David Simpson (Texas politician)

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David Philip Simpson
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 7th district
In office
2011 – January 2017
Preceded by Tommy Merritt
Succeeded by Jay Dean (pending 2017)
Personal details
Born (1961-06-27) June 27, 1961 (age 62)
Lubbock, Texas, USA
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Susan Simpson
Children Seven children
Residence Longview, Texas
Alma mater Vanderbilt University (B.A., 1983)
Trinity Ministerial Academy
Profession Businessman
Religion Southern Baptist
Website State Rep. David Simpson

David Philip Simpson (born June 27, 1961)[1] is a departing Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 7, based in Gregg and Upshur counties. In 2010, he unseated the incumbent, Tommy Merritt of Longview, in the Republican primary with 52.88 percent of the vote and then prevailed in the general election for the 82nd Texas Legislature on November 2, 2010 with 91.28 percent of the vote, having had no Democrat opponent.[2]

Life and career

Simpson was born in Lubbock in West Texas. He was the mayor of Avinger in Cass County from 1993 to 1998 before he relocated in 2000 to Longview, the seat of government of Gregg County. He and his wife, Susan, have seven children. Simpson is a Christian and has published a Statement of Faith.[3] He has been described as someone who "did exactly what he said he would do in his campaign and stood for limited government".[4]

Simpson's website states that he "will steadfastly fight for limited government and freedom under the rule of law."[5]

Simpson again defeated Merritt in the 2012 Republican primary to secure his second term and was then unopposed in the November 6 general election in which Barack H. Obama defeated Mitt Romney.

In December 2012, Simpson announced his candidacy for Texas House Speaker in a conservative bid to oust the moderate Republican Joe Straus of San Antonio from the top position in the leadership of the chamber. As Simpson entered the contest for speaker, his East Texas colleague, Bryan Hughes of Mineola, exited the race, having tried for six months previously to line up commitments from colleagues to oust Straus.[6] Hughes immediately endorsed Simpson "wholeheartedly" over Straus, and called him an "eminently fair, highly principled, and hardworking legislator".[6] However, Simpson withdrew before the balloting for Speaker began, and Straus was reelected without opposition on January 8, 2013.[7]

Political positions

Security screening

Simpson filed legislation in the 2011 Texas legislative session to be able to prosecute, what he deemed, "offensive and intrusive groping" searches of private parts without probable cause by the Transportation Security Administration and other security personnel. The bill, HB 1937,[8] passed unanimously out of committee and then again out of the Texas House. The bill had 94 co-authors from both parties.[9] However, it failed to pass in the Texas Senate after the U.S. Department of Justice threatened to make Texas a no-fly zone were the legislation to be enacted.[10][11][12]

Immigration

During the children's immigration crisis, Simpson visited the border to see first hand what was happening. Upon his return, he called for more immigration judges,[13] and advocated for greater compassion for immigrants.[14][15]

Marijuana

Simpson is in favor of the decriminalization of marijuana, on the basis that it is created by God.[16] In May 2015 he presented a bill to legalize marijuana. It was approved by the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, but failed to advance further.[17][18]

Marriage

Simpson advocates for marriage privatization, proposing to "divorce marriage from government" in the light of Obergefell v. Hodges. In June 2015, Simpson asked Governor Greg Abbott to convene a special session to consider removing "state and local officials from the process of issuing marriage licenses."[19][20]

2016 prospects

Simpson did not seeking reelection to the House in 2016. Instead he ran unsuccessfully, having polled less than 31 percent of the ballots cast, against fellow conservative Bryan Hughes, a Mineola lawyer, for the District 1 seat in the Texas State Senate seat held since 2004 by Moderate Republican Kevin Eltife, a former mayor of Tyler, who did not seek reelection.

Eliminated in the March 1 primary was the two-star United States Army General James K. "Red" Brown of Lindale, who polled 28,285 votes (21.25 percent). Brown hence trailed Simpson, the second-placed candidate, by 13 votes and lost the runoff berth against Hughes. Simpson received 28,288 votes (21.26 percent). In fourth place was Mike Lee with 12,630 (9.5 percent). Hughes handily led the primary with 63,844 votes (48 percent).[21]

In the contest against Simpson, Hughes carried the backing of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, the presiding officer of the state Senate.[22]

Simpson will be succeeded in the House by Jay Dean, a former mayor of Longview who won the Republican nomination and is unopposed in the November 8 general election.[21] Dean will take office in January 2017.

References

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  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ "Legislature opens; Straus re-elected", Laredo Morning Times, January 9, 2013, p. 10A
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Kashmir Hill, "TSA Threatens to Cancel All Flights Out Of Texas If 'Groping Bill' Passed", Forbes, May 25, 2011.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by Texas State Representative from District 7
2011–2017		 Succeeded by
Jay Dean
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