Glenn Hegar

Glenn Hegar
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2, 2015
Governor Greg Abbott
Preceded by Susan Combs
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 18th district
In office
January 2007 – December 5, 2014
Preceded by Ken Armbrister
Succeeded by Lois Kolkhorst
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 28th district
In office
January 2003 – January 2007
Preceded by Robert L. “Robby” Cook
Succeeded by John Zerwas
Personal details
Born November 25, 1970[1]
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Dara Hegar
Children Claire
Julia
Jonah
Alma mater Texas A&M University, B.A., 1993
St. Mary's University, M.A., 1997
St. Mary's University School of Law, J.D., 1997
University of Arkansas, LL.M., 1998[1]
Religion United Methodist
Website Campaign website
Senate website
Glenn Hegar on Facebook
Hegar Glenn Hegar on Twitter

Glenn Allen Hegar, Jr. (born 25 November 1970),[1][2] is an American attorney who serves as Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts. He was a Republican member of the Texas Senate representing the 18th District west of Houston.[3] He succeeded fellow Republican Susan Combs as comptroller on January 2, 2015.[4][5] He was elected Comptroller in the general election on November 4, 2014.[3]

Texas State legislature

Hegar was elected to the Texas House in 2002[1] and served in District 28.[4] He won re-election in 2004.[1]

He was elected to the Texas Senate in 2006[1] and was re-elected in 2010 and again in 2012.[1]

Hegar serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Nominations and as a member of the Committees on Finance, Natural Resources and Agriculture, Rural Affairs and Homeland Security.[4]

Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst's appointment of Hegar as vice chairman of the Sunset Advisory Commission made Texas history, marking the first time that a freshman member of the legislature has been appointed to a leadership position of chairman or vice chairman of that commission.[6]

Hegar resigned from the Senate on December 5, 2014 after his election as Texas Comptroller.[3] A special election was held the next day to choose his successor, Lois Kolkhorst.[3]

Texas State Comptroller

2014 election

Hegar handily led three opponents in his bid on March 4, 2014, for the Republican nomination for state comptroller: State Representative Harvey Hilderbran of Kerrville, Debra Medina of Wharton, an activist with the Tea Party movement who also ran for governor in the 2010 Republican primary but lost to Rick Perry, and the former State Representative Raul Torres of Corpus Christi. With 610,512 votes (49.99 percent), Hegar appears to have fallen just short of the 50-percent-plus-one-vote threshold required for nominations in Texas. The counting of provisional ballots could have altered Hegar's 49.99 percent total. However, the second-place candidate, Harvey Hildebran, announced on March 7 that he will not contest Hegar in a May 27 runoff election.[7]

Hilderbran polled 317,731 votes (26.01 percent). Debra Medina finished third with 235,713 votes (19.3 percent), and Raul Torres polled 57,255 votes (4.7 percent).[8]

Hegar, with 58.4 percen of the vote, defeated the Democratic nominee Mike Collier, a businessman from Houston, in the November 4 general election.[3][7]

Political positions

Hegar is a conservative, who claims to defend "the values of faith, family, and freedom."[6]

Hegar is a gun-rights supporter. In 2009, Hegar was recognized for his strong stand on 2nd Amendment rights by being awarded the Doc Brown Legislator of the Year Award for 2009 by the Texas State Rifle Association.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform recognized him with the Civil Justice Leadership Award for his work on Texas justice system.[6] In prior sessions, he was recognized as "Best Legislator" and the "Rookie of the Year" for the 80th Session by Capitol Inside, received the Legislative Excellence Award from the Texas Municipal Police Association, and "Star for Rural Texas" from the Texas Farm Bureau.[6]

Hegar is pro-life. Previously, Texas Right to Life has given him the "Perfectly Pro-Life Award".[6] In the 83rd Legislative Session in 2013, Hegar was the author of Texas Senate Bill 5 and introduced the bill into the Senate.[9] The Texas House passed the bill on July 10, 2013, by a 96–49 margin and sent the measure to the Texas Senate.[10] The Texas Senate passed the bill on July 13, 2013, with a bipartisan vote of nineteen to eleven.[11][12][13] The bill was signed by Gov. Rick Perry on July 18, 2013.[14] The bill is a list of measures that would add and update abortion regulations in Texas.[12][13]

Election history

Senate election history of Hegar.

2006

Texas general election, 2006: Senate District 18[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Glenn Hegar 110,512 78.92 +33.80
Libertarian Roy O. Wright, II 29,511 21.08 +19.51
Majority 81,001 57.85 +49.67
Turnout 140,023 -12.60
Republican gain from Democratic
Republican primary, 2006: Senate District 18[16]
Candidate Votes % ±%
Gary Gates 12,933 35.63
✓ Glenn Hegar 19,934 54.92
David Stall 3,428 9.44
Majority 7,001 19.29
Turnout 36,295

Personal life

Hegar is a sixth-generation Texan who farms on land that has been in his family since the mid-19th century. He grew up in Hockley, also in Harris County.[4] Heger, his wife Dara, and their children, Claire, Julia, and Jonah, live in Katy,[4] where they attend St. Peter's United Methodist Church.[1][6] Hegar highlighted his wife and children in most of his television commercials in the race for comptroller.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 State Sen. Glenn Hegar, District 18 (R-Katy), Texas Tribune
  2. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (Texas) (2005-01-05). "Races with Candidates with Addresses Report, 2004 General Election" (pdf). Retrieved 2006-12-28.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Batheja, Aman. Hegar Resigns Senate Seat; Dec. 6 Special Election Set, Texas Tribune, November 14, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Taylor, Carrie. Glenn Hegar plans candidacy for state comptroller, Community Impact Newspaper, June 5, 2013.
  5. ↑ Ramsey, Ross. Hegar Exploring 2014 Run for Comptroller, Texas Tribune, March 21, 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Senator Glenn Hegar: District 18, Texas Senate.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Kate Alexander, "Glenn Hegar wins GOP comptroller primary after Harvey Hilderbran bows out of runoff"". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014". team1.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  9. ↑ Texas Legislature Online History SB 1, State of Texas, accessed July 14, 2013.
  10. ↑ Tinsley, Anna. Texas House gives its final approval to new abortion restrictions, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, July 10, 2013
  11. ↑ Schwartz, John. Texas Senate Vote Puts Bill Restricting Abortion Over Final Hurdle, New York Times, July 2013.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Weiner, Rachel. Texas state Senate passes abortion restrictions, Washington Post, July 13, 2013.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 MacLaggan, Corrie. Texas passes abortion restriction bill, governor certain to sign, Reuters, July 13, 2013.
  14. ↑ Luthra, Shefali. Perry Signs Abortion Bill into Law, Texas Tribune, July 18, 2013.
  15. ↑ "2006 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved 2007-01-04.
  16. ↑ "2006 Republican Party Primary Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Retrieved 2007-01-04.


External links

Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by
Robby Cook		 Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 28th district
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
John Zerwas
Texas Senate
Preceded by
Ken Armbrister		 Member of the Texas Senate
from the 18th district
2007–2014 		Succeeded by
Lois Kolkhorst
Political offices
Preceded by
Susan Combs		 Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
2015–present 		Incumbent