Dean A. Hrbacek
Encyclopedia
Dean A. Hrbacek, CPA is an American
attorney
and Republican
politician
who served as the mayor of Sugar Land, Texas
from 1996 to 2002. Before serving in that capacity, he served as a city council member. In 2008, he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in Texas's 22nd congressional district
.
and graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting
. He then attended the University of Houston
where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence
degree from the University of Houston Law Center
. Hrbacek is an attorney and a Certified Public Accountant
(CPA). He has a law firm specializing in taxation, based in Sugar Land.
Hrbacek won the election and was re-elected for two subsequent terms. During the time that Hrbacek served as Mayor and on City Council, Sugar Land was recognized and received multiple times for the quality of its management and innovative governance. The once sleepy company town grew into one of Houston's largest and most affluent suburbs as the city annexed several portions of First Colony, a large master-planned community that now comprises the vast majority of Sugar Land's southern area.
The development of the Sugar Land Town Square, seen as a strong economic engine for Sugar Land, began during the late 1990s with Hrbacek playing a major role in the development of the project. The establishment of the University of Houston System at Sugar Land
, the creation of several regional parks, major economic growth, and the lowering the city property tax rate by over 30% were all highlights of his time in office.
, a businessman who had built up a base of support and had just been elected to the same City Council district Hrbacek held before becoming mayor. Wallace won the election after receiving the backing of several Republican leaders with whom he was allied in Fort Bend County and a local newspaper.
. He endorsed Wallace and attacked Hrbacek through weekly newspaper columns in a local paper.
Matthews referred to Hrbacek as "Mayor Osama" and "Dean Osama Hrbacek", a reference to terrorist, al-Qaida leader and suspected 9/11
mastermind Osama bin Laden
. Columns attacking Hrbacek by both Mathews and the publisher of the paper, along with radio attacks, were made during the weeks before the May 2002 election campaign.
Following the election, Hrbacek filed a lawsuit against Matthews and the newspaper publisher, B.K. Carter, over the comments, which claimed that the comments also damaged the reputation of Hrbacek's law firm. The lawsuit, filed in Fort Bend County District Court, Case ID 02-CV-127119, was dismissed.
Hrbacek was approached in 2006 by community leaders to consider running for the heavily Republican 26th District in the Texas House of Representatives
, which comprises Sugar Land and several immediate areas such as the portion of the First Colony planned community in Missouri City. He decided that he would run at that time only if the incumbent Republican, Charlie Howard
, chose not to run. When Howard indicated he would run in 2006, Hrbacek dropped out of the race.
and Libertarian Bob Smither
in the general election to replace former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
. On April 3, 2006, DeLay decided not to seek re-election following an indictment related to campaign finances by District Attorney, Ronnie Earle, in Travis County. (As of February 2008, the case against DeLay is still pending.)
Hrbacek was among the majority of Fort Bend Precinct Chairs who rejected efforts by Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace to become the Republican nominee in 2006. Republican precinct chairs from four counties, including Harris, Brazoria, and Galveston in addition to Fort Bend, later nominated dermatologist and Houston city councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs
as a candidate in 2006. She won a special election to fill the remainder of DeLay's term but lost in the write in campaign for the general election by 10 points to Lampson who was on the ballot.
's 2006 victory, Hrbacek was strongly encouraged to run against Lampson, given the latter's vulnerability in a heavily Republican district due to its strongly conservative nature. In fact, it was the most conservative district in the country that fell to a Democrat, having given George W. Bush
a 2-to-1 margin of victory over Democratic candidate John Kerry
in 2004.
On October 4, 2007, Hrbacek formally announced his candidacy for Congress.
, which praised his record as mayor and his support for expanded rail transit. He was also endorsed by the Fort Bend Independent.
In the October 2007 filing, the Hrbacek Campaign reported net contributions of $109,195 ranking his campaign fourth in 3rd quarter contributions. In the 2007 Year End filing, the Hrbacek campaign reported net contributions of $37,592 which was sixth most for the quarter. In the Pre-Primary filing covering 1 January through February 13, the Hrbacek campaign collected $6,299, which ranked eighth among all candidates filing.
