Joseph P. Heflin
Encyclopedia
Joseph Paul Heflin, known as Joe Heflin (born January 6, 1952), is a departing Democratic
member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 85 in the South Plains
. He is the last Democrat to have represented his portion of Texas
in the legislature, as the region has swung strongly toward the Republican Party
.
In 2006, Heflin narrowly defeated Republican business
man Jim Landtroop
of Plainview
in Hale County
to succeed the retiring Democrat and former Speaker
James E. "Pete" Laney
of Hale Center
, also in Hale County. In the November 2, 2010, general election
, however, Landtroop staged a stunning comeback, having polled 17,426 votes (61.6 percent) to Heflin's 10,853 (38.4 percent). The Republican nominee won fifteen of the sixteen counties in the district, losing only in Heflin's own Crosby County, where the Democrat prevailed 791-388. Landtroop succeeds Heflin in January 2011.
During the 81st Legislative session, Heflin served as member of the House Agriculture & Livestock and Elections committees. He served on the County Affairs committee during the 80th session. At the time of his defeat, he was serving on the Energy, Environment and Agriculture committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures
.
degree from Eastern New Mexico University
in Portales
. In 1993, he received his Juris Doctor
degree from Texas Tech University
in Lubbock
. Heflin is a former Crosby County administrative county judge. He also served two terms on the nonpartisan
Crosbyton
City Council
. Prior to his election to the Texas House, Heflin served five years as the Crosby County county judge.
He has been on the board of directors of the South Plains Association of Governments and the Crosby County Appraisal District. He is a former chairman of the Crosby County Juvenile Board. He is a former member of the Kiwanis Club.
He and his wife, Linda, reside in Crosbyton and have two daughters. Heflin is a member of the First Baptist Church of Crosbyton.
, Heflin defeated Landtroop by 217 votes, 14,323 (49.0 percent) to 14,106 (48.3 percent). The Libertarian
David K. Schumacher (born ca. 1946) of Anson
in Jones County
polled 793 votes (2.7 percent), a significant showing considering the slight difference between the two major-party candidates. Heflin won six of the fifteen counties, with a comfortable margin in his own Crosby County and in Landtroop's own Hale County.
In addition to Crosby, Hale, and Jones, the district includes the counties (listed in alphabetical order) of Borden
, Fisher, Floyd, Garza
, Glasscock, Howard, Irion, Kent, Lynn, Reagan
, Sterling
, Stonewall, and Terry.
Harvey Kronberg, editor of the Austin
-based Web site, The Quorum Report found that Republicans initially expected Landtroop to defeat Heflin in 2006 in part because of Landtroop's financial advantage. In the last 30-day campaign finance report prior to the election, Landtroop raised $418,973 compared to Heflin's $86,204. Landtroop reported expenses of $378,104, with $40,868 to finance his final push.
In the last month of the campaign, Heflin raised more than $70,000, some $23,000 less than Landtroop, mainly from small Democratic donors within the district. Landtroop, on the other hand, drew out-of-district money, including $40,000 from the Houston
homebuilder and conservative Bob Perry
.
Landtroop received $25,000 from the HillCo PAC, an Austin-based lobbying
firm that helped Tom Craddick
of Midland
take the speakership in 2002 after Republicans won a majority in the House. Texans for Lawsuit Reform gave Landtroop $128,000, and Stars Over Texas PAC, which usually concentrates on incumbent Republicans, gave him $150,000.
Heflin made Landtroop's out-of-district funding as an issue. Heflin also got funds from outside District 85: $14,500 from the House Democratic Campaign Committee. The interest group Texans for Insurance Reform also paid for $52,000 in direct mail advertising, polling, and consulting fees for Heflin. The Texas State Teachers Association also announced its endorsement of Heflin, who pledged to fight the consolidation of rural
schools.
Landtroop said that his funding edge reflected how competitive he was in the race. In television advertisements, Landtroop challenged Heflin's record as a defense attorney by pointing out Heflin's defense of murderers and prostitutes.
In 2008, Heflin was reelected over the Republican Isaac M. Castro of Hamlin
, 22,865 (53.4 percent) to 19,970 (46.6 percent).
Heflin said he did not consider his Democrat affiliation a liability: "It's not whether you're a Democrat or Republican. It's whether you're doing your job correctly, doing it to protect citizens that elected you. It's very important you have relationships to work across party lines."
