Here’s our recommendation in Texas Senate race featuring Shelley Luther, Drew Springer
When lawmakers return to Austin in January, they face a daunting plateful of issues stemming from the pandemic: a deep budget shortfall, an ongoing economic crisis, challenges for schools and health care providers.
There’s also sure to be a robust debate about whether the Legislature should curb the governor’s emergency powers and assure representatives have more of a role in governing during a crisis.
Experience will be valuable. State Senate District 30 voters, filling a vacancy in a special election Tuesday, can choose a senator to hit the ground running. We recommend they do so by elevating state Rep. Drew Springer to the Senate.
The sprawling district wraps around Dallas-Fort Worth. It includes fast-growing exurbs such as the Walsh development and Parker County and Prosper in Collin County. But much of it is rural, with different needs, so the next senator will need to be able to multitask.
Springer, 53, grew up in Weatherford and has already served many of the district’s counties in his four terms in the House, where he chairs the Agriculture Committee.
On the issue of school funding, the Muenster Republican defends the laws enacted last year to boost the state’s share of education costs and try to rein in local property taxes. But he indicated that he wants to see teacher pay boosted further, even with the state’s coming revenue challenges.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
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How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
The district’s fast-growing areas have pressing transportation needs, too, and Springer showed a willingness to fight for that funding from general state revenue and Texas’ rainy day fund to avoid expansion of toll roads.
Springer also offers a thoughtful critique of Gov. Greg Abbott’s steps to deal with the pandemic. He said he wants to ensure that emergency powers have a time limit and that there’s a mechanism to ensure the Legislature has more say, even if it’s not in session. And he noted the need to ensure that emergency orders affect rural areas differently than Texas’ big urban centers.
That topic might be the brightest contrast between Springer and another leading candidate, Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther. The political neophyte is campaigning on her stand against Abbott’s business shutdown orders, which briefly landed her in jail and prompted top Republican leaders to come to her defense.
Luther, 47, of Pilot Point portrays herself as a solid conservative candidate, a sound strategy in an overwhelmingly Republican district. But she’s trending toward the far right on issues such as reopening the state. That and her inexperience mean she’d have trouble becoming an effective senator.
The remaining candidates include Chris Watts, 59, who is resigning as Denton mayor to run for the seat and brings an inspiring story of his rise from a humble upbringing. He understands well the challenges that fast growth presents but may be less prepared to serve the rural areas of the district.
Also running is Andy Hopper, a 43-year-old Decatur farmer and software engineer, who speaks passionately about the need to support agriculture and the difficulties and opportunities presented by the pandemic. Craig Carter, 41, of Nocona pledges to bring a businessman’s eye to state issues. The lone Democrat in the race, 36-year-old electrician Jacob Minter of Anna, is a first-time candidate for public office.
Each offers interesting perspectives, and they are mostly fluent on the top issues facing Texas, but they lack the preparation to step into the Senate.
Early voting is open through Sept. 25. With six candidates, the race is likely headed to a runoff on a date to be determined. The winner will replace Sen. Pat Fallon with the expectation that he’ll be elected to Congress in a northeast Texas district.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 5:03 AM.