Don Huffines
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Don Huffines | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 16th district | |
| In office January 13, 2015 – January 8, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | John Carona |
| Succeeded by | Nathan M. Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 26, 1958 Commerce, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Myers |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | University of Texas, Austin (BS) |
Donald Blaine Huffines (born April 26, 1958) is an American politician, conservative activist, and businessman. He owns and operates Huffines Communities, a real estate development company in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He is a member of the Republican Party and formerly served in the Texas Senate, where he represented District 16 from 2015 to 2019.
Huffines remained politically active after leaving office. He was very critical of Governor Greg Abbott's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically lockdowns, and spoke at numerous conservative rallies calling to open the state.[1] On May 10, 2021, Huffines announced he would challenge incumbent governor Greg Abbott in the Republican primary for the 2022 Texas gubernatorial election.[2]
Background
Early Life, Education, and Family
Don Huffines is a fifth-generation Texan born in Dallas on April 26, 1958. He has two older brothers, James and Ray, and an identical twin brother, Phillip. In his childhood, he and his brothers spent time assisting at their grandfather’s car dealership. Don Huffines' grandfather, James Lecil "J.L." Huffines, started the Huffines Motor Company in Denton, Texas, in 1924 which has grown into a large network of metroplex dealerships. The dealership is currently run by Don's brother Ray Huffines.
Huffines graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in Finance.
Huffines and his wife Mary Catherine have five children.
Real Estate Career
Huffines and his twin brother Phillip are the founders of Huffines Communities, a real estate company located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. [citation needed]
Political career
.jpg)
Texas Senate
Campaign
In 2014, Huffines ran for a seat in the Texas State Senate. He challenged the incumbent of Senate District 16, Senator John J. Carona, in the Republican primary. Huffines ran to the right of Carona, claiming Carona was not a true conservative, and ultimately won the primary against him on March 4, 2014. A combined $6.3 million was spent by both candidates in the primary race.
In the November 4 general election, Huffines's Libertarian challenger, Mike Dooling, dropped out of the race, leaving Huffines to run unopposed.[3] Huffines campaigned on the themes of term limits, school choice, funding highway construction, opposing new toll roads, and cutting taxes.[4]
Term
During his time in office, Huffines authored many bills addressing Republican priorities. These included legislation on constitutional carry, term limits, and anti-abortion policy. Huffines consistently voted along his party line for conservative legislation; political Science fellow Mark Jones named Huffines the fourth most conservative member of the 2017 Texas Senate.[5] In 2017, Huffines introduced legislation to require a 30 percent voter turnout for any bond election in Texas to be successful. Most such elections currently draw fewer than 10 percent of voters to the polls. The San Antonio Express-News claimed that were Huffines' bill to become law, the result would be "effectively putting most taxing entities out of the bond business."[6]
Huffines was unseated in his bid for a second Senate term in the general election held on November 6, 2018. Over Huffines’ first term, the 16th district began to trend heavily towards the Democrats, causing him to only receive 134,412 votes (45.9 percent) to the Democrat Nathan M. Johnson, who polled 158,216 (54.1 percent).[7]
2022 gubernatorial candidacy
Huffines is running for Governor of Texas in the 2022 Republican primary election against Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term.
Huffines' campaign takes strong conservative stances on issues such as border security, and eliminating property taxes. On social and cultural issues Huffines supports banning gender reassignment surgeries for minors, "abolish" abortion, banning "critical race theory" in public schools, and preserving Confederate monuments.[8]
Since the announcement of his candidacy, Huffines received endorsements from several notable Texas Republicans, among them Texas Republican Party chair Matt Rinaldi, former chair Tom Pauken; former Texas State Representatives Jonathan Stickland, David Simpson, and Nathan Macias; former candidate for Texas Governor Debra Medina; Mayor of Ponder, Matthew Poole; current Texas county chairs Joe Adams and Lou Vail; former County Chair Nathan Criswell; current State Republican Executive Committee member Warren Norred, and others.
In August 2021, Huffines accused Abbott of using tax dollars to "advocate for transgender ideology", referring to two pages on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services' (DFPS) website containing resources for LGBTQ youths, including a suicide hotline. The pages were removed from the site within hours.[9]
In November 2021, Huffines publicly criticized a children's book-reading event at a public library in Denton, Texas, incorrectly referring to it as "transgender storytime". This led to the library receiving violent threats and canceling the event. In response, a mother of a transgender child organized a new event at a different location, which was attended by hundreds.[10][11]
Election history
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nathan Johnson | 159,228 | 54.13 | ||
| Republican | Donald Huffines (Incumbent) | 134,933 | 45.87 | ||
| Turnout | 294,161 | ||||
2014
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald Huffines | 25,141 | 50.64 | ||
| Republican | John Carona (incumbent) | 24,509 | 49.36 | ||
| Turnout | 49,650 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald Huffines (unopposed) | 106,546 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | 106,546 | ||||
References
- ^ Wallace, Jeremy (July 22, 2021). "Sen. Rand Paul wades into Texas governor's race against Abbott". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (May 10, 2021). "Republican former state Sen. Don Huffines launches primary challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ "Donald Huffines". ballotpedia.org.
- ^ Shelley Kofler. "Don Huffines, Likely Headed To Texas Senate, Supports Term Limits, School Choice, Creationism". keranews.org.
- ^ "The 2017 Texas Senate, from Right to Left, by Mark P. Jones". TribTalk. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ "Bill would wreck bond elections" (opinion), San Antonio Express-News, February 26, 2017, p. F2.
- ^ "Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- ^ Huffines, Don. "Abbott Letting Radical Leftists Erase Texas History". DonHuffines.Com. Don Huffines Campaign. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ Yurcaba, Jo (October 12, 2021). "Texas agency removes webpages with resources for LGBTQ youths". NBC News.
- ^ Browning, Bil (November 22, 2021). "Texas parents step in after threats of violence get children's story time event cancelled". LGBTQ Nation.
- ^ "Denton Public Library cancels Rainbow Storytime event after receiving threats". wfaa.com. November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "2014 Republican Party Primary Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- ^ "2014 Republican Party Primary Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
