in sponsoring legislation to set up the Texas Railroad, Navigation, and Banking Company. Even though President Houston supported the establishment of the company, it later failed primarily due to its banking provisions and because of public opposition led by President Anson Jones. In 1838–1839, Archer achieved the position
Branch T. Archer
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Louis J. Wortham (March 27, 1859September 10, 1927) was a newspaperman, author, and politician in Texas. He was heavily involved in the early years of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 1909 to 1915, representing Tarrant County. His five volume History of Texas from Wilderness to Commonwealth was published in 1924. Biography Louis J. Wortham was born in Sulphur Springs, Texas, in 1858 or 1859, to William A. Wortham and Elizabeth Ashcroft Wortham. His father was the editor of the Sulphur Springs Gazette, and Louis helped him with activities such as typesetting for the paper as a child. Wortham spent a portion of the 1880s as a captain or colonel in the River Guards, patrolling the Rio Grande. He later worked as Richard Coke's private secretary while Coke was serving in the United States Senate. While Grover Cleveland was president he was employed as a federal inspector in cities including Mobile, Alabama, Laredo, Texas, and San Antonio. After this, Wortham worked for New York city newspapers, corresponding first from Washington, D.C., and then from Mexico City. By 1900 he was working for the Houston Post as chief editorial writer. He founded, published, and with John Sturgis Bonner wrote for The Current Issue in Austin, Texas. He worked as commissioner of the Texas exhibit for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. In 1906, Wortham was hired by Amon G. Carter, D. C. McCaleb, and A. G. Dawson as the first editor of the Fort Worth Star. Shortly afterwards he became president of the paper until it purchased the Fort Worth Telegram in 1909, becoming the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Wortham served as vice-president and editor of the combined paper, reaching the role of president in 1913. Wortham and Carter partnered together to found a new publisher for the paper in 1916, the Wortham-Carter Publishing Company. Wortham remained president until he retired in 1923. He served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 1909 to 1915, representing Tarrant County as a member of the Democratic Party. From January 1919 to June 1923 Wortham was a member of the University of Texas System's Board of Regents. Wortham, who had long wanted to write a history of Texas, authored the five volume History of Texas from Wilderness to Commonwealth published in 1924. He supported development of a pilot training facility in Texas. Personal life Wortham married Frue Bector in 1880. She died in 1922. He was a member of organizations including the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and various local clubs. He died on September 10, 1927. Notes References External links Louis J. Wortham and Amon G. Carter 1927 deaths Members of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives People from Sulphur Springs, Texas University of Texas System regents Historians of Texas Fort Worth Star-Telegram people
Louis J. Wortham
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William Homer Thornberry (January 9, 1909 – December 12, 1995) was an American politician and judge. He served as the United States representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1949 to 1963. From 1963 to 1965 he was a judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, and he was a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1965 to 1978. Early life Thornberry was born in Austin, Texas. His parents were teachers in the State School for the Deaf and were themselves deaf. He attended public schools in Austin and graduated from Austin High School in 1927. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1932 from the University of Texas at Austin and his Bachelor of Laws in 1936, from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was a member of the Acacia fraternity. He was in private practice of law in Austin from 1936 to 1941. He was a Member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1937 to 1941. He was district attorney of Travis County, Texas from 1941 to 1942. He was a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander from 1942 to 1946. He was in private practice of law in Austin from 1946 to 1948. He was a Member of the Austin City Council from 1946 to 1948. United States representative Thornberry was elected in 1948 to the 81st United States Congress as a United States representative of the 10th congressional district of Texas. In winning the seat, he replaced its former occupant, Lyndon B. Johnson, who had been elected that year for the first time to the United States Senate. Thornberry was a member of the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives from January 1955 to his 1963 resignation, when he was appointed by Johnson, now President, to the federal bench. He was one of the majority of the Texan delegation to decline to sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto opposing the desegregation of public schools ordered by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education. Thornberry voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 but in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Thornberry was present on Air Force One and witnessed Lyndon Johnson taking the oath of office following the assassination of President Kennedy. Federal judicial service Thornberry was nominated by President John F. Kennedy on July 9, 1963, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas vacated by Judge R. Ewing Thomason. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 15, 1963, and received his commission from President Lyndon B. Johnson on December 17, 1963. His service was terminated on July 2, 1965, due to elevation to the Fifth Circuit. Thornberry was nominated by President Johnson on June 22, 1965, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated
Homer Thornberry
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The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, they compose the state legislature of the state of Texas. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 940,000 per constituency, based on the 2020 U.S. Census. Elections are held in even-numbered years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. There are no term limits. Terms are four years in length, with one two-year term each decade. Senators are divided into two groups based in part on the intervening Census: In elections in years ending in 2 (the election after the Census), all 31 seats are up for election. Once the Senate meets in session after said election, the Senators will participate in a drawing to determine their election cycle: One-half will have a 2-4-4 cycle, whereupon the seat would stand for election after two years (the year ending in 4) for a four-year term, followed by another four-year term (elected in the year ending in 8). The other half will have a 4-4-2 cycle, whereupon the seat would stand for election after four years (the year ending in 6) for another four-year term, followed by a two-year term (elected in the year ending in 0). As such, every two years, about half of the Texas Senate is on the ballot. The Senate meets at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. The Republicans currently control the chamber, which is made up of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. Leadership The Lieutenant Governor of Texas serves as the President of the Senate. Unlike most lieutenant governors who are constitutionally designated as presiding officers of the upper house, the Lieutenant Governor regularly presides over the chamber rather than delegate this role to the President Pro Tempore. The Lieutenant Governor's duties include appointing chairs of committees, committee members, assigning and referring bills to specific committees, recognizing members during debate, and making procedural rulings. The Lieutenant Governor may also cast a vote should a Senate floor vote end in a tie. If the Senate votes to dissolve itself into the Committee of the Whole, in which all members are part of the Committee, the President Pro-Tempore presides over the proceedings, with the Lieutenant Governor acting as a regular voting member. Due to the various powers of committee selection and bill assignment, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas is considered one of the most powerful lieutenant governorships in the United States. Unlike other state legislatures, the Texas Senate does not include majority or minority leaders. Instead, the President Pro Tempore is considered the second most powerful position, and can be reserved to any political party in the chamber regardless if the party is a majority or not. Presidents Pro Tempore are usually the most senior members of the Senate. The President Pro Tempore presides when the Lieutenant Governor is not present or when the legislature is not in regular session.
Texas Senate
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The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) is a lineal association dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the founding families and soldiers of the Republic of Texas. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is best known for its former role as caretakers of The Alamo. In early 2015, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush officially removed control of the Alamo to the Texas General Land Office. The DRT were also the custodians of the historic French Legation Museum until 2017, which is owned by the State of Texas and is now operated by the Texas Historical Commission. In addition, they operate a museum in Austin on the history of Texas. Membership is limited to descendants of ancestors who "rendered loyal service for Texas" prior to February 19, 1846, the date the Republic ceased to exist and Texas handed over authority to the United States. Beginnings The Daughters of the Republic of Texas was formed in 1891 by cousins Betty Eve Ballinger and Hally Ballinger Bryan Perry. The organization was originally called the Daughters of the Lone Star Republic before taking its present name. The first president of the organization in 1891 was Mary Smith Jones, widow of the Republic's last president Anson Jones. The first chapter that was chartered in DRT was the Sidney Sherman Chapter. The chapter was chartered in Galveston on November 6, 1891. Hally's father Guy Morrison Bryan had emigrated to Texas in 1831. In March 1836, Bryan became the courier for at least one of William Barret Travis's Alamo letters from Bell's Landing to Velasco. He was an army orderly under Alexander Somervell, and in the Brazoria volunteer company under John Coffee Hays. He served in both the Texas House of Representatives and Texas State Senate. Bryan was a veteran of the American Civil War. He was a charter member and president of the Texas Veterans Association and charter member of the Texas State Historical Association. Betty's grandfather William Houston Jack had served in the Alabama state legislature and emigrated to Texas in 1830. He was one of the authors of the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. Jack participated in the capture of Goliad, later joined Sam Houston's army and was a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto. He served in both the Texas House of Representatives and Texas State Senate. Saving the Alamo By the late 1880s the historic San Antonio missions were falling into disrepair and becoming subject to vandals. Two dedicated DRT women stepped forward to restore and preserve the Alamo for future generations. The public entrance known as the Alamo's mission chapel was already owned by the State of Texas, which had purchased the building from the Roman Catholic Church in 1883 and had given custody to the City of San Antonio. The city had made no improvements to the chapel structure, and ownership did not include the long barracks (convento). In 1903, Adina Emilia De Zavala enlisted heiress and philanthropist Clara Driscoll to join the Daughters of the Republic of
Daughters of the Republic of Texas
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The 29th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1845, to March 4, 1847, during the first two years of James Polk's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1840 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic majority. Major events March 4, 1845: James K. Polk became President of the United States October 10, 1845: The Naval School (later renamed the United States Naval Academy) opened in Annapolis, Maryland December 2, 1845: President Polk announced to Congress that the Monroe Doctrine should be strictly enforced and that the United States should aggressively expand into the West. April 25, 1846: Open conflict over border disputes of Texas's boundaries began the Mexican–American War Major legislation May 13, 1846: Mexican–American War declared, ch. 16, July 9, 1846: District of Columbia retrocession, ch. 35, July 30, 1846: Walker tariff, ch. 74, Treaties June 15, 1846: Oregon Treaty established the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca January 13, 1847: Treaty of Cahuenga ended the fighting in the Mexican–American War in California (not a formal treaty between nations but an informal agreement between rival military forces) States admitted December 29, 1845: Texas admitted as the 28th state December 28, 1846: Iowa admitted as the 29th state Party summary Senate During this congress, two Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa. House of Representatives During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa. Leadership Senate President: George M. Dallas (D) President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum (W), until March 4, 1845 Ambrose Hundley Sevier (D), only on December 27, 1845 David R. Atchison (D), from August 8, 1846 House of Representatives Speaker: John W. Davis (D) Members This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class and representatives are listed by district. Skip to House of Representatives, below Senate Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began with this Congress, facing re-election in 1850; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1846; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1848. Alabama 2. Dixon H. Lewis (D) 3. Arthur P. Bagby (D) Arkansas 2. Chester Ashley (D) 3. Ambrose H. Sevier (D) Connecticut 1. Jabez W. Huntington (W) 3. John M. Niles (D) Delaware 1. John M. Clayton (W) 2. Thomas Clayton (W) Florida 1. David Levy Yulee (D), from July 1, 1845
29th United States Congress
