Voters Agree 92% With HAR's Candidate Recommendations!

Since December, 2005, your HAR Governmental Affairs Department and volunteers serving on the Political Affairs Advisory Group , chaired by John Nichols, and the Political Affairs Advisory Leadership for HAR's Fort Bend and Montgomery County branches have been focused on the election of 25 HAR recommended candidates in the March 7 Primary election. It is a pleasure to report to you that voters agreed with 23 out of 25 recommendations or 92%! Below is a summary of the election results, starting with the open seats:

Open Seats

Republican State Representative Glenn Hegar of Katy beat out two other candidates to win his election and a promotion to serve Texans in Senate District 18, currently held by Democrat Kenneth Armbrister of Victoria who did not seek reelection. Rep. Hegar is a sixth generation Texan and a rice and corn farmer. Rep. Hegar faces Democratic candidate Henry Boehm Jr. in the November election.

Republican car dealership owner Patricia Harless received 52% of the vote to former John Devine's 48% to represent House District 126 in Northwest Harris County. Patricia Harless faces Democratic candidate Chad Khan in the November election. Current House District 126 Rep. Peggy Hamric gave up her seat to run for Senate District 7. Rep. Hamric finished second to radio personality Dan Patrick who received 69% of the vote to Hamric's 16%.

In a three-way race, Republican Brandon Creighton of Montgomery County garnered 57% of the vote over two opponents and won without a runoff in the House District 16 race. Brandon Creighton faces no Democratic challenger in the November election. As Vice-President of a local development company, Brandon manages all company projects and the home building division. Projects include more than 4,700 acres of residential communities and commercial retail centers. This seat is currently held by Rep. Ruben Hope who ran for the 284th District Court. Rep. Hope is in a runoff election with Cara Wood.

Tuesday, April 11, Runoff Elections

In a close three-way race, Westchase Management District President Jim Murphy finished second with 33.7% of the vote to Michael Schofield's 35% in the House District 133 race. Third place finisher Barbara Larson received 31.2%. To increase members' awareness of Jim's candidacy and the importance of their vote in the April 11 runoff election, your Governmental Affairs Department is making arrangements for Jim to speak at sales meetings in the West Memorial and Westchase area. Jim is scheduled to attend the Westside Area Networking Meeting on March 21 and to speak at the Memorial office of Heritage Texas Properties on March 28 (Thank you, Robin!). You can help to elect Jim by calling Realtors who live in House District 133 and asking for their vote for him on Election Day in the Republican primary or by inviting Jim to speak at your sales meetings. This seat is currently held by Rep. Joe Nixon who lost his race for Senate District 7, currently held by Jon Lindsay who is not seeking reelection.

Al Edwards, Democratic State Representative for House District 146 and a HAR member, had two challengers in the primary. Rep. Edwards received 48% of the vote to second-place finisher Borris Miles' 33%. Al Bennett finished third with 19% of the vote. Dahlia Denton, TAR's Regional Field Representative, is working with Rep. Edwards and his campaign to arrange Realtor events for him.

In the statewide Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8, election, Former State Representative Terry Keel, is in a runoff with incumbent Charles Holcomb. In a three-way race, Keel received 41% of the vote to Holcomb's 46%. Robert Francis received 13%.:

The HAR recommended candidates below received more than 50% of the vote in the March 7 Primary election. Their names will now appear on the November 7 general election ballot:

Tom DeLay, U.S. House District 22 - 62 percent (Tom Campbell - 29.97 percent)

Rick Perry, Governor - 84.2 percent (Larry Kilgore - 7.58 percent)

David Dewhurst, Lt. Governor - 78.35 percent (Tom Kelly - 21.65 percent)

Elizabeth Jones, Railroad Commissioner - 65.44 percent (Buck Werner - 34.56 percent)

Sharon Keller, Criminal Appeals Court, Presiding Judge - 53.21 percent (Tom Price - 46.79 percent)

Charlie Howard, House District 26 - 66.81 percent (Ron Booker - 33.19 percent)

Dora Olivo, House District 27 - 60.36 percent (Steve Brown - 39.64 percent)

Joe Crabb, House District 127 - 59.02 percent (Joe Stunja - 40.98 percent)

Kevin Bailey, House District 140 - 69.96 percent (John Reyes - 30.04 percent)

Garnet Coleman, House District 147 - 89.21 percent (Cheryl Armitage - 7.4 percent)

Vanessa Velasquez, 183rd District Court - 56.56 percent (Lloyd Wayne Oliver - 43.44 percent)

Mike Schneider Jr., 315th District Court - 66.84 percent (Beverly B. Malazzo - 33.16 percent)

Bill McCulloch, Probate Court No. 4 - 58.65 percent (Georgia Akers - 41.35 percent)

Jack Cato, County Treasurer - 59.38 percent (Orlando Sanchez - 40.62 percent)

George Risner, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, Place 2 - 57.40 percent (Vicky Morris - 23.66 percent)

Zinetta Burney, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7, Place 2 - 63 percent (William McKinley Bowers, Jr. - 37 percent)

Winners in Senate Districts 3 and 7 Where HAR Had No Recommendation

In Senate District 3 in Montgomery County, Robert Nichols drew 54.2% of the vote to win the four-way race without a runoff. (Dave Kleimann - 18.1%, Frank Denton - 15.1%, Bob Reeves - 12.6%) Robert Nichols received support from Senator Todd Staples who is running for Agriculture Commissioner. There is no Democratic opposition.

No recommendation was made in the Senate District 7 election and Dan Patrick won that election with 69% of the vote. Other candidates in that race were Reps. Peggy Hamric (16%) and Joe Nixon (9%) and former Houston City Councilman Mark Ellis (6%). Republican Dan Patrick faces Democratic candidate Michael Kubosh in the November election.

Winner in 245th Civil District Court Where HAR Had No Recommendation

Incumbent Judge Annette Galik narrowly won reelection with 51.55% of the vote to Sherill (Sheri) Y. Dean who received 48.45% of the vote.

Losses

Our two losses were incumbent Judges Lynn Bradshaw-Hull, who lost her election to Linda Story, and Gary Michael Block, who lost his election to Jacqueline Lucci Smith. Both candidates were supported by Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack and Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt.

Governmental Affairs

Plans are being made for the May 17 and 18 congressional visits in Washington, D. C.