The Hrbacek Campaign has made an effort to collect contributions from within the boundaries of Texas Congressional District 22 and with the exception of Political Action Committees, did not accept or solicit large contributions from lobbyists, D.C. insiders and special interests outside of CD 22.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as the mayor of Sugar Land, Texas
Sugar Land, Texas
Sugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a...
from 1996 to 2002. Before serving in that capacity, he served as a city council member. In 2008, he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in Texas's 22nd congressional district
Texas's 22nd congressional district
Texas District 22 of the United States House of Representatives is the Congressional district that covers a south-central portion of the metropolitan area. It includes the cities of Rosenberg and La Marque as well as portions of Missouri City and Pearland, in Fort Bend, Harris, Galveston, and...
.
Personal life
Hrbacek attended the University of Houston at Clear Lake CityUniversity of Houston–Clear Lake
The University of Houston–Clear Lake is a state university, and is a component institution of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans 524-acre in Pasadena, with a satellite campus in Pearland. Founded in 1971, UHCL has an enrollment of more than 8,000 students...
and graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
. He then attended the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the University of Houston Law Center
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is a law school located in Houston, Texas. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 academic colleges of the University of Houston...
. Hrbacek is an attorney and a Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
(CPA). He has a law firm specializing in taxation, based in Sugar Land.
Mayor of Sugar Land
In 1996, while serving as a City Council member for Sugar Land's affluent District Four, which included a large part of the First Colony master-planned community including Sweetwater Country Club (the one-time home of the LPGA), Hrbacek decided to run for the mayor's office being vacated by incumbent Lee Duggan who was term limited from seeking re-election after serving a total of ten years. Sugar Land city officials are subject to four terms of two years each, which totals eight years of service, though a member may run for Mayor after serving on Council.Hrbacek won the election and was re-elected for two subsequent terms. During the time that Hrbacek served as Mayor and on City Council, Sugar Land was recognized and received multiple times for the quality of its management and innovative governance. The once sleepy company town grew into one of Houston's largest and most affluent suburbs as the city annexed several portions of First Colony, a large master-planned community that now comprises the vast majority of Sugar Land's southern area.
The development of the Sugar Land Town Square, seen as a strong economic engine for Sugar Land, began during the late 1990s with Hrbacek playing a major role in the development of the project. The establishment of the University of Houston System at Sugar Land
University of Houston System at Sugar Land
The University of Houston System at Sugar Land is a multi-institution teaching center of the University of Houston System located in Sugar Land, Texas...
, the creation of several regional parks, major economic growth, and the lowering the city property tax rate by over 30% were all highlights of his time in office.
2002 mayoral campaign
In 2002, Hrbacek faced a tough re-election campaign for a fourth term against City Council member David WallaceDavid G. Wallace
David Gordon Wallace is an American businessman, politician, and author from the state of Texas.- Personal life :David Wallace attended Union College in Schenectady, New York, and later received a scholarship at the University of Reading in England for international studies in Real Estate, Finance...
, a businessman who had built up a base of support and had just been elected to the same City Council district Hrbacek held before becoming mayor. Wallace won the election after receiving the backing of several Republican leaders with whom he was allied in Fort Bend County and a local newspaper.
"Mayor Osama" controversy
Hrbacek's re-election bid was damaged by former conservative Houston radio talk show host Jon Matthews. Matthews hosted a radio talk show on KSEVKSEV
KSEV is a talk station at 700 on the AM radio dial and is available throughout the Houston, Texas area. It broadcasts a mix of programming on topics including health, financial matters, local politics, and several syndicated talk radio programs...
. He endorsed Wallace and attacked Hrbacek through weekly newspaper columns in a local paper.
Matthews referred to Hrbacek as "Mayor Osama" and "Dean Osama Hrbacek", a reference to terrorist, al-Qaida leader and suspected 9/11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
mastermind Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. Columns attacking Hrbacek by both Mathews and the publisher of the paper, along with radio attacks, were made during the weeks before the May 2002 election campaign.
Following the election, Hrbacek filed a lawsuit against Matthews and the newspaper publisher, B.K. Carter, over the comments, which claimed that the comments also damaged the reputation of Hrbacek's law firm. The lawsuit, filed in Fort Bend County District Court, Case ID 02-CV-127119, was dismissed.