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For the current Texas legislative body, see Texas Legislature. The Congress of the Republic of Texas was the national legislature of the Republic of Texas established by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836. It was a bicameral legislature based on the model of the United States Congress. It was transformed into the Texas Legislature upon annexation of Texas by the United States in 1846. A vestige of it remains in the name of Austin's main north–south street leading from the State Capitol, Congress Avenue, when it was founded as the intended national capital. Membership and organization House of Representatives The House of Representatives was to be made up of 24-40 members. until such time as the population of the republic should exceed 100,000. When the population exceeded this number the house was to be made up of "not less than forty nor more than one hundred pieces provided that each county was entitled to at least one representative." Members of the House were elected on the first Monday in September, each year and were elected to a one-year term. A member had to be twenty-five or older, a citizen of the republic, and a resident of his district for six months. The House chose its speaker and had sole power of impeachment. Senate The Senate was chosen by districts that were as nearly equal as possible to the population of free men ("free negroes and Indians excepted") The Senate was to have a membership numbering "not less than one-third nor more than one-half that of the House." Senate districts were entitled to be represented by no more than one member. A senator had to be thirty or older, a citizen of the republic, and a resident of his district for one year. Senators were elected to three year terms, with one-third of the members being elected each year. The Vice President presided over the Senate, "but shall not vote on any question, unless the senate be equally divided." Beyond that, the Senate chose its own officers, including the President pro tem, and had sole responsibility to try impeachments. General No person holding an office of profit under the government, or who collected monies on behalf of the government was eligible to serve in the Congress. No minister of the gospel or priest of any denomination whatever was eligible to the office of the Executive of the Republic, nor to a seat of either branch of the Congress of the same. Each house was to judge election and qualification of its own members. A quorum in either house was two-thirds of its membership. Members were to receive pay as fixed by law, but no change could be made in salary in the session in which the change was made. Since the terms of House members was one year, each Congress lasted only one year. History of the Texas Congress 1st Congress On July 23, 1836, interim President David G. Burnet, pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic of
Congress of the Republic of Texas
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Jack Bascom Brooks (December 18, 1922 – December 4, 2012) was an American Democratic Party politician from the state of Texas who served 42 years in the United States House of Representatives, initially representing from 1953 through 1967, and then, after district boundaries were redrawn in 1966, the from 1967 to 1995. He had strong political ties to other prominent Texas Democrats, including Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn and President Lyndon B. Johnson. For over fifteen years, he was the dean of the Texas congressional delegation. Early life Brooks was born in Crowley, Louisiana, on December 18, 1922, and moved to Beaumont, Texas, at age5 with his family. When he was 13 his father, a rice salesman, died and among the jobs young Brooks took on were as a carhop and a newspaper reporter. He enrolled at Lamar Junior College in 1939 after receiving a scholarship. After completing his two years at Lamar, he transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, from which he earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 1943. Military service Brooks enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He served for about two years on the Pacific islands of Guadalcanal, Guam, and Okinawa, and in North China, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. Afterward, he remained active in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring in 1972 with the rank of colonel. Political career Texas legislature A lifelong Democrat, Brooks was elected in 1946 to represent Jefferson County in the Texas House of Representatives. After his election, he sponsored a bill that would turn Lamar Junior College into a four-year university. The bill initially failed, but passed the following year. The institution is today known as Lamar University. Brooks won re-election to the state legislature in 1948 without opposition; the following year he earned a law degree from the University of Texas Law School. U.S. Congress After four years in the Texas legislature, Brooks won a crowded 12-candidate Democratic primary and then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1952 election. A protégé of fellow Texans, House Speaker Sam Rayburn and then-U.S. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, Brooks showed himself to be a conservative on some issues like the death penalty and gun control, but more liberal on issues like domestic spending, labor, and civil rights. In 1956, he refused to sign the Southern Manifesto that opposed racial integration in public places. Brooks voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960, but voted in favor of the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he helped to write the 1964 and 1965 bills. On November 22, 1963, Brooks was in President John F. Kennedy's motorcade in Dallas at the time Kennedy was assassinated. Hours later, he was present on Air Force One when Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president. The 2nd was redistricted as
Jack Brooks (American politician)
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Donald Gilbert Adams (born December 18, 1938) is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist who was president pro tempore of the Texas Senate, and a member of the Texas Senate, District 3. He also served in the Texas House of Representatives for District 7. Personal life and education Adams was born December 18, 1938, in Jasper, Texas, to T. Gilbert Adams and Dess Hart Adams. His father was a county judge. In 1963, Adams graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Laws. After attending university, he practiced law in Lufkin, Texas, for two years before returning to Jasper where he formed a legal partnership with his father. He married Linda Cullum, and the couple had 3 children: Don Jr., Debra, and Dinah. Linda Adams died on October 6, 2015, after a struggle with Alzheimer's disease. They were married for 52 years. Political career Adams represented District 7 of the Texas House of Representatives during the 61st and 62nd legislature. While being a freshman representative, Adams was selected to study the revision of Texas Penal Code. Adams then represented Texas Senate, District 3 during the 63rd, 64th, and 65th legislature. During part of the 65th Legislature Adams served as Ad Interim president pro tempore of the Texas Senate. While serving in the Texas Senate, Adams was chairman of the Texas Industrial Council and the Texas Aircraft Pooling Board. He also served as vice chairman of the Texas Cancer Council. After retiring from the Texas Legislatures he became a lobbyist. Throughout his career Adams was affiliated with the Democratic Party. References Baylor Law School alumni Presidents pro tempore of the Texas Senate Democratic Party Texas state senators Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives 1938 births Living people
Don Adams (politician)
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The 1944 United States elections was held on November 7, 1944, during the final stages of World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was easily re-elected to an unprecedented fourth term, and the Democratic Party retained their majorities in both chambers of Congress. During the presidential election, Roosevelt was in office for three terms and eleven years, making him the longest-serving President in U.S. history. As the incumbent president, Roosevelt was renominated by the Democratic Party, while in the Republican primaries, New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey won his party's nomination. In Texas, the Texas Regulars was formed to block Roosevelt's reelection over the New Deal and his perceived supportive policies on African Americans, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Roosevelt defeated Dewey in a landslide, taking 432 electoral votes against Dewey's 99 electoral votes. In the congressional elections, Democrats maintained control of Congress. In the Senate, Democrats lost seats but maintained control of the chamber. In the House of Representatives, Democrats won the popular vote by a margin of 4.7 percentage points and gained 22 seats for a healthy majority after spending the last term holding a razor-thin majority. In the governorships, Democrats gained three seats. The elections were a referendum on Roosevelt's execution of the war. With the United States and the Allies delivering successful results against the Axis powers, especially with the fall of fascist Italy a year ago and the Normandy landings the last summer, the public rallied around the Democrats. After the election, Roosevelt died in office in April 1945 after his fourth inauguration. President Seeking a record fourth term, Democratic incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt was challenged by Republican Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York. Dewey ran an energetic campaign, seeking a smaller government and a less-regulated economy as the end of World War II seemed in sight. Roosevelt dominated the electoral college for the fourth straight election and won the popular vote by seven and a half points, his lowest margin. Roosevelt easily won his party's nomination, while Dewey took the Republican nomination on the first ballot over Ohio Governor John W. Bricker, who would be nominated for vice president. Future president Harry S. Truman won the Democratic nomination for vice president, replacing Henry A. Wallace on the Democratic ballot. United States House of Representatives The Democrats picked up a net gain of 20 seats in the House, increasing their majority, 242–191 (not included are two seats held by minor parties). United States Senate Although the Democrats suffered a net loss of one seat to the Republicans, they still kept a large majority in the Senate. References 1944
1944 United States elections
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Kent Ronald Hance (born November 14, 1942) is an American politician and lawyer who is the former Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System. In his role, he oversaw Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. He is also a lobbyist and lawyer. Hance is the only person to defeat future President George W. Bush (which he did in the 1978 U.S. House of Representatives election for Texas's 19th District) and became a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from West Texas, having served from 1979 to 1985. After his congressional service, he switched to the Republican Party and in both 1986 and 1990 ran for governor of Texas, losing in the primary election. Early years and election to Congress Hance obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University in 1965 where he was also a member of Delta Tau Delta, which he served as president. He also served as the Student Government Association Vice-president and was a member of the Saddle Tramps. He later attended the University of Texas School of Law. During his time as a law student, he was the Student Bar Association President and chosen as recipient of the Counsel Award. After law school, he was admitted to the Texas bar and in 1968 became a practicing attorney in Lubbock, Texas. During this period, he was also a law professor at Texas Tech from 1968 until 1973. In 1974, Hance ran for the Texas Senate and defeated incumbent H.J. "Doc" Blanchard in the 1974 primary. His campaign at the beginning seemed doomed to failure, but Hance quickly made connection with voters in the sprawling West Texas district. 1978 election vs. George W. Bush He served in the state senate from 1975 to 1979. After winning the 1978 Democratic primary nomination for the Lubbock-based 19th Congressional District, he defeated the Republican nominee George W. Bush of Midland. The seat, which was based in Lubbock, had been held since inception by popular Democrat George H. Mahon, long-time chairman of the House Appropriations Committee (the 19th included most of the Permian Basin at the time). Bush won the Republican nomination in a hard-fought but low-turnout runoff primary against the 1976 party nominee, Jim Reese of Odessa. The 19th had long been one of the more conservative areas of Texas. It was one of the first areas of Texas to move away from its Democratic roots; it hadn't supported a Democrat for president since 1964. However, at the time, conservative Democrats continued to represent much of the region at the state and local levels, and would do so well into the 1990s. Hance claimed Bush was "not a real Texan" because of his privileged upbringing and Yale education. Hance won by seven points—the only time that the future 43rd President of the United States was ever defeated in an election. Tenure in Congress As a Democratic
Kent Hance
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Kenneth Lewis Anderson (September 11, 1805 – July 3, 1845) was a lawyer, the fourth and last vice president of the Republic of Texas, 1844 to 1845. Anderson was born in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he worked as a shoemaker at an early age. By 1824 he was living in Bedford County, Tennessee, where he became deputy sheriff in 1826 and sheriff in 1830; he was a colonel in the militia by 1832. In 1837, he and his family moved to San Augustine, Texas, where his wife's brother-in-law Joseph Rowe had lived for five years. In 1838 Anderson served successively as deputy sheriff and sheriff. It was probably after he arrived in Texas that he studied to become a lawyer. President of Texas Mirabeau B. Lamar appointed him collector of customs for the district of San Augustine, and he was confirmed on November 21, 1839. He served as collector until he became a candidate from San Augustine County for the Texas House of Representatives of the Sixth Congress in 1841; he won with the largest majority in San Augustine County's history at that time. As a partisan of Sam Houston, Anderson was elected Speaker of the House on November 1, 1841. He immediately led an unsuccessful attempt to impeach President Lamar and Vice President David G. Burnet. Anderson had for a time been considered for secretary of the treasury of the republic, a post that went to William Henry Daingerfield. In 1842 he helped convince President Houston to veto the popular but dangerous war bill, which sought to force an invasion of Mexico. After one term, and despite Houston's pleas, Anderson retired later in 1842 to practice law in San Augustine with Royall T. Wheeler; he eventually formed a partnership with J. Pinckney Henderson and Thomas Jefferson Rusk. In December, Anderson became district attorney of the Fifth Judicial District. In 1844, Anderson was frequently mentioned as a candidate for president of the republic, but eventually he became the candidate for vice president, on a ticket headed by Anson Jones. Anderson's opponent, Patrick Jack, died before the election, and Anderson won nearly unanimously. He presided over the Senate at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in June 1845, when the Texas Congress approved the Texas Annexation by the United States. After the annexation vote, he immediately left for home despite being sick. After only twenty miles, at the Fanthorp Inn in modern-day Anderson, Texas, his fever flared and he died in office at age 39. The Vice President had been considered the leading candidate to become the first governor of Texas. His law partner, Pinckney Henderson, was instead elected governor in December. Both Anderson County and the town of Anderson in Texas are named after him. External links 1805 births 1845 deaths People from Hillsborough, North Carolina Vice presidents of the Republic of Texas Members of the Texas House of Representatives Speakers of the Republic of Texas House of Representatives 19th-century American legislators Texas lawyers 19th-century American lawyers People from San Augustine, Texas
