Bob Hall (politician)

Robert Lee "Bob" Hall
Member of the Texas Senate from the 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 13, 2015
Preceded by	Bob Deuell
Personal details
Born	(1942-03-05) March 5, 1942 Tampa, Florida
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Sarah Kay Smith Hall
Children	Three sons
Residence	Edgewood, Van Zandt County Texas
Alma mater	George D. Chamberlain High School The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
Occupation	Businessman
Religion	Southern Baptist
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1964–1969
Rank	Captain
Unit	Space and Missiles Systems Division

Robert Lee Hall, known as Bob Hall (born March 5, 1942), is a Republican member of the Texas State Senate and part of the Tea Party movement. He succeeded fellow Republican Bob Deuell, whom Hall defeated by three hundred votes in the Republican Party runoff election held on May 27, 2014.

Early life and education

Hall graduated in 1960 with honors from George D. Chamberlain High School in his native Tampa, Florida. He is an Eagle Scout. Hall subsequently received in 1964 a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. At The Citadel, he was cited in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities.^[1]

Personal life

Hall and his wife, the former Sarah Kay Smith, a native of Commerce in Hunt County in East Texas, live in Tailwind Airpark in Edgewood, a community for pilots and aviation enthusiasts which has its own runway and hangars. The couple is Southern Baptist and has three adult sons.^[2]

Early career

Hall was a captain in the United States Air Force. From 1984 to 2013, he operated a business, Professional Proposal Management, Inc., which assisted companies in obtaining government contracts. He has lived in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, and several locations in Florida. In 2009, he moved from Florida to Texas and lived in Mesquite east of Dallas and then Van Zandt County near Canton in East Texas.

Political career

Hall first became concerned with the government during the Clinton administration, and more concerned during the subsequent Bush administration. For example, he opposed the TARP bill enacted in 2008. When Obama was elected President, Hall became even more concerned with the government and "preserving freedom".^[3]

His opposition to overspending by the government led Hall to become an active organizer with the Tea Party Movement. He began giving speeches on what he perceived as wrong with the government, and what could be done about it.^[3]

Hall's run against incumbent State Senator Bob Deuell was his second run for public office. Hall had previously filed and campaigned for the same seat in 2012, but was subsequently disqualified due to failure to meet constitutional residency requirements.^[4] Hall stated:

A recent study by Rice University found Bob Deuell to be the most liberal Republican in the Texas Senate. It's time for the people of District 2 to be represented by a Senator who embraces and supports their traditional conservative values.^[3]

Hall received endorsements from various conservative individuals and organizations, including former Texas Republican State Chairman Cathie Adams, who praised Hall's commitment.^[3] Hall unseated Deuell in a runoff election, 18,230 votes (50.4 percent) to 17,930 (49.6 percent).^[5][6]

Deuell had led a three-candidate field in the primary on March 4, with 23,847 votes (48.5 percent). Because he fell short of a majority, he was placed in the runoff with the number-two candidate, Bob Hall, who in the primary polled 19,085 votes (38.8 percent). The remaining 6,240 votes (12.7 percent) went to a third candidate, Mark Thompson.^[7] With his nomination in hand, Senator Hall defeated Libertarian Party nominee, Don Bates, in the November 4 general election.

Months into his first term, Hall has set himself apart from his colleagues in a decisive manner^[8]

Election history

References