Heflin also stressed his experience as county judge for five years: "I understand how a county budget works. I served on [the Crosbyton] City Council . . . There are those that want to . . . referee the game from the sideline but some of us have been involved in the game for a long time, and I think experience is very important."
Meanwhile, Heflin was fined $1,200 by the Texas Ethics Commission for campaign finance violations. Heflin claims that the fine is excessive and that he merely made clerical errors in the filing of his campaign reports.
Heflin attributed his defeat to "a tsunami
wave that hit the country. The angry voters have spoken." Heflin said that the margin of his defeat was a surprise, as his consultants thought that the anger from the voters had subsided after the Texas primary elections on March 2. Heflin said that he would consider seeking office again in the future.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of 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...
from District 85 in the South Plains
South Plains
South Plains is a vernacular term that refers to a region in West Texas consisting of the portion of the Llano Estacado extending south of the Texas Panhandle, centered at Lubbock. While prominent in the area of petroleum production, the South Plains is mainly an agricultural region, producing a...
. He is the last Democrat to have represented his portion of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the legislature, as the region has swung strongly toward the Republican Party
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...
.
In 2006, Heflin narrowly defeated Republican business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man Jim Landtroop
Jim Landtroop
James Franklin Landtroop, Jr., known as Jim Landtroop , is a businessman from Plainview, Texas, who is an in incoming Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 85 in the South Plains. In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Landtroop handily unseated two-term...
of Plainview
Plainview, Texas
Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
in Hale County
Hale County, Texas
Hale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 36,602. It was organized in 1888, and is named for Lt. John C. Hale, a hero of the Battle of San Jacinto. The seat of the county is Plainview. It is home of the noted former Hale County Judge, Judge Bill...
to succeed the retiring Democrat and former Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
James E. "Pete" Laney
Pete Laney
James E. "Pete" Laney is a U.S. Democratic Party politician from West Texas. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives for 34 years from Hale Center . Laney served as Speaker for ten years from 1993 to 2003, a record matching that set by his predecessor, fellow Democrat Gibson D...
of Hale Center
Hale Center, Texas
Hale Center is a city in Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,263 at the 2000 census. Hale Center is near the county seat of Plainview.Hale Center is located at ....
, also in Hale County. In the November 2, 2010, general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, however, Landtroop staged a stunning comeback, having polled 17,426 votes (61.6 percent) to Heflin's 10,853 (38.4 percent). The Republican nominee won fifteen of the sixteen counties in the district, losing only in Heflin's own Crosby County, where the Democrat prevailed 791-388. Landtroop succeeds Heflin in January 2011.
During the 81st Legislative session, Heflin served as member of the House Agriculture & Livestock and Elections committees. He served on the County Affairs committee during the 80th session. At the time of his defeat, he was serving on the Energy, Environment and Agriculture committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures
National Conference of State Legislatures
The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan non-governmental organization established in 1975 to serve the members and staff of state legislatures of the United States...
.
Life and career
Heflin received his Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University , frequently called Eastern, is a state university in Portales, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, USA...
in Portales
Portales, New Mexico
Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 11,131 at the 2000 census. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis as well as Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the economy of the region.Eastern New Mexico...
. In 1993, he received his Juris Doctor
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 Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Heflin is a former Crosby County administrative county judge. He also served two terms on the nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
Crosbyton
Crosbyton, Texas
Crosbyton is a city in and the county seat of Crosby County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,874 at the 2000 census. Crosbyton is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area....
City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. Prior to his election to the Texas House, Heflin served five years as the Crosby County county judge.
He has been on the board of directors of the South Plains Association of Governments and the Crosby County Appraisal District. He is a former chairman of the Crosby County Juvenile Board. He is a former member of the Kiwanis Club.
He and his wife, Linda, reside in Crosbyton and have two daughters. Heflin is a member of the First Baptist Church of Crosbyton.
2006 Texas House campaign
On November 7, 2006 in the general electionGeneral election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, Heflin defeated Landtroop by 217 votes, 14,323 (49.0 percent) to 14,106 (48.3 percent). The Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
David K. Schumacher (born ca. 1946) of Anson
Anson, Texas
Anson is a city in and the county seat of Jones County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,556 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Abilene, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in Jones County
Jones County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,785 people, 6,140 households, and 4,525 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 7,236 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
polled 793 votes (2.7 percent), a significant showing considering the slight difference between the two major-party candidates. Heflin won six of the fifteen counties, with a comfortable margin in his own Crosby County and in Landtroop's own Hale County.