Kenneth Lewis Anderson
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John "Red" Brown (1787 – ) was an American politician that served in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature, as a representative in the Republic of Texas and later as a state representative for Texas. He served briefly as the second Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives in the First Texas Legislature. Brown was also one of the founders of the Democratic Party in Texas and is the founder and namesake of Brownsboro, Texas. He had the shortest term as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, with only 7 days in office. Linda S. Hudson wrote that Brown was likely born in Ireland and that early Texas census records list him as an Irishman and a farmer. However, John "Red" Brown was born in South Carolina in 1787. He was commonly known as Red due to his ruddy complexion, to distinguish himself from the other John Browns in the county. He moved to Alabama from South Carolina in about 1818. On September 17, 1822, Brown was appointed as the presiding judge of Jefferson County, Alabama. He held the judicial office until January 1, 1823. He succeeded Peter Walker in county court, now known as the probate court, and was succeeded by Walker Keith Baylor. He was a member of both houses of the general assembly and moved to Tuskaloosa in 1834. He was the steward of the University of Alabama until he moved to Texas two years later. He moved to Texas in 1836, settling in the Nacogdoches district. Brown represented Nacogdoches in the 6th Congress of the Republic of Texas from 1841 to 1842. Brown was elected to the First Texas Legislature after annexation of Texas into the United States. On March 3, 1846, Speaker William Crump was given a leave of absence, and Brown was elected Speaker of the House pro tempore. On March 9, 1846, Brown resigned as Speaker pro tempore, and the House elected Edward Thomas Branch. He was a founder of Henderson County when it was formed from Nacogdoches County in 1846. Brown served as a notary public and a ferry operator, and received a license to operate a toll-bridge over Kickapoo Creek near Old Normandy (present-day Brownsboro, which was named for John Brown). On 27 April 1846, Brown helped to found the Texas Democratic Party in Austin. Brown served as a commissioner to help locate the state penitentiary in 1848. Brown established the town of Brownsboro in 1849, now the oldest town in Henderson County. In 1850, Brown was one of the commissioners that selected Athens as the seat of Henderson County. Brown was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 17th district for 4 days. He was sworn in on November 3, 1851, and was unseated on November 6 following a contested election. He served until a vote recount proved that his opponent, Jonathan Russell, won the election. Brown was married to Margaret Hodges Brooks. After her death in 1849, he married Elizabeth Ann (née Rainer) Holland in
Red Brown (politician)
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Robert Teague Milner (1851–1923) served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, as the first Texas Agriculture Commissioner, and as President of Texas A&M College, now known as Texas A&M University. He was born on June 21, 1851, in Cherokee County, Alabama. In 1881, he purchased the Henderson Times newspaper of Henderson, Texas, of which he served as the editor and owner until 1906. In 1886 he was elected as a Democrat to 6th District of the Texas House of Representatives (20th Texas Legislature). In 1888, he was re-elected to the 6th District (21st Texas Legislature). In 1890, he re-elected again to 6th District (22nd Texas Legislature). In 1891, he was elected Speaker of Texas House of Representatives. In 1907, he was appointed first-ever Texas Agriculture Commissioner. He resigned as Agriculture Commissioner in 1908 to become President of Texas A&M College, in which role he served until 1913. He died on July 30, 1923. He is buried in Old Henderson City Cemetery, Henderson, Rusk County. References |- |- Speakers of the Texas House of Representatives Presidents of Texas A&M University 1851 births 1923 deaths Agriculture commissioners of Texas Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives
Robert Teague Milner
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This list of University of Texas at Austin alumni includes notable graduates, non-graduate former students, and current students of the University of Texas at Austin. The institution is a major research university in Downtown Austin, Texas, US and is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, the university has had the fifth largest single-campus enrollment in the nation as of Fall 2006 (and had the largest enrollment in the country from 1997 to 2003), with over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 16,500 faculty and staff. It currently holds the second largest enrollment of all colleges in the state of Texas. Over 30 UT Austin undergraduates have served in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, such as Lloyd Bentsen '42, who served as both a U.S. senator and U.S. representative, and was the 1988 Democratic Party vice presidential nominee. Tom C. Clark, J.D. '22, served as United States attorney general from 1945 to 1949 and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1949 to 1967. Cabinet members of American presidents include former United States secretary of state Rex Tillerson '75, former United States secretary of state James Baker '57, former secretary of education William J. Bennett, and former secretary of commerce Donald Evans '73. First Lady Laura Bush '73 and daughter Jenna '04 both graduated from UT Austin, as well as former first lady Lady Bird Johnson '33 & '34 and her eldest daughter Lynda. In foreign governments, the university has been represented by Fernando Belaúnde Terry '36 (42nd president of Peru), and Abdullah al-Tariki (co-founder of OPEC). UT Austin alumni in academia include the 26th president of the College of William & Mary Gene Nichol '76, the 10th president of Boston University Robert A. Brown '73 & '75, and the 8th president of the University of Southern California John R. Hubbard. The university also graduated Alan Bean '55, the fourth man to walk on the Moon. Additionally, alumni of the university who have served as business leaders include ExxonMobil Corporation former CEO Rex Tillerson '75, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell, founder & CEO of Keyhole and pioneer of the successor Google Maps & Google Earth John Hanke, and CEO of Southwest Airlines Gary C. Kelly. In literature and journalism, UT Austin has produced Pulitzer Prize winners Gail Caldwell and Ben Sargent '70, as well as CNN anchor Betty Nguyen '95. Alumnus J. M. Coetzee also received the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature. UT Austin has produced several musicians and entertainers. Janis Joplin, the singer who posthumously was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award attended the university, as well as February 1955 Playboy Playmate of the Month and Golden Globe recipient Jayne Mansfield. The big screen has carried the talents of actor Matthew McConaughey '93 (star of The Wedding Planner (2001), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Sahara (2005), We Are Marshall (2007),
List of University of Texas at Austin alumni
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The Friar Society is an honor society at the University of Texas at Austin. Following is a list of Friar Society members. Academia Wilson Homer Elkins, President of the University of Maryland, 1954–1978 Michael L. Gillette, historian, director of the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives, and the executive director of Humanities Texas Ricardo Romo, President of the University of Texas at San Antonio Business and finance Steve Poizner, Silicon Valley high tech entrepreneur, founder of SnapTrack, and California Insurance Commissioner Roy Spence, founder and CEO of GSD&M Idea City Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation Law Linda Addison, lawyer and founding president of the Center for Women in Law Ben Connally, former United States Federal Judge Joe Greenhill, former Texas Supreme Court justice John Hill, former Texas Attorney General and former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court Harry Lee Hudspeth, current United States Federal Judge George P. Kazen, current Senior United States Federal Judge Robert Keeton, lawyer, jurist, and legal scholar Harold Barefoot Sanders, former United States Federal Judge Benno C. Schmidt Sr., lawyer and venture capitalist Diane Wood, current Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Literature and journalism Bryan Garner, author, legal scholar, lexicographer, and editor of Black's Law Dictionary Barr McClellan, author Willie Morris, editor-in-chief of Harper's Magazine Robert Schenkkan, Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony Award for Best Play, two-time Emmy Award nominee Mary Walsh, journaiist and producer at CBS News Politics Roberto R. Alonzo, Texas State House of Representative Bob Armstrong, former U.S. Under Secretary of Interior and Texas Land Commissioner Paul Begala, political consultant and commentator John J. Bell, United States House of Representative Dolph Briscoe, 41st Governor of Texas, largest single landowner in Texas Jack B. Brooks, United States House of Representative George Prescott Bush, Texas Land Commissioner and nephew of George W. Bush Peter Coneway, United States Ambassador to Switzerland John Connally, 38th Governor of Texas, United States Secretary of the Navy, and United States Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Doggett, United States House of Representatives Ed Gossett, United States House of Representatives Beauford H. Jester, 36th Governor of Texas Frank Ikard, United States House of Representatives Cyndi Taylor Krier, former Texas Senate Mark McKinnon, Republican political advisor Stanley Louis McLelland, former United States Ambassador to Jamaica J.J. Pickle, United States House of Representatives Steve Poizner, California Insurance Commissioner, Silicon Valley high tech entrepreneur, and founder of SnapTrack Patrick Rose, Texas House of Representatives Allan Shivers, 37th Governor of Texas James Talarico, Texas House of Representatives Tim Von Dohlen, Texas House of Representative Sports Sam Acho, football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals Major Applewhite, football coach and former Texas quarterback Earl Campbell, Hall of Fame NFL running back Lindsey Carmichael, Paralympic Bronze Medalist Doug Dawson, former National Football League offensive lineman Roosevelt Leaks, former National Football League running back Will Licon, swimmer Cat Osterman, American softball player See also Collegiate secret societies in North America References Lists of members of Local Honor Societies members University
List of Friar Society members
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The 2018 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 6, 2018, along with other elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives in additional states. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz won re-election to a second term defeating Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke. The primary for all parties was held on March 6, 2018, making it the first primary of the 2018 season. As Cruz and O'Rourke both won majorities in their primaries, they did not participate in the May 22 runoff primary that was held for some nominations in Texas. No Democrat has won a general election for statewide office in Texas since Bob Bullock was reelected as lieutenant governor in 1994, with election forecasters declaring it a safe Republican seat at the beginning of the 2018 cycle. However, O'Rourke gradually closed the gap, and leading up to the election, the race was considered unexpectedly competitive. On Election Day, Cruz defeated O'Rourke by a margin just short of 215,000 votes, or 2.6 percent; the race was the closest U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1978. Background In 2012, after a stunning upset victory in the Republican primary, then-Solicitor General of Texas Ted Cruz defeated former member of the Texas House of Representatives Paul Sadler by a 16-point margin (56%–40%). Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988. As conservatives began turning to the Republican Party in once strongly Democratic areas, Democratic voters in the state were largely based in the majority-Hispanic communities in Southern Texas and in populous metropolitan cities, such as Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, as well as the heavily Hispanic city of El Paso on the state's western tip, which O'Rourke represented in the U.S. House. Since 1990, Texas has voted for Republican statewide candidates in all elections, whether it be presidential, gubernatorial, or senatorial, often by large margins. In 1998, Governor George W. Bush won re-election by 37 points over his Democratic challenger, Garry Mauro. In 2000, Governor Bush won Texas by 21 points over Vice President Al Gore. In 2004, President Bush won Texas over Senator John Kerry by 23 points, winning rural areas by landslide margins, capturing urban zones, and coming very close to winning the Latino vote (49% to Kerry's 50%). Democrat Barack Obama was defeated by margins of 12 points in 2008, against John McCain, and 16 points in 2012, against Mitt Romney, respectively. However, in 2016, Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by only a 9-point margin, demonstrating a possible shift away from the Safe Republican status it had held for over a decade. This has led Democrats to begin targeting Texas as a potential future swing state. It should also be noted that Ted Cruz defeated Donald Trump in the Texas Republican primary for U.S. President in 2016. As of June 2018, Senator Cruz held a 49%–44% approval rating among Texans in a state Donald Trump won by 9 points against Hillary Clinton in 2016. Among groups that
2018 United States Senate election in Texas
