April 29, 2016      11:32 AM
Another try for Rockwall County in battle for retiring Rep. Scott Turner's seat
Business candidate Holland has stronger and broader fund raising base; Keating promises to be the same kind of legislator as his backers Leach, Sanford, and Shaheen
Editor’s note: Following the
original publication of this story, Sen. Van Taylor, who supports Keating, wished
to weigh in. We of course welcomed his thoughts and this story has been updated
to include them – SB
North
Texas’ House District 33 was carved out during decennial redistricting
to accommodate the growth of both Collin and Rockwall Counties. According to the
most recent US Census data, Rockwall County’s population has grown 16 percent
between April 2010 and July 2015. But the county still shares legislative seats
with a portion of neighboring Collin County. Collin County is a well-known Tea
Party hot bed, and the home base for Rockwall’s state senator, Van Taylor, R-Plano, and all of House
District 33 represented by outgoing Rep. Scott
Turner, R-Frisco.
In
the 2012 Republican primary, which effectively determines the race in this
conservative district, Turner faced a challenge from Jim Truitt, the current mayor of the city of Rockwall. Turner won
by almost 60 percent of the vote and went onto win the general election with 85
percent and no Democratic opponent.
Turner,
a two-term representative with no significant legislative track record, mounted
an unsuccessful challenge to Speaker Joe
Straus in an expensive bid to preside over the lower chamber in the 8th
legislative session. Backed by groups aligned with Tim Dunn’s Empower Texans, Turner received 19
votes to Straus’ 127.
After
Turner announced his retirement last year, the open seat race was a chance for
the burgeoning Rockwall County to finally have a representative to call its
own.
By James Russell
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