In addition to Crosby, Hale, and Jones, the district includes the counties (listed in alphabetical order) of Borden
Borden County, Texas
Borden County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 729. Its county seat is Gail. Gail and Borden County are named for Gail Borden, Jr., businessman, publisher, surveyor, and inventor of condensed milk...
, Fisher, Floyd, Garza
Garza County, Texas
Garza County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas southeast of Lubbock. In 2000, its population was 4,872. Its county seat is Post. Garza is named for a pioneer Bexar County family, as it was once a part of that county....
, Glasscock, Howard, Irion, Kent, Lynn, Reagan
Reagan County, Texas
Reagan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,326. The seat of the county is Big Lake. It is named in honor of John Henninger Reagan , who served as postmaster general of the Confederate States of America and also as a U.S....
, Sterling
Sterling County, Texas
Sterling County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 1,393. Its county seat is Sterling City. The county is named for W. S. Sterling, an early settler in the area. Sterling County is one of 30 prohibition, or entirely dry, counties in...
, Stonewall, and Terry.
Harvey Kronberg, editor of the Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
-based Web site, The Quorum Report found that Republicans initially expected Landtroop to defeat Heflin in 2006 in part because of Landtroop's financial advantage. In the last 30-day campaign finance report prior to the election, Landtroop raised $418,973 compared to Heflin's $86,204. Landtroop reported expenses of $378,104, with $40,868 to finance his final push.
In the last month of the campaign, Heflin raised more than $70,000, some $23,000 less than Landtroop, mainly from small Democratic donors within the district. Landtroop, on the other hand, drew out-of-district money, including $40,000 from the Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
homebuilder and conservative Bob Perry
Bob J. Perry
Bobby Jack Perry , is a Houston, Texas homebuilder, owner of Perry Homes, and major contributor to a number of 527 groups, such as the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth and the Economic Freedom Fund....
.
Landtroop received $25,000 from the HillCo PAC, an Austin-based lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
firm that helped Tom Craddick
Tom Craddick
Thomas Russell Craddick, known as Tom Craddick , was the first Republican to have served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives since Reconstruction. Craddick wielded the Speaker's gavel from 2003-2009...
of Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
take the speakership in 2002 after Republicans won a majority in the House. Texans for Lawsuit Reform gave Landtroop $128,000, and Stars Over Texas PAC, which usually concentrates on incumbent Republicans, gave him $150,000.
Heflin made Landtroop's out-of-district funding as an issue. Heflin also got funds from outside District 85: $14,500 from the House Democratic Campaign Committee. The interest group Texans for Insurance Reform also paid for $52,000 in direct mail advertising, polling, and consulting fees for Heflin. The Texas State Teachers Association also announced its endorsement of Heflin, who pledged to fight the consolidation of rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
schools.
Landtroop said that his funding edge reflected how competitive he was in the race. In television advertisements, Landtroop challenged Heflin's record as a defense attorney by pointing out Heflin's defense of murderers and prostitutes.
In 2008, Heflin was reelected over the Republican Isaac M. Castro of Hamlin
Hamlin, Texas
Hamlin is a city in Fisher and Jones Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,248 at the 2000 census.The Jones County portion of Hamlin is part of the Abilene, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, 22,865 (53.4 percent) to 19,970 (46.6 percent).
2010 House campaign
On January 4, 2010, Landtroop announced that his challenge to Heflin's bid for a third term in the Texas House. He indicated that he would make partisan affiliation a key element in his campaign, considering the close division in the state house between the two political parties, then 73 Democrats and 77 Republicans. Landtroop won his party's nomination in the March 2 primary over David Andrews, 7,234 (65.6 percent) to 3,800 (34.4 percent).Heflin said he did not consider his Democrat affiliation a liability: "It's not whether you're a Democrat or Republican. It's whether you're doing your job correctly, doing it to protect citizens that elected you. It's very important you have relationships to work across party lines."
Heflin also stressed his experience as county judge for five years: "I understand how a county budget works. I served on [the Crosbyton] City Council . . . There are those that want to . . . referee the game from the sideline but some of us have been involved in the game for a long time, and I think experience is very important."
Meanwhile, Heflin was fined $1,200 by the Texas Ethics Commission for campaign finance violations. Heflin claims that the fine is excessive and that he merely made clerical errors in the filing of his campaign reports.
Heflin attributed his defeat to "a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
wave that hit the country. The angry voters have spoken." Heflin said that the margin of his defeat was a surprise, as his consultants thought that the anger from the voters had subsided after the Texas primary elections on March 2. Heflin said that he would consider seeking office again in the future.