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Thomas Russell Craddick (born September 19, 1943) is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives representing the 82nd district. Craddick was Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from January 2003 to January 2009. He was the first Republican to serve as Speaker since Reconstruction. Craddick was first elected in 1968 at the age of twenty-five and, as of 2023, is the longest serving legislator in the history of the Texas House of Representatives and the longest serving incumbent state legislator in the United States. In November 2023, Craddick announced he would run for reelection to a record twenty-ninth term in the 2024 Texas House of Representatives election. Early life and career Craddick was born in Beloit, Wisconsin where he lived until he was nine years old. He became an Eagle Scout. Texas House of Representatives While he was a doctoral student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Craddick decided to run for the legislature to succeed the incumbent Republican Frank Kell Cahoon of Midland, who was not seeking a third two-year term. According to Craddick's official biography, even his father, businessman R.F. Craddick (1913–1986), warned him: "Texas is run by Democrats. You can't win." Although this part of Texas had been trending Republican at the national level for some time (for instance, Midland itself has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1948), Democrats continued to hold most local offices well into the 1980s. He was one of eight Republicans in the chamber at that time. His victory came on the same day that Richard M. Nixon was elected as U.S. President. In 1975, Craddick was named chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, the first Republican to have chaired a Texas legislative committee in more than a century. In Texas, a legislator need not be in the majority party in order to chair a committee. In the general election held on November 6, 2018, Craddick won his 26th term in the legislature. With 37,504 votes (80.3 percent), he defeated the Democratic candidate, Spencer Bounds, who polled 9,207 votes (19.7 percent). In this same election, Craddick's daughter, Christi Craddick, won her second term as a Republican member of the Texas Railroad Commission. On May 27, 2023, Craddick voted against the impeachment of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton. Speaker of the House On January 11, 2003, after thirty-four years in the House, Craddick became the first Republican Speaker in more than 130 years. He held the presiding officer's position for six years. In December 2006, Craddick faced credible challenges to his re-election as Speaker for the Eightieth Texas Legislature: Brian McCall (R-Plano), Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie), and Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston), all of whom announced candidacies for the speakership. In early January, McCall withdrew and endorsed Pitts. Supporters of Pitts pressed for a secret ballot in order to avoid retribution should their efforts fail, while Craddick had maintained all along that he had more than the minimum number of votes needed for re-election. When the secret ballot measure failed,
Tom Craddick
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James Rowland Gough (December 31, 1860 - November 19, 1916) was a Texan State Senator. Early years J. R. Gough was born in Collin County, Texas, on 31 December 1860. His father had been one of the earlier pioneers in Texas, settling in what is now Collin County. His father died in the Battle of Yellow Bayou on 18 May 1864, during the American Civil War. In February 1883 Gough rented a farm to John Henry Rasor, who had recently moved to Collin Country. Later he sold the farm to Rasor, who became one of the most prosperous farmers in the region. In 1888 Gough was a Justice of the Peace in Precinct No. 1 of Collin County. Political career Gough was elected a member of the Texas House of Representatives in the 23rd legislature (10 January 1893 - 9 May 1893) on the Democratic ticket, and reelected in the 24th legislature (8 January 1895 - 7 October 1895). In 1895 he was involved in controversy over the planned world championship boxing contest between James J. Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons. As Collin County representative he said "Pugilism, like bull fights, does not belong to our age of country, but it is a relic of the dark ages, and is unworthy an enlightened Christian country like ours." Gough was elected to the Senate as a Democrat for the 25th legislative session (12 January 1897 - 20 June 1897), and was President pro tempore of the Texas Senate. He represented District 5, which covered Collin County and Hunt County, Texas. He was reelected to the Senate for the 26th session (10 January 1899 - 21 February 1900). References Citations Sources External links 1860 births 1916 deaths People from Collin County, Texas Texas state senators Members of the Texas House of Representatives 19th-century American legislators
James R. Gough
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Thomas John Oliverson (born June 8, 1972) is an American politician and anesthesiologist who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 130. Biography A 2000 graduate of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Oliverson is affiliated with U.S. Anesthesia Partners, which operates more than one thousand anesthesiology groups in Texas. He consults with physicians and dentists in regards to patient office surgery. In 2015, Oliverson and his wife, Jennifer, were named to the inaugural committee of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, the presiding officer of the Texas State Senate. The Oliversons home school their three children and reside in suburban Cypress, Texas. They are active members of Jersey Village Baptist Church, which was founded in Houston in 1956. Political career Oliverson retained prominent Republican political strategist Allen Blakemore, and handily the Republican House nomination over Kay Smith, 16,988 votes (70 percent) to 7,265 (30 percent). No Democrat sought the position in the November 8 general election, held in conjunction with the 2016 presidential election. Oliverson contends that property taxes in Harris County are "too high, and we need meaningful tax relief now." He supports automatic reductions in property tax rates when revenues increase above expected levels. He supports the "fair tax" system as a means to abolish property taxes. Despite the overall Democratic sweep of Harris County, Oliverson handily won his second term in the state House in the general election held on November 6, 2018. He defeated the Democrat Fred Infortunio, 52,063 votes (68.5 percent) to 22,562 (29.7 percent). The remaining 864 votes (1.5 percent) went to the Libertarian Roy Eriksen. Oliverson earned recognition in June 2019 from Texas Monthly magazine as one of Texas' top lawmakers for his work on passing health care legislation and working with Republicans and Democrats during Texas' 86th Legislative session. In 2021, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Oliverson called for rescinding rules on mask requirements in the Texas legislature chamber. Public health experts recommended that people use face masks while indoors in public places to prevent the spread of COVID-19. On May 12, 2023 Oliverson sponsored House Bill 1686 to ban certain gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors. References External links State legislative page Tom Oliverson at the Texas Tribune 1972 births Living people Politicians from Houston Republican Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Physicians from Texas Baylor College of Medicine alumni Baptists from Texas Protestants from Texas 21st-century American legislators 21st-century Texas politicians
Tom Oliverson
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This is a list of notable alumni of University of Texas School of Law, the law school of the University of Texas, located in Austin, Texas. The University of Texas School of Law has 23,500 living alumni. Politics Steve AdlerMayor of Austin Robert B. Andersonformer United States Secretary of Treasury; Deputy Secretary of Defense William R. ArcherUnited States Representative from Texas (1971–2001); Chairman of United States House Committee on Ways and Means James Bakerformer United States Secretary of State; former United States Secretary of Treasury; former White House Chief of Staff for President Ronald Reagan and President George H. W. Bush; Campaign Chairman of President Reagan's 1984 reelection; Campaign Chairman of President George H. W. Bush's 1988 election. Ben Barnesformer Lieutenant Governor of Texas; National Democratic Lobbyist Paul Begalapolitical consultant, commentator and former advisor to President Bill Clinton Lloyd Bentsenformer Secretary of the Treasury and United States Senator; former Chair of United States Senate Committee on Finance; former candidate for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States. Robert Lee BobbittSpeaker of the Texas House of Representatives (1927–1929), Attorney General of Texas (1929–1930), state court judge (1935–1937), chairman of the Texas Highway Department (1937–1943) Jack BrooksU.S. Member of Congress; Chair of United States House Committee on the Judiciary Authored articles of impeachment against President Nixon. J. E. "Buster" Brown (Class of 1972)Texas Senator, District 17 from 1981 to 2002 William Brownfield Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; Former United States Ambassador to Colombia; Former United States Ambassador to Venezuela; Former United States Ambassador to Chile James P. Buchanan U.S. Member of Congress; Chair of the United States House Committee on Appropriations; After his death in office was succeeded by Lyndon B. Johnson. Albert S. Burleson United States Postmaster General under President Woodrow Wilson and former Member of Congress. Instrumental in implementing President Wilson's policy to racially segregate the federal workforce. Aggressively enforced the Espionage Act during World War 1. George P. Bushson of Florida Governor Jeb Bush, nephew of President George W. Bush; Texas Land Commissioner, elected 2014. Kent Capertonlawyer, lobbyist in Austin and former state senator from Bryan Waggoner CarrAttorney General of Texas John Carter (Texas politician) Member of Congress James W. Cicconi White House Staff Secretary; General Counsel and Worldwide Head of Government Relations for AT&T Tom C. Clarkformer Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and United States Attorney General Susan Combs Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; Agriculture Commissioner of Texas John Connallyformer Governor of Texas; former Secretary of the Navy, former Secretary of the Treasury; Aide to Lyndon Johnson; Lead Democrats for Nixon; Former Candidate for President of the United States; Was seriously wounded when riding in President Kennedy's car at Dealey Plaza when the president was assassinated. Presided over the removal of the U.S. dollar from the gold standard; Lead a major expansion of higher education in Texas. Opened previously all-male Texas A&M University to women. Tom Connallyformer United States Senator; Chair of
List of University of Texas School of Law alumni
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James Earl "Pete" Laney (born March 20, 1943) is a former American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 to 2007. A resident of Hale Center, Texas, Laney served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003; as of 2023, Laney is the most recent Democrat to serve in this role. Political life During his tenure, Laney was widely praised for demonstrating principle, integrity, and character in his leadership of the House. He was cited by Republican Governor George W. Bush, during the 2000 presidential campaign, as a model of legislative bipartisan co-operation. As speaker, Laney "foster[ed] a bipartisan atmosphere for legislators to work together with mutual respect and place public needs ahead of personal interests and partisan politics." Lewis triggered a speaker's race in 1991 when he announced, amid allegations of accepting an illegal gift from a law firm, that he would not seek re-election as speaker in 1993. Laney announced in November 1992 that he had secured the pledges of more than eighty of his colleagues to elect him speaker. In his first term as speaker, Laney "ran the fairest, cleanest, most open, most democratic House in memory". He was named by Texas Monthly magazine as one of the "Top Ten" legislators of the Seventy-third Texas Legislature. Laney's tenure as speaker ended after the 2002 elections, when the GOP gained a majority in the Texas House for the first time since Reconstruction, and Tom Craddick of Midland was elected the first Republican speaker since 1871. Craddick served in the presiding post from 2003 to 2009. When Craddick undertook an unprecedented mid-decade congressional redistricting, Laney joined fellow Democrats who traveled to Ardmore, Oklahoma, to block consideration of the Republicans' bill by denying the House a quorum. In December 2005, Laney announced he would not seek re-election to the House in 2006, after having served continuously since 1973. No longer speaker, Laney was still re-elected in 2004 by defeating his Republican opponent with almost 59 percent of the vote in a district otherwise carried by the second President Bush with 76 percent of the vote. Democrats kept Laney's seat in 2006 with former Crosby County Judge Joseph P. Heflin, who defeated Jim Landtroop of Plainview. Personal life Laney was born in Plainview to Wilber G. Laney (1918–2005) and the former Frances L. Wilson (1921–2000). He married the former Nelda Kay McQuien (1943-2016). They have three children and six grandchildren. References 1943 births Living people 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians American members of the Churches of Christ Businesspeople from Texas Farmers from Texas People from Hale County, Texas People from Plainview, Texas Speakers of the Texas House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas Tech University alumni
Pete Laney
