Kyle Janek

Kyle Janek, M.D. (born January 10, 1958),^[1] is a former Republican member of the Texas Senate, having represented District 17 from 2003 until June 2, 2008. The district includes portions of Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Jefferson counties. Janek was not a candidate for renomination to the state Senate in the Republican primary held on March 4.^[2]

Janek resigned the seat, and Governor Rick Perry called a special election to coincide with the regular November 4 general election to fill the two years remaining in the term. Republican Joan Huffman, a former felony court judge from Houston and Democrat Chris Bell, a former U.S. representative who was Perry's 2006 election opponent, led the field and went into a December 16 runoff. Huffman ultimatedly prevailed, 56-44 percent. She becomes the sixth woman serving in the state Senate.^[3]

Biography

An anesthesiologist by training, Janek has served in the Texas Legislature as a Republican since 1994. He received an M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1983 and has since practiced medicine. Janek is the son of former Galveston County Commissioner Eddie Janek, Sr. He is the brother of Galveston politician Eddie Janek, Jr., who has previously sought county office.

In 1992 Janek entered the Republican primary for Texas State Representative District 134 against two opponents, Mike Shelby and Tim Turner. Janek prevailed against Shelby, later a U.S. Attorney, in the runoff, but he lost the general election to Democrat Sue Schechter, even though the District was almost 60 percent Republican. In 1994, when Schechter chose not to seek re-election, Janek was elected. He served in the Texas House of Representatives until 2002, when he ran for the Texas Senate. Janek sought the seat being vacated by long time District 17 Senator J. E. "Buster" Brown. Janek defeated attorney Gary M. Polland in the Republican primary, and then prevailed against Democratic candidate Ronnie Ellen Harrison in the general election. He was reelected again in 2006 over a Libertarian Party opponent.

Since being elected to the Senate, Janek has focused his legislative efforts on property tax reform, and the sponsorship of a state program to prevent steroid abuse among high school athletes.

On September 1, 2012, Janek began serving as the Executive Commissioner to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Resignation controversy

In the spring of 2007, rumors began appearing in the Austin press corps that Janek would be resigning his seat early to spend more time with his family. Janek told the Austin American-Statesman at the time that resignation was "a possibility" but also said "I love my job. It's not my intent."

On May 26, 2007, Janek placed an advertisement in a Greensheet newspaper for a garage sale at his home in West University Place, Texas. The ad said "Moving Saturday, May 26th" . A few weeks later a reporter for the West University Examiner discovered that the advertisement was for Senator Janek's house. Janek confirmed that he had indeed sold his house, and claimed to be living in a "bayside home" in Galveston, which is still in District 17.^[4]

Janek told the reporter he was looking for a house with a bigger yard in either the Galveston or Fort Bend County portions of District 17. He told the paper he would be moving to one of those two counties "[b]efore school resumes."^[4]

Instead of moving to Galveston or Fort Bend, however, Janek purchased a house in Austin, where he resides. Austin is not in District 17, which prompted some to question whether Janek still met the required residency to hold an office in the Texas Senate.

On September 17, 2007, the Houston Chronicle reported that Janek enrolled his children in Austin public schools at the new residence. Janek told The Chronicle that he's living by himself in a rental house in Galveston to fulfill his residency requirements, although he also claimed the move to Austin was to be closer to his family when the legislature is in session. The Chronicle's Clay Robison saw the irony of this claim, noting "The next regular session, however, is still sixteen months away, which means he will be spending a lot of time commuting — unless he has something up his sleeve he doesn't want to tell anyone about." Janek blamed the rumors about his own residency issues on "political consultants seeking a client," but Robison also observed that Janek "is fueling the fire" of those rumors through his actions.

2008 election

Janek finally resigned his seat in June 2008. Joan Huffman won the subsequent special election to replace Janek.

Election history

Most recent election

2006

Previous elections

2002

2000

1998

1996

1994

1992

References

External links

• Senate of Texas - Senator Kyle Janek official TX Senate website
• Project Vote Smart - Senator Kyle Janek (TX) profile
• Follow the Money - Kyle Janek
  • 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 campaign contributions

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