Post-mayoral life
Hrbacek has served as a precinct chair for the Fort Bend County Republican Party, and has become one of the more high-profile precinct chairs in the county Republican establishment. Hrbacek has also served as the President of the Fort Bend Republican Club., and also served as a delegate and caucus official at Senatorial District and State Republican Conventions since 2000.Hrbacek was approached in 2006 by community leaders to consider running for the heavily Republican 26th District in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
, which comprises Sugar Land and several immediate areas such as the portion of the First Colony planned community in Missouri City. He decided that he would run at that time only if the incumbent Republican, Charlie Howard
Charles F. Howard
Charles F. Howard, known more commonly as Charlie Howard, is an American politician and has been a member of the Texas House of Representatives since 1995...
, chose not to run. When Howard indicated he would run in 2006, Hrbacek dropped out of the race.
Influence in 2006 congressional race (for Texas's 22nd congressional district)
Hrbacek served as a Precinct Chair delegate representing Fort Bend in the nomination process for the Republican write-in candidate to challenge Democratic ex-Congressman Nick LampsonNick Lampson
Nicholas Valentino 'Nick' Lampson is an American politician from the state of Texas and was a Congressman representing the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. He was defeated by Pete Olson on November 4, 2008 in his re-election bid....
and Libertarian Bob Smither
Bob Smither
Bob Smither was the Libertarian Party nominee for the 2006 special election in Texas's 22nd congressional district.-Biography:...
in the general election to replace former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
. On April 3, 2006, DeLay decided not to seek re-election following an indictment related to campaign finances by District Attorney, Ronnie Earle, in Travis County. (As of February 2008, the case against DeLay is still pending.)
Hrbacek was among the majority of Fort Bend Precinct Chairs who rejected efforts by Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace to become the Republican nominee in 2006. Republican precinct chairs from four counties, including Harris, Brazoria, and Galveston in addition to Fort Bend, later nominated dermatologist and Houston city councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs is a physician and a former member of the United States House of Representatives representing from November 13, 2006, until January 3, 2007. She has also served as a City Councilwoman in Houston, Texas for three terms...
as a candidate in 2006. She won a special election to fill the remainder of DeLay's term but lost in the write in campaign for the general election by 10 points to Lampson who was on the ballot.
2008 Congressional race (Texas's 22nd District)
Following Nick LampsonNick Lampson
Nicholas Valentino 'Nick' Lampson is an American politician from the state of Texas and was a Congressman representing the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. He was defeated by Pete Olson on November 4, 2008 in his re-election bid....
's 2006 victory, Hrbacek was strongly encouraged to run against Lampson, given the latter's vulnerability in a heavily Republican district due to its strongly conservative nature. In fact, it was the most conservative district in the country that fell to a Democrat, having given George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
a 2-to-1 margin of victory over Democratic candidate John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in 2004.
On October 4, 2007, Hrbacek formally announced his candidacy for Congress.
Media endorsements
Hrbacek has been endorsed by the Houston ChronicleHouston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
, which praised his record as mayor and his support for expanded rail transit. He was also endorsed by the Fort Bend Independent.
Grassroots endorsements
Hrbacek's campaign has also been endorsed by a large number of grassroots leaders incluidng over 40 precinct chairs and current and former elected officials across the district. Included among them are: State Republican Executive Committeewoman (SREC) District 17 - Terese Raia, Former SREC District 17 Committeeman - Tim Turner, Former Republican Party of Fort Bend County Chairman - Jim Stokes and Former Fort Bend County Judge - Mike Rozell. Former Sugar Land City Councilmembers from across the district have also endorsed Hrbacek. They include former Sugar Land Councilmembers Don Smithers, Brian Gaston and Mike Siweirka along with former Missouri City Councilmember Bob Burton.Financial filings
As of February 29, 2008, Hrbacek's campaign is fourth with total fundraising at $266,086. This total includes a loan from Hrbacek to his campaign of $113,000.In the October 2007 filing, the Hrbacek Campaign reported net contributions of $109,195 ranking his campaign fourth in 3rd quarter contributions. In the 2007 Year End filing, the Hrbacek campaign reported net contributions of $37,592 which was sixth most for the quarter. In the Pre-Primary filing covering 1 January through February 13, the Hrbacek campaign collected $6,299, which ranked eighth among all candidates filing.
The Hrbacek Campaign has made an effort to collect contributions from within the boundaries of Texas Congressional District 22 and with the exception of Political Action Committees, did not accept or solicit large contributions from lobbyists, D.C. insiders and special interests outside of CD 22.