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John McCall Zerwas, Sr. (born March 24, 1955), is a physician from Richmond, Texas, who was a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives. He served as the representative for House District 28, which is primarily located in Fort Bend County. Zerwas was appointed executive vice chancellor for health affairs for the University of Texas System and assumed office on October 1, 2019. He resigned his House seat effective September 30, 2019. Personal life Zerwas and his late wife, Cindy Hughes, graduated in 1973 from Bellaire High School and married in 1978. After graduating from the University of Houston, Zerwas earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in 1980 and started a full-time practice in 1985. On March 1, 2012, Cindy was diagnosed with a brain tumor known as glioblastoma multiforme. She died on August 20, 2013. Zerwas helped form the First Colony Church of Christ, and was one of its first deacons where his duties included forming the children's education and children's worship programs. He worked with the Boy Scouts of America to establish a troop in the Pecan Grove area, serving as cub master and den leader for several years. He also worked with the boys during the summer camp programs. He has participated in medical missions to Guatemala with the group Faith in Practice where he provided anesthesiology for charity surgeries. John and his wife Sylvia Haist married in December 2015 and reside in Richmond; they together have six children and seven grandchildren: Isabella, Matthew, Dashel, Oliver, Beatrice, Tinley, and Harlow. Background Zerwas practices anesthesiology with US Anesthesia Partners (USAP), a group he co-founded and in which he remains active in the operations of the partnership. He founded his previous practice, Greater Houston Anesthesiology (GHA), in 1985, and served as president of that clinical practice from 1996 to 2000. Zerwas served as President of the Memorial Hermann Health Network Providers from 2007 to 2009, and Chief Medical Officer of the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston from 2003 to 2009. Zerwas served as the President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) in 2013. A member of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, he served as President of the organization from 1996 to 1997. He is also a member of the Texas Medical Association. Texas House of Representatives Zerwas was the representative for District 28, which comprises the northwest portion of Fort Bend County. Municipalities (in whole or in part) in the district include Fulshear, Simonton, Weston Lakes, Orchard, Katy, and Rosenberg. It also includes approximately 2,000 residents of the Fort Bend County portion of Houston. 2018 reelection Zerwas won his seventh legislative term in the general election held on November 6, 2018. With 44,306 votes (54.2 percent), he defeated Democrat, Meghan Scoggins, who polled 37,427 (45.8 percent). References External links Texas House of Representatives - Rep. John Zerwas official TX House of Representatives website johnzerwas.com official campaign website "Project Vote Smart" 1955 births Living people Republican Party members of the Texas House of Representatives
John Zerwas
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John Wiley Bryant (born February 22, 1947) is an American politician who represented Texas's 5th congressional district in the 98th to 104th U.S. Congress. Early life and education Bryant was born in Lake Jackson, Brazoria County, Texas. Following a B.A. at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas in 1969 Bryant studied law at Southern Methodist University School of Law, where he graduated in 1972. He was also admitted to the Texas bar in 1972. Bryant served as counsel to a committee of the Texas senate in 1973. Political career Bryant was elected to Texas house of representatives in a special election in 1974 and was reelected from 1974 to 1982. He was elected as a Democrat to the 98th Congress in 1982 and to the six succeeding Congresses, serving from 1983 to 1997. While in the United States House of Representatives Bryant was one of the House impeachment managers who prosecuted the case in the impeachment trial of Judge Alcee Hastings. Hastings was found guilty by the United States Senate and removed from his federal judgeship. In 1996 Bryant was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate. In October 1997, President Clinton appointed Bryant to head the United States' delegation to the 1997 World Radiocommunication Conference, organized by the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva, and accorded him the personal rank of Ambassador. In 2021, John Bryant filed to run for state representative in Texas's 114th district, after being out of politics for 24 years. Bryant declared, “I am so alarmed at the continued extremes to which the Trump forces have gone in trying to take our country over and now this has arrived in Texas. I want to get off the sidelines and get back into the fight.” He won the primary in May 2022. He won the general election in November 2022. Opposition to reforms to increase housing supply In 2023, Bryant spearheaded opposition to a bill in the Texas legislature that would have permitted accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in areas with single-family zoning. The bill was intended to increase housing supply and alleviate the housing crisis in urban areas in Texas. Bryant said that allowing ADUs would "make a commercial, uncontrollable, really unforeseeable mess out of every neighborhood in the state." In 2024, Bryant expressed opposition to legislative proposals to permit greater residential density in single-family neighborhoods. Bryant argued, "we have plenty of land for [housing] and plenty of places to put it. You don’t need to bust up single-family neighborhoods to get affordable housing." Personal life In the mid-1990s he was one of the co-founders of the United Baseball League (UBL) which was a planned third major league. As of 2023, Bryant is a student at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology and taking a prayer and spirituality course as he pursues a degree in Spiritual Discipline. References External links 1947 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas lawyers Southern Methodist University alumni People from Lake
John Bryant (Texas politician)
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Daniel James Kubiak (March 19, 1938 – August 30, 1998) was an educator and businessman from Rockdale, Texas, who served as a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983 and again from 1991 until his death in 1998. During his tenure in the House, he represented three different districts in Central Texas and was particularly known for his support of public education. Background Kubiak was the oldest of six children born in Reagan in Falls County to a Roman Catholic couple, John T. Kubiak (1914–2001), a farmer, later garage owner, and a native of Robertson County, and the former Connie M. Snider (1915–1999). He attended elementary and junior high school in Reagan but graduated in 1957 from Marlin High School in Marlin. In 1959, he received an Associate of Arts degree from Blinn College in Brenham in Washington County, Texas. Thereafter in 1962, he received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, which he attended on a football scholarship. In 1968, he procured a Master of Education degree from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He also pursued graduate studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He later received a PhD in education from UT-Austin. From 1962 to 1963, he was a mathematics teacher and coach in Vernon, Texas, where he was also a semi-professional football player for the 1962 state champion Vernon Vikings. He then spent five years from 1963 to 1968 at Cypress-Fairbanks High School in Houston. In 1967, he received "Teacher of the Year" designation from both Cypress-Fairbanks High School and the Texas State Teachers Association. Legislative years Initially, Kubiak was elected to the legislature in 1968 from District 27, when he unseated an incumbent Democrat in the primary election. That district included Milam, Robertson, and his native Falls counties. He was elected the year that U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas declined to seek a second full term in office. There is a photograph on Kubiak's memorial page of a youthful Kubiak speaking with Johnson, probably in the late 1960s. Kubiak was reelected to the state House in 1970, a heavily Democratic year in which Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., won the U.S. Senate race in Texas against future President George Herbert Walker Bush. In 1972, after redistricting, Kubiak defeated an incumbent Democrat in District 36, which included Waller, Washington, Milam, and Robertson counties. He was also reelected in District 36 in 1974, 1976, 1978, and 1980. After his seventh term in the state House, Kubiak lost a Democratic primary race for Texas land commissioner to Garry Mauro of Bryan, a confidant of later U.S. President Bill Clinton. Kubiak's House seat was in turn won by his brother, L. B. Kubiak, a veterinarian. In 1983, Dan Kubiak failed to unseat Republican convert Phil Gramm for U.S. representative in the Bryan-College Station district. A former Democrat, Gramm switched parties to support the administration of President Ronald W. Reagan. Gramm resigned his House seat but retained the
Dan Kubiak
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The 1944 United States presidential election in Texas took place on November 7, 1944, as part of the 1944 United States presidential election. State voters chose 23 electors to represent the state in the Electoral College, which chose the president and vice president. Incumbent Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt won Texas in a landslide, taking 71.42% of the state's vote to Republican Thomas E. Dewey's 16.64%. The Texas Regulars, a group of conservative Democrats who opposed Roosevelt's New Deal and ran a ticket of unpledged electors, took 11.77% of the vote. As a former Confederate state, Texas had a history of Jim Crow laws, disenfranchisement of African-American and Mexican-American populations, and single-party Democratic rule. The only exceptions to this were a few local governments in Unionist German-American counties (chiefly Gillespie and Kendall) in Central Texas. Since 1930, no Republicans had served in either house of the Texas Legislature, and Democratic candidates for federal office routinely won the state by an overwhelming margin (Franklin Roosevelt won more than 87% of Texas' ballots in both 1932 and 1936). Many of Texas' officeholders were highly critical of Roosevelt's decision in 1940 to replace conservative Texan John Nance Garner with liberal Northerner Henry A. Wallace as his running mate. This antipathy grew far worse when, in March 1944, the landmark case of Smith v. Allwright ruled unconstitutional the white primaries upon which the politics of Texas and most other Southern states were based. The result was that Texas' oil and natural gas industries became powerfully opposed to the re-nomination of President Roosevelt, and called for the reversal of New Deal policies alongside the "return of states' rights" and "restoration of white supremacy". At first, these anti-New Deal Democrats attempted to take over the state Democratic organization, send anti-Roosevelt delegates to the national convention, and prevent the seating of Black delegates at that convention. When this failed, and Roosevelt loyalists maintained control of the state Democratic delegation, the anti-New Deal groups formed the "Texas Regulars", led by Merritt Gibson, who would later join Strom Thurmond's Dixiecrat movement. Although their electors were not pledged to any candidate, the Regulars were able to gain access to the ballot in September. Support from Governor Pappy O'Daniel, however, failed to obscure that the Regulars' support was largely confined to affluent urban areas and a few traditional plantation districts, plus the fact that some of their support came from the state's small traditional Republican presidential vote. Consequently, Texas again voted overwhelming for incumbent President Roosevelt and his new running mate, Missouri Senator Harry S. Truman. Washington County nonetheless gave the Regulars 52 percent of its ballots and thus became the first county in the nation to go for a third party since 1924, when Robert La Follette won over 16% of the national vote and more than a sixth of the nation's counties, Roosevelt remains the most recent Democratic presidential candidate to carry Texas more than once. Results Results by county See also United States presidential elections in Texas Notes
1944 United States presidential election in Texas
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The 1946 United States House of Representatives elections were elections for the United States House of Representatives to elect members to serve in the 80th United States Congress. They were held for the most part on November 5, 1946, while Maine held theirs on September 9. November 1946 was 19 months after President Harry S. Truman assumed office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. While Democrats had controlled the House for 16 years since 1931 and Roosevelt had been elected to a record four terms in office, Truman did not garner the same support as the deceased president. The 1946 election resulted in Republicans picking up 55 seats to win majority control. Joseph Martin, Republican of Massachusetts, became Speaker of the House, exchanging places with Sam Rayburn, Democrat of Texas, who became the new Minority Leader. The Democratic defeat was the largest since they were trounced in the 1928 pro-Republican wave that brought Herbert Hoover to power. They also lost the Senate in the concurrent Senate elections. The vote was largely seen as a referendum on Truman, whose approval rating had sunk to 32 percent over the president's controversial handling of a wave of post-war labor strikes, including a United Auto Workers strike against Ford and General Motors in 1945, a United Mine Workers strike starting in April 1946, and a national railroad worker strike that began in May. Further damage resulted from the back-and-forth over whether to end wartime price controls, unpopular with the American business constituency, to handle shortages, particularly in meat and other foodstuffs. While Truman's early months in the White House had been plagued with questions of "What would Roosevelt do if he were alive?" Republicans now began to joke "What would Truman do if he were alive?" and "To err is Truman." However, the Republican majority was short-lived, as Democrats regained control of the House two years later. Overall results Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk Special elections In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1946 or before January 3, 1947; ordered by election date, then by district. Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Non-voting delegates Alaska Territory See also 1946 United States elections 1946 United States Senate elections 1946 California's 12th congressional district election (the Richard Nixon-Jerry Voorhis race) 79th United States Congress 80th United States Congress Notes References
1946 United States House of Representatives elections
