Talmadge L. Heflin
Encyclopedia
Talmadge Loraine Heflin (born 1940) is a Republican Party
former member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 149 in Harris County
, who served from 1983-2005. From August 2007 through March 2008, he served as Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas
. He is now the Director of the Center for Fiscal Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation
, a think tank
based in Austin
.
Heflin was narrowly defeated for reelection in 2004 by the Democrat
Hubert Vo
, who is the first person of Vietnam
ese extraction to serve in the Texas legislature. Vo polled 20,695 votes (50.03 percent) to Heflin's 20,662 (49.96 percent). There was a recount but Vo prevailed. Heflin then failed to unseat Vo in 2006, a strongly Democratic year nationally but not particularly so in Texas. Heflin polled 10,632 votes (45.72 percent), or roughly half his raw vote from 2004, to Vo's 12,621 (54.27 percent) in a lower-turnout election. Vo was reelected in 2006 and 2008.
Between January 1993 and January 2003, when Democrats had majority control of the Texas House, Heflin was the only Republican member to have served on both the Ways and Means and the Appropriations committees. Heflin took over Appropriations in January 2003 and helped to close a $10 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes but included hundreds of millions of dollars in new and increased state fees.
Heflin was born in tiny Shongaloo
north of Minden
, the seat of Webster Parish in north Louisiana
. In 1959, just out of high school, he wed the former Janice Johnson (born ca. 1941). The couple has a son, Gordon, and two granddaughters, Shawna and Kristy. The Heflins have lived in Alief, a Houston suburb since 1969.
Heflin was employed in petrochemical
construction and engineering for twenty-four years, having been a design engineer and a consultant. He is active in community and public service, as a deacon
at the Alief First Baptist Church and on the board of trustees of Alief's Independent School District, where he served for seven years. There is an elementary school named for him in Alief.
In 2002, Heflin won his last term in the House. He polled 13,144 votes (55.5 percent) to Democrat Andrew Tran, who received 10,530 (44.5 percent). Tran declined to run again in 2004. Hubert Vo then won the Democratic nomination and defeated Heflin. The district has a significant number of voters of Vietnamese extraction.
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...
former 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 149 in Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, who served from 1983-2005. From August 2007 through March 2008, he served as Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas
Republican Party of Texas
The Republican Party of Texas is one of the two major political parties in the U.S. State of Texas. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party. The State Chairman is Steve Munisteri, a retired attorney and businessman from Houston, and the Vice-Chair is Melinda Fredricks of Conroe....
. He is now the Director of the Center for Fiscal Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation
Texas Public Policy Foundation
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is an Independent think tank based in Austin, Texas. It is a member of the State Policy Network, a network of free-market leaning think tanks....
, a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
based in 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...
.
Heflin was narrowly defeated for reelection in 2004 by the Democrat
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...
Hubert Vo
Hubert Vo
Hubert Vo is a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 149. He is the first and only Vietnamese American to be elected to the Texas legislature.-Personal life:...
, who is the first person of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese extraction to serve in the Texas legislature. Vo polled 20,695 votes (50.03 percent) to Heflin's 20,662 (49.96 percent). There was a recount but Vo prevailed. Heflin then failed to unseat Vo in 2006, a strongly Democratic year nationally but not particularly so in Texas. Heflin polled 10,632 votes (45.72 percent), or roughly half his raw vote from 2004, to Vo's 12,621 (54.27 percent) in a lower-turnout election. Vo was reelected in 2006 and 2008.
Between January 1993 and January 2003, when Democrats had majority control of the Texas House, Heflin was the only Republican member to have served on both the Ways and Means and the Appropriations committees. Heflin took over Appropriations in January 2003 and helped to close a $10 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes but included hundreds of millions of dollars in new and increased state fees.
Heflin was born in tiny Shongaloo
Shongaloo, Louisiana
Shongaloo is a village in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States.West of Shongaloo on Louisiana Highway 2 is Munn Hill, a homestead of Daniel and Rebecca Munn, established on July 26, 1900....
north of Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of Webster Parish in north Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. In 1959, just out of high school, he wed the former Janice Johnson (born ca. 1941). The couple has a son, Gordon, and two granddaughters, Shawna and Kristy. The Heflins have lived in Alief, a Houston suburb since 1969.
Heflin was employed in petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
construction and engineering for twenty-four years, having been a design engineer and a consultant. He is active in community and public service, as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
at the Alief First Baptist Church and on the board of trustees of Alief's Independent School District, where he served for seven years. There is an elementary school named for him in Alief.
In 2002, Heflin won his last term in the House. He polled 13,144 votes (55.5 percent) to Democrat Andrew Tran, who received 10,530 (44.5 percent). Tran declined to run again in 2004. Hubert Vo then won the Democratic nomination and defeated Heflin. The district has a significant number of voters of Vietnamese extraction.