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Trenton Edward Ashby (born October 9, 1972) is a Texas politician who currently represents District 9 of the Texas House of Representatives. He previously represented District 57, which at that time was composed of Angelina County, Houston County, Leon County, Madison County, San Augustine County, and Trinity County. Prior to being a state representative, Ashby was a local politician and business owner. Early life Trenton Edward Ashby was born on October 9, 1972, in Rusk County, Texas. He was raised in rural Rusk County on a dairy farm and diversified livestock operation. While growing up, Ashby was an elected leader in his local FFA and 4-H youth organizations. Graduating from Henderson High School, Ashby would go on to attend Texas A&M University where he was elected to the Student Senate, Senior Yell Leader, and Class Treasurer. He graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics in 1996, and is still affiliated with Texas A&M through the Texas A&M Letterman's Association and Association of Former Students. Political career Ashby is a former president and member of the nonpartisan Lufkin Independent School District Board of Trustees; his tenure on the school board started in 2007 and ended in 2012. He served as president of the board in his final 2 years. In 2012, Ashby entered the Republican primary to represent District 57 of the Texas House of Representatives, he was challenging incumbent representative Marva Beck. Ultimately, Ashby won the primary with 58.1% of the votes and was unopposed in the general election. He was sworn in to represent District 57 on January 8, 2013. He has been subsequently reelected, by large margins or was unopposed, in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. In 2022, after redistricting, the district was numbered as District 9; Ashby ran to represent the newly-numbered District and was again successful. In October 2020, Ashby filed for candidacy to be speaker of Texas House of Representatives. Ashby and Dade Phelan (R—Beaumont) were considered the primary contenders before Ashby backed out of the race, endorsing Geanie Morrison, after Phelan announced he had the votes to win the speakership. Ultimately, Phelan was elected the speaker. Policies KTRE characterized Ashby as a "conservative Republican." He has earned a 70% rating from the American Conservative Union. Ashby has a record of being anti-abortion. He has supported and co-sponsored several bills restricting abortion access, including Texas House Bill 2 which banned abortion passed 20 weeks of gestation. This record has earned him a 100% rating from Texas Alliance for Life, a 60% from Texas Right to Life Committee, and a 0% from NARAL Pro-Choice Texas. Personal life Ashby is a resident of Lufkin, Texas, with his wife Nickie and two sons. The Ashby family are active members of Harmony Hill Baptist Church. Additionally, he is active in several local non-profit organizations. References 1972 births Living people 21st-century American legislators People from Lufkin, Texas Texas A&M University alumni Republican Party members of the Texas House of Representatives 21st-century Texas politicians
Trent Ashby
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Nathaniel Willis "Tan" Parker IV (born May 22, 1971) is a businessman and Republican politician who has served in the Texas Senate, representing the 12th district since 2023. He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2007 to 2023. He was elected in 2006 to represent District 63. Parker sought the position of Texas House Speaker with the retirement of Joe Straus but then withdrew his candidacy in 2018 to support the consensus choice, Representative Dennis Bonnen of Angleton in Brazoria County. As of 2022, Parker was elected to represent Senate District 12, and will continue his public service as a State Senator. Background Parker was educated at the University of Dallas, at which he served in the College Republicans Club. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political philosophy and Economics in 1993. In 1992 he worked briefly in the White House of George H. W. Bush. He later earned a Master's Degree from the London School of Economics. Parker serves on several board of directors and advisory councils, including the University of Dallas, Communities in Schools North Texas, the Children’s Advocacy Center for Denton County, and Kyle’s Place, an emerging shelter project for homeless teens. Parker resides in Flower Mound with his wife of over 20 years, Beth Haugan Parker, who he met while a student at the University of Dallas. The Parkers have two daughters, Lauren and Ashley. Political career In 2006, Parker first ran for state office when his predecessor, Mary C. Denny, vacated the seat for House District 63. He faced four opponents in the Republican primary election, including Lewisville ISD board president Anne Lakusta, who received the endorsement of the Dallas Morning News. Parker garnered the most votes in the primary but needed a runoff to defeat Lakusta. No other party fielded a candidate in the general election, so Parker's runoff election win earned him the seat. In 2008, Parker faced two candidates, Democrat Jesus Carrillo and Libertarian candidate John Turner. He defeated both with 64,048 votes (72.97 percent) to Carrillo's 19,883 (22.65 percent) and Turner's 3,831 (4.36 percent). In 2010, he was unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election. In 2012, Parker ran unopposed in the Republican primary election and defeated Bruce Hermann Libertarian in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012. In 2014, he ran unopposed in the Republican primary election. He faced Democrat Daniel Moran in the general election and defeated Moran with 30,809 votes (77.3%) to Moran's 9,026 (22.7%). In 2015, Parker's colleagues elected him the Chairman of the House Republican Caucus and he was chosen later that year as the best legislator by Texas Monthly magazine. On March 1, 2016, he once again won the Republican primary election for House District 63. Parker is currently serving his sixth term in the Texas House of Representatives. Upon entering the 85th Legislative Session, Parker was unanimously re-elected as the chairman of the House Republican Caucus, which represents the Republican members of the Texas
Tan Parker
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The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the 36 U.S. representatives from the state of Texas, one from each of the state's 36 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections. Primaries were held on March 3 and run-offs were held on July 14. During the election cycle, a number of House races were considered vulnerable by Democrats and polls. However, in the wake of the election, Republicans were able to retain control over all of those seats. Democratic-held 15th district also became unexpectedly competitive, with incumbent representative Vicente Gonzalez attaining a narrow win over the Republican challenger. Republican wins were attributed to President Donald Trump appearing on the ballot and his unexpectedly strong support from Latino voters. Ballot litigation Some Green Party candidates were removed from the ballot due to a failure to pay filing fees. However, in September 2020, the Texas Supreme Court rejected a Republican attempt to remove 44 Libertarian Party candidates from the November 2020 general election ballot because they failed to pay filing fees. The court ruled that the Republicans had missed the state Election Code's deadline to raise such a challenge. Overview Statewide District Results of the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas by district: District 1 The 1st district encompasses Deep East Texas, taking in Tyler, Lufkin, Nacogdoches, Longview, and Marshall. The incumbent was Republican Louie Gohmert, who was re-elected with 72.3% of the vote in 2018. Republican primary Candidates Nominee Louie Gohmert, incumbent U.S. representative Eliminated in primary Johnathan Davidson, data architect Primary results |- class=vcard | style="background-color:#E81B23;width:5px" | | class=org style="width:130px" | Republican | class=fn | Louie Gohmert (incumbent) | style="text-align:right;margin-right:0.5em" | 83,887 | style="text-align:right;margin-right:0.5em" | 89.7 |- |- class="vcard" |style="background-color:#E81B23;width:2px" | |class="org" style="width:130px"| Republican |class=fn| Johnathan Davidson |style="text-align:right"| 9,659 |style="text-align:right"| 10.3 |- Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Hank Gilbert, rancher and businessman Primary results |- class=vcard | style="background-color:#3333FF;width:5px" | | class=org style="width:130px" | Democratic | class=fn | Hank Gilbert | style="text-align:right;margin-right:0.5em" | 25,037 | style="text-align:right;margin-right:0.5em" | 100.0 |- Endorsements Labor unions Texas AFL-CIO General election Predictions Results |- class=vcard | style="background-color:#E81B23;width:5px" | | class=org style="width:130px" | Republican | class=fn | Louie Gohmert (incumbent) | style="text-align:right;margin-right:0.5em" | 219,726 | style="text-align:right;margin-right:0.5em" | 72.6 |- |- class="vcard" |style="background-color:#3333FF;width:2px" | |class="org" style="width:130px"| Democratic |class=fn| Hank Gilbert |style="text-align:right"| 83,016 |style="text-align:right"| 27.4 |- District 2 The 2nd district is based in northern and western Houston. The incumbent was Republican Dan Crenshaw, who was elected with 52.8% of the vote in 2018. Republican primary Candidates Nominee Dan Crenshaw, incumbent U.S. representative Primary results |- class=vcard | style="background-color:#E81B23;width:5px" | | class=org style="width:130px" | Republican | class=fn | Dan Crenshaw (incumbent) | style="text-align:right;margin-right:0.5em" | 53,938 | style="text-align:right;margin-right:0.5em" | 100.0 |- Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Sima Ladjevardian, attorney, philanthropist, fundraiser, and advisor to Beto O'Rourke during his 2018 U.S. Senate campaign and 2020
2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas
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James Paul "Buck" Buchanan (April 30, 1867 – February 22, 1937) served as U.S. Representative from the 10th district of Texas from 1913 until his death on February 22, 1937. Biography Buchanan was born in Midway, Orangeburg County, South Carolina, on April 30, 1867; later that year, his family moved to Texas and settled near Chappell Hill in Washington County. He attended the local schools of Chappell Hill, and in 1889 he received his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Later in 1889, Buchanan began a law practice in Washington County, and almost immediately became involved in politics as a Democrat. He served as a county justice of the peace from 1889 to 1892, and as the county's prosecuting attorney from 1892 to 1899. From 1899 to 1906, Buchanan was the district attorney for the twenty-first judicial district. Buchanan was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1906 to 1913. In 1913, he was elected to the Sixty-third Congress, filling the vacancy left by the resignation of Albert Sidney Burleson. Buchanan was elected to a full term in the Sixty-fourth Congress, and won reelection eleven times. He served in the US House from April 15, 1913 to February 22, 1937, and was the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations from 1933 until his death. During the 1930s, Buchanan was recognized as a member of the Miller Group, conservative Democrats who were opposed to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, and led by lobbyist Henry Pomeroy Miller. Death and burial Buchanan died in Washington, D.C., on February 22, 1937. He was buried at Prairie Lea Cemetery in Brenham, Texas. He was succeeded in Congress by Lyndon B. Johnson, then the head of the National Youth Administration in Texas and an ardent New Dealer, who later became the 36th President and vice president of the United States. Legacy Buchanan Dam and the lake it forms, Lake Buchanan, are named in his honor. Both are located about 12 miles (19 km) west of Burnet, Texas. See also List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49) References External links A Guide to the James Paul Buchanan Papers, 1896-1954 1867 births 1937 deaths People from Orangeburg County, South Carolina People from Chappell Hill, Texas University of Texas School of Law alumni Texas lawyers Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Death in Washington, D.C. Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
James P. Buchanan
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Helen Edmunds Moore (1881–1968) was a Texan suffragist who became president of the Texas League of Women Voters and served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives. The Moore Memorial Public Library in Texas City, Texas, is named after her. Early life and early days in Texas City Born as Sepha Helen Edmunds, she was the daughter of mechanical engineer J. H. Edmunds. She was born in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, on January 3, 1881. She worked as a nurse in Kansas City, married a railroad man whom she had treated there, and moved with him to Texas City, Texas in late 1905. She continued to work as a nurse in Texas City, providing the town's only medical care until 1907, when a doctor moved to the town. She also founded a reading room, a precursor to the town library, in 1914, and became founder and first president of the Texas City Red Cross in 1916. Her Red Cross unit helped supply bandages to American soldiers in Europe. Suffrage and activism Moore helped campaign for women's right to vote in Texas, working for a 1915 constitutional amendment that failed to pass. She became an officer in the Texas Equal Suffrage Association, which became the Texas League of Women Voters in 1919 after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution giving women the right to vote nationally. In 1923, she became president of the Texas League of Women Voters. In the US presidential elections of 1924 and 1928 she was one of Texas's delegates to the national conventions, She was a supporter of Miriam A. Ferguson as Texas governor, in part because of Ferguson's anti-Ku Klux Klan position and in part for her progressive social politics. She also supported the 1928 presidential campaign of Al Smith. Legislature She was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1928, 1930, and 1934, in the 17th district. She writes "I decided to run for the legislature in 1929 because I thought a woman could pass some good laws." Her defeat in the 1932 primary was caused in part by miscommunications regarding alcohol prohibition, and in the 1934 campaign she was victorious after taking a stand against prohibition. As a legislator she worked to establish a state mental hospital and remove the mentally ill from the jails, to improve the state hospital and orphanage systems, to found the state board of education, to outlaw child labor, and to reduce working hours for women from 54 hours per week to 48 hours. Legacy Her residence, the Col. Hugh B. and Helen Moore House in Texas City, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. References 1881 births 1968 deaths Members of the Texas House of Representatives Suffragists from Texas Women state legislators in Texas People from Black River Falls, Wisconsin People from Texas City, Texas 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century Texas politicians
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Royce Barry West (born September 26, 1952) is an American politician who serves as a member of the Texas Senate, representing the Dallas-based 23rd District. Early life and education West was born in Annapolis, Maryland. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Texas at Arlington. As an undergraduate, he was initiated into the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. West then earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center. Career Politics In 1986, West ran his first campaign for public office, losing his bid for Dallas County district attorney. His first successful political campaign was in 1992, when he ran for the Texas Senate, District 23 seat after the incumbent, Eddie Bernice Johnson, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. From April 2006 to January 2007, West served as president pro tempore of the Texas Senate. On November 18, 2006, West was Governor for a Day, a ceremonial title that honors the service of the president pro tempore. On July 22, 2019, West announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2020 election for the seat held by John Cornyn. He finished second in the March 3 primary, but lost the July 14 runoff to MJ Hegar. Legal career In addition to serving in the Texas Senate, West is a managing partner at the law firm West & Associates L.L.P. Part of his practice involves providing bond counsel and other legal services for public entities such as Dallas Independent School District, the city of Dallas, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. West's legal services have led to concerns over possible ethics violations in his Senate work due to a conflict of interest. Electoral history 2018 2014 2012 2008 2004 2002 1998 1994 1992 References External links Profile at the Texas Senate Royce West for Texas Senate Project Vote Smart - Senator Royce West (TX) profile Follow the Money - Royce West 2006 2004 2002 1998 campaign contributions Archived Texas Senate Profile |- 1952 births 21st-century American legislators African-American people in Texas politics Living people Politicians from Dallas Presidents pro tempore of the Texas Senate Democratic Party Texas state senators University of Texas at Arlington alumni Texas–Arlington Mavericks football players University of Houston Law Center alumni Candidates in the 2020 United States Senate elections 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American people 21st-century Texas politicians
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The 1948 United States presidential election in Texas was held on November 2, 1948. Texas voters chose 23 electors to represent the state in the Electoral College, which chose the president and vice president. As a former Confederate state, Texas had a history of Jim Crow laws, disenfranchisement of its African-American and Mexican-American populations, and single-party Democratic rule outside a few Unionist German-American counties (chiefly Gillespie and Kendall) of Central Texas. However, President Harry S. Truman was attempting to launch a civil rights bill, involving desegregation of the military, which led to severe opposition from Southern Democrats, who aimed to have South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond listed as Democratic presidential nominee and Mississippi Governor Fielding Wright as the vice-presidential nominee. Thurmond, whose ticket was formally called the States’ Rights Democratic Party and more popularly known as the Dixiecrats, was leading Truman in early polls even in the major metropolitan counties of Dallas and Harris, which suggested he would claim the state. Texas’ large number of electoral votes made it a coveted prize in Thurmond's quest to take the election into the House of Representatives. At the time of this poll it remained uncertain as to whether Truman or Thurmond would be the official Democratic nominee in Texas. Unlike Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Carolina or Virginia, Texas did not have a major threat from the Republican Party to block local Democratic support for Thurmond, but it had only a third the proportion of blacks found in Mississippi or South Carolina. More critically, Texas’ party hierarchy was dominated by Truman loyalists, most critically Governor Beauford Jester, and by mid-September it was clear that Truman would be the official Democratic nominee. Truman campaigned in Texas during late September, ignoring civil rights and focusing entirely upon Dewey. The President's criticism of Dewey was largely focused on improving the transmission of hydroelectric power from dams at lower rates than Dewey had planned. 10% of white voters supported Thurmond. Polls Results Results by county Analysis Texas overwhelmingly voted for incumbent Democratic President Harry. S. Truman, who took 66 percent of the state’s vote, to Republican Thomas E. Dewey’s 25.3 percent. Texas was Truman's strongest state, and one of only four in the country which gave him at least sixty percent of the popular vote. Truman carried 246 out of the state's 254 counties, to Dewey’s eight. South Carolina Governor Storm Thurmond, a segregationist Democrat, ran as the Dixiecrat nominee. Despite dominating in the neighboring Deep South, Thurmond received only nine percent of Texas’ popular vote and failed to carry any counties in the state. including those in East Texas, the region in Texas most closely culturally tied to the Deep South. The Dixiecrat ticket did, nonetheless, run second behind Truman in thirty counties. Dewey’s strongest performance was Gillespie County in the Texas Hill Country, which gave him over eighty percent of the vote. This is one of the last presidential elections in Texas in which the following regions were considered strongholds for the Democratic Party: West Texas,
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The 2021 Texas's 6th congressional district special election was held on May 1, 2021. The seat became vacant after incumbent Republican Ron Wright died on February 7 of COVID-19. Ron Wright's widow, Susan Wright from Arlington, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump, and Jake Ellzey (who lost the Republican primary for this seat to Ron Wright in 2018) of Waxahachie, who served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives starting on January 12, advanced to the runoff. Ellzey finished ahead of Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez of Fort Worth for the second place by just 354 votes. Sanchez conceded defeat to Ellzey the day after the election. The district was a Republican hold due to two Republicans advancing to the runoff. The special election was expected to be competitive, due to the district trending Democratic in recent years and its suburban nature. A nonpartisan blanket primary took place, in which all candidates were listed on the same ballot. Since no candidate had received over 50 percent of the vote, the race proceeded to a runoff between the top two candidates in the first round, resulting in two Republicans advancing to the runoff. The runoff took place on July 27. Ellzey won the runoff election, earning 53.3% to Wright's 46.7%. Candidates Republican Party Declared Michael Ballantine, business and English lecturer John Anthony Castro, attorney and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 Mike Egan, former U.S. Army Special Forces Officer (Green Beret) and businessman Jake Ellzey, state representative (2021) and candidate for in 2018 Brian Harrison, former chief of staff of Department of Health and Human Services (2019–2021) Sery Kim, former SBA official Travis Rodermund, police officer Dan Rodimer, former WWE professional wrestler and nominee for Nevada's 3rd congressional district in 2020 Jennifer Garcia Sharon, volunteer caregiver and nominee for Texas's 35th congressional district in 2020 Michael Wood, major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Susan Wright, widow of former U.S. Representative Ron Wright (2019–2021) and a committeewoman for the Texas State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) for District 10. Filed paperwork Monty Markland, writer and producer Asa Palagi, former candidate for Governor of Washington in 2020 Declined Joe Barton, former U.S. Representative for David Cook, state representative (2021–present) David Hill, Mayor of Waxahachie Cary Moon, Fort Worth city councillor Andy Nguyen, deputy chief of staff for Rep. Wright Adrian Mizher, banker (running as an Independent) Katrina Pierson, former national spokesperson for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and senior advisor to Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign Manny Ramirez, President of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association Tony Tinderholt, state representative (2015–present) Bill Waybourn, Tarrant County sheriff Jeff Williams, Mayor of Arlington (2015–present) (endorsed Susan Wright) Democratic Party Declared Lydia Bean, small business owner, former state House candidate Daryl J. Eddings, business owner Matthew Hinterlong, developer Tammy Allison Holloway, attorney Shawn Lassiter, Leadership ISD Chief of Equity and Inclusion Patrick Moses, former Assistant Director for Field Operations, Department of Homeland Security and Minister Jana Sanchez, commentator, activist, and nominee for in
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Mary Frances Tarlton "Sissy" Farenthold (October 2, 1926 – September 26, 2021) was an American politician, attorney, activist, and educator. She was best known for her two campaigns for governor of Texas in 1972 and 1974, and for being placed in nomination for vice president of the United States, finishing second at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. She was elected as the first chair of the National Women's Political Caucus in 1973. Early life and education Mary Frances Tarlton was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 2, 1926, the daughter of Catherine (Bluntzer) and Benjamin Dudley Tarlton, Jr., a district attorney. She was nicknamed "Sissy" as her slightly older brother could not yet pronounce the word sister. After attending the Hockaday School, Farenthold graduated from Vassar College in 1946. In 1949, she graduated from the University of Texas School of Law. She was one of only three women in a class of 800. Farenthold came from a line of lawyers and judges. Her grandfather, Judge Benjamin D. Tarlton Sr., served as chief justice of the Texas Court of Civil Appeals, a state legislator, professor at the University of Texas School of Law and as the namesake of the University of Texas School of Law Tarlton Law Library. Career Politics Farenthold started her political career in 1968, when she was elected to represent Nueces and Kleberg counties in the Texas House of Representatives. She ran against Jack K. Pedigo of Corpus Christi, Texas, graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and World War II veteran. She was the only woman serving in the Texas House at the time. Senator Barbara Jordan was then the only woman serving in the Texas Senate. They co-sponsored the Equal Legal Rights Amendment to the Texas Constitution. Farenthold was the third woman whose name was put into nomination for vice president of the United States at a major party's nominating convention. The first was Lena Springs, who was not a public official and whose 1924 nomination was a gesture of affection. The second was India Edwards in 1952, whose nomination was also a gesture of gratitude for her influence over Harry Truman. At the Democratic National Convention in 1972, Farenthold came in second to the presidential nominee's choice, U.S. Senator Thomas F. Eagleton of Missouri. She garnered more delegate votes (404.04) than Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska, Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana, and Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia, among others. In 1972, and 1974, she unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor of Texas. She was defeated both times by Dolph Briscoe of Uvalde, who went on to win the general election each time. In 1973, she was elected as the first chair of the National Women's Political Caucus. She later served as president of Wells College in Aurora, New York, from 1976 to 1980. Farenthold founded the Public Leadership Education Network in 1978 with key support for her vision from Ruth Mandel, who directed the Center for American Women and Politics, which is
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Edgar Franklin Foreman Jr. (December 22, 1933 – February 2, 2022) was an American businessman and politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives. He had one term representing Texas's 16th congressional district from 1963 to 1965 and a second term from 1969 to 1971 representing New Mexico's 2nd district, then newly established. He is the most historically recent member of Congress to have represented more than one state during their career. Early life and education Foreman was born near Portales, New Mexico, in Roosevelt County in southeastern New Mexico, to Edgar Foreman Sr. and the former Lillian Childress. From 1952 to 1953, he attended Eastern New Mexico College in Portales. He transferred to New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, where in 1955 he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. From 1953 to 1956, Foreman was employed by Phillips Petroleum Company. From 1956 to 1957, he served in the United States Navy as an enlisted sailor. He also served in the United States Navy Reserve and United States Air Force Reserve. While in the Air Force Reserve, he became a captain in the 9999th Air Reserve Squadron in Washington, DC while serving as a congressman. He headed Foreman Brine Sales and Service in Odessa, Texas, from 1956 to 1962. He was formerly the president of Valley Transit Mix, Atlas Land Company, and Foreman Oil, Inc. Political career Represented West Texas, 1963–1965 In 1962 Foreman was elected to Congress from the 16th District in West Texas, which stretched from El Paso to the Permian Basin. His victory is attributed to the incumbent Democratic Representative J. T. Rutherford having been linked with the Billie Sol Estes scandal. In that same election, the Democrat, later Republican, John B. Connally, Jr., was elected governor over the Republican oilfield equipment executive Jack Cox. Foreman was defeated when he sought re-election in 1964, a year in which President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Texan, was reelected over Republican U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater in a landslide, and the Republicans suffered massive losses throughout the nation. Represented southern New Mexico, 1969–1971 Following his defeat, he relocated to New Mexico, where he became active in business and civic affairs in Las Cruces. In 1968 while residing in Las Cruces, Foreman ran for Congress in the southern district of New Mexico and upset the two-term Democrat E. S. "Johnny" Walker of Albuquerque. Richard Nixon won New Mexico's electoral votes that year over Hubert H. Humphrey, and that Republican momentum helped Foreman to get elected. Foreman was unseated after a single term in 1970 by Democrat Harold Runnels. Appointment to two federal jobs After losing a House seat for the second time in six years, Foreman in 1971 was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Interior in the Nixon administration, and the following year, 1972, he was appointed to a position at the United States Department of Transportation, where he stayed until 1976. Personal life and death Foreman died on February 2, 2022, at
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Joseph Richard Straus III (born September 1, 1959) is an American politician who served as the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019. A Republican, he represented District 121, which comprises northeastern Bexar County, including parts of San Antonio and several surrounding communities, from his first election to the House in 2005 until his retirement in 2019. He chose not to seek re-election to the state House in 2018. During his career in the state House, Straus was a moderate, "business-friendly, country club Republican" who sometimes clashed with the party's social conservative wing. Toward the end of his five terms as speaker, Straus faced opposition from more conservative factions within the Texas Republican Party, led by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who regarded Straus as insufficiently conservative, and another conservative group that spent millions of dollars in attempts to defeat Straus and allied state legislators in Republican primary elections. Early life, education, and business career Straus is a San Antonio native and a fifth-generation Texan. Straus came from a widely known Republican Party family. His mother, Jocelyn Levi Straus, was a Republican Party fundraiser and close friend of President George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, during Bush's two U.S. Senate races and his bids for the White House. Jocelyn also had a prominent role in the campaigns of John Tower in the 1970s. His father was a major player in the horseracing business in San Antonio. Straus' family founded the Straus-Frank Saddlery Co. in San Antonio, which became a wholesale distribution business for guns and tires. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he has an insurance, investment, and executive benefit practice. He was former spokesman for the Retama Development Corporation, a development company that built the Retama Racetrack in San Antonio, which was for betting on horse racing. Political activity before Texas House Straus has previously served on the Management Committee of the Bexar County Republican Party, as a precinct chairman, and on numerous campaign committees for federal, state, and local candidates. From 1989 through 1991, he served in the administration of President George H. W. Bush as deputy director of Business Liaison at the U.S. Department of Commerce and, earlier under President Ronald Reagan, as Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of Customs. In 1986, he was Campaign Manager in U.S. Representative Lamar S. Smith's first race for Congress. Texas House of Representatives Elections to the Texas House 2005 Straus joined the House after winning a special election to replace District 121 state Representative Elizabeth Ames Jones in 2005. 2012 Straus was renominated to the Texas House in the Republican primary held on May 29, 2012. With 10,362 votes (62.9 percent), he defeated opponent Matt Stewart Beebe (born 1973), who polled 6,108 ballots (37.1 percent). In the November 6 general election, Straus faced no Democratic opponent and defeated the Libertarian nominee, Arthur M. Thomas, IV, 50,530 (80.2 percent) to 12,444 (19.8 percent). 2014 Straus was again renominated to the Texas House in the Republican primary held
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Pete Peña Gallego (born December 2, 1961) is an American lawyer, politician, and higher education leader who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district from 2013 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 68th district (74th district from 1993) beginning in 1991. He was president of his alma mater, Sul Ross State University in Far West Texas, from 2020 through 2022 and continues to serve as president emeritus as he writes and speaks on issues related to college accessibility and affordability, particularly for first-generation students. Gallego defeated freshman incumbent Quico Canseco of San Antonio for Texas's 23rd congressional district seat in the November 6, 2012, general election. Gallego ran for re-election in 2014, in what the Texas Tribune called the "only obviously competitive November congressional race" in Texas. He was defeated by challenger Republican Will Hurd on November 4, 2014. In 2016 he ran for Congress once more in the 23rd district, losing to Hurd a second time. Early career After graduating from law school, Gallego became an assistant in the office of the state attorney general, before he returned to his hometown of Alpine to become a prosecutor. He was also an attorney at the law firm Brown McCarroll LLP, with an office in Austin. State legislature Elected to the Texas House from District 74 in 1990, Gallego was the first Hispanic to represent this vast border district. In 1991, he became the first freshman member and the first ethnic minority member ever elected as chair of the House Democratic Caucus, a post he held until January 2001. In the Texas House, Gallego served on the board of directors of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), and four terms as Chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC), a caucus of Texas representatives who are of Mexican-American descent or who serve a significant Mexican-American constituency. In 2008, Trey Martinez Fischer replaced Gallego as Chairman of MALC. Gallego's state legislative career included chairmanships of the General Investigating Committee, the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, and several select committees. He also served as a member of the Texas Sunset Commission and a member of the Committees on Appropriations, Calendars, Criminal Jurisprudence, Higher Education, and Elections and served on the 10-member House-Senate budget conference committee for five consecutive legislative sessions from 1993 – 2001. In 2008, Gallego narrowly missed being elected Speaker of the Texas House. Gallego was known for carrying major legislation in the areas of criminal justice, indigent defense, capital punishment, wrongful convictions, crime victims’ rights, the judiciary, and economic development. He also carried legislation authorizing the creation of underground water districts throughout the region he represented. Gallego established internship programs at MALC named in honor of several of his mentors, Rep. Irma Rangel (the first Latina elected to the Texas Legislature) and Rep. Paul Moreno, the longest-serving Latino elected official in the country at that time. He, along with the
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Aaron Robert Schwartz, better known as A. R. Schwartz or "Babe" Schwartz (July 17, 1926 – August 10, 2018), was an American politician, lawyer, and lobbyist who served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1955 to 1959 and in the Texas Senate from 1960 to 1981, representing his native Galveston, Texas. He was known for being a liberal "yellow-dog" Democrat. Personal life Schwartz attended the Texas A&M University at College Station and the University of Texas School of Law at Austin. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was married to the former Marilyn Cohn of Harlingen, and they had four sons: Bob, Dick (both reside in Houston), John (lives in Pflugerville), and Tom (lives in Florida). Texas Legislature Schwartz served in the Texas House of Representatives representing Galveston County (District 21, Place 2) between January 11, 1955, and January 13, 1959. After serving in the house, he served in the Texas Senate for District 17 between January 9, 1960, and January 13, 1981. Additionally, while in the Texas Senate, he served as president pro tempore between March 31, 1965, and January 14, 1966, during part of the 59th legislature. As a legislator, he specialized in legislation to protect the environment and manage the resources of coastal areas. He earned a reputation as a staunch liberal speaker. In Molly Ivins's book "Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?," Ivins referred to Schwartz as a "white-maned pixie" and called him one of the legislature's "excellent orators." Texas Monthly, who named Schwartz as one of the "Ten Best Legislators" on four occasions, also took note, stating that "during the sixties and seventies, the best entertainment the Capitol had to offer was the oratory of Senator Schwartz". As a legislator, Schwartz was known for his spirited feuds, in particular with fellow state senators William T. "Bill" Moore of Bryan and William Neff Patman. In a dispute with Hilmar Moore, the longtime mayor of Richmond, Texas, over Moore's appointment to the state's Public Welfare Board, Schwartz said, “You can have that job over my dead body.” Moore replied, “Senator, I can’t think of any other way I’d rather have it.” In the 1979 legislative session, Schwartz helped lead the "Killer Bees," a group of state senators who brought the legislature to a standstill by going into hiding and breaking the Senate quorum. During his tenure as a lawmaker, he served on every major committee of the legislature, and served as the chairman of the Military Affairs, Rules, Jurisprudence and Natural Resources Committees. Later life Schwartz lost the 1980 election to Republican J. E. "Buster" Brown, a candidate who was recruited by then 29-year-old Karl Rove, working at the time for Texas Governor Bill Clements. After his defeat, Schwartz worked as a lobbyist, but he also continued to work with the legislature. In October 2008, he was appointed to the House Select Committee on Hurricane Ike Storm Devastation to the Texas Gulf Coast by the then-Speaker of the House,
A. R. Schwartz
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The 1844 United States elections elected the members of the 29th United States Congress, and took place during the Second Party System in the midst of the debate over whether to annex Texas. Texas and Iowa joined the union during the 29th Congress. Democrats retained control of the House and took back control of the presidency and the Senate, re-establishing the dominant position the party had lost in the 1840 election. In the presidential election, Democratic former Speaker of the House James K. Polk defeated Whig former Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky. Though Polk won the popular vote by a little over one percent, he won by a comfortable margin in the electoral college. James G. Birney of the nascent Liberty Party took two percent of the popular vote, and may have swung the election by taking votes from Clay in New York. The little-known Polk defeated several rivals to win his party's nomination, emerging as the first dark horse nominee in U.S. presidential history. Incumbent President John Tyler, who had been expelled from the Whig party early in his presidency, was briefly the candidate of the newly formed Democratic-Republican Party, but dropped out of the race after Polk announced his support for ratification of Tyler's Texas annexation treaty. In the House, Whigs picked up a small number of seats, but Democrats retained a commanding majority. In the Senate, Democrats picked up several seats, re-taking the majority. See also 1844 United States presidential election 1844–45 United States House of Representatives elections 1844–45 United States Senate elections References 1844 elections in the United States 1844
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The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the House. The current speaker is Dade Phelan, a Republican from Beaumont, who was elected Speaker on January 12, 2021. Election The speaker is elected from the legislature of Texas, by a vote of its fellow members. On the first day of each regular session, the members may nominate a fellow member, and a record vote is held to determine who the speaker will be. The Secretary of State calls the House to order, and presides over the chamber until a speaker is elected. Duties The speaker is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Texas Constitution requires the House of Representatives, each time a new legislature convenes, to choose one of its own members to serve as Speaker. As presiding officer, the Speaker maintains order during floor debate, recognizing legislators who wish to speak and ruling on procedural matters. The constitution also requires the Speaker to sign all bills and joint resolutions passed by the legislature. As a member of the House of Representatives, the Speaker may vote on all questions before the House. The other duties and responsibilities of the Speaker are determined by the members of the house in the House Rules of Procedure, which are adopted by a majority vote of the members at the beginning of each regular session of the legislature. The members give the Speaker the authority to appoint the membership of each standing committee, subject to rules on seniority, and to designate the chair and vice chair for each committee. Under the rules, the Speaker is responsible for referring all proposed legislation to committee, subject to the committee jurisdictions set forth in the rules. The rules also allow the Speaker to appoint conference committees, to create select committees, and to direct committees to conduct interim studies when the legislature is not in session. See also List of speakers of the Texas House of Representatives References
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Thomas Gilbert Loeffler (born August 1, 1946) is an American politician and Republican former member of the United States House of Representatives from central Texas. He served four terms from 1979 to 1987. Biography Loeffler was born in Fredericksburg in the heart of the Texas Hill Country and attended school in Mason in Mason County. He earned a BBA and a Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas School of Law. In 1971, after just one year of private practice, he was hired by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Republican U.S. Senator John Tower made Loeffler his chief counsel in 1972. Two years later, he became a deputy for the United States Department of Energy. Political career Loeffler was a legislative assistant to U.S. President Gerald Ford, from 1975 to 1977. He successfully ran for Congress in 1978 against the Democrat Nelson Wolff, now the county judge of Bexar County. The two-term Democratic incumbent, Bob Krueger, gave up the seat to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate. Loeffler polled 57 percent of the ballots cast in the campaign against Wolff–a sharp turnabout from 1976, in which Krueger took 71 percent of the vote. However, the district had been moving away from its Democratic roots for some time. Loeffler was a delegate to all three Republican National Conventions during the 1980s. He would never face another contest nearly as close as his first one, and was reelected three more times by over 70 percent of the vote. Later career After four terms in the House, he stepped down to run for governor of Texas but lost a hard-fought Republican primary election to the eventual winner, Bill Clements. Another losing contender was former U.S. Representative Kent Hance, who had defeated George W. Bush for Congress in 1978 in the Lubbock-based district. After his congressional career, Loeffler was appointed to the Office of Legislative Affairs as the coordinator for Central American policies. In 1989, Loeffler became a University of Texas administrator. Loeffler currently works in Washington, D.C., as a lobbyist with Gray Loeffler LLC representing clients including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Like Loeffler, Clements also is active in the McCain presidential campaign. Loeffler is the father of former Minnesota Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler. His other son, Lance Loeffler, is currently an oil and gas executive with Halliburton in Houston, TX. Lance previously worked in investment banking, holding senior level positions with both Deutsche Bank in their energy practice and UBS in their energy and healthcare practices. References External links |- |- 1946 births Living people People from Fredericksburg, Texas People from Mason, Texas Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas Texas lawyers McCombs School of Business alumni University of Texas School of Law alumni Members of Congress who became lobbyists
Tom Loeffler