Tom Craddick
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Thomas Russell “Tom” Craddick (born September 19, 1943) is the first Republican to serve as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives since Reconstruction.
While he was a doctoral student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Craddick decided to run for the legislature as a Republican from a Midland-based district. Given the political environment at that time, even his father, businessman R.F. Craddick (1913-1986), warned him: "Texas is run by Democrats. You can't win."[citation needed] The former Eagle Scout was elected to the Texas House in 1968 at the age of twenty-five; he was just one of eight Republicans in the chamber at that time.
In 1975, Craddick was named as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, the first Republican to chair a committee in more than a century. On January 11, 2003, after thirty-four years in the House, Craddick became the first Republican Speaker in more than 130 years. During his first term as Speaker, Craddick pushed through an unprecedented mid-decade congressional redistricting that sparked the Killers Ds.
In winter 2006, Craddick faced a credible challenge to his re-election as Speaker for the Eightieth Texas Legislature. Brian McCall (R-Plano) and Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie) both announced candidacies for the speakership. In early January, McCall withdrew and endorsed Pitts.[1] Supporters of Pitts pressed for a secret ballot in order to avoid retribution should their efforts fail,[1] while Craddick had maintained all along that he had more than the minimum number of votes needed for re-election.[2] When the secret ballot measure failed, Pitts withdrew and Craddick was re-elected to a third term as Speaker on January 9, 2007, by a vote of 121-27.[2][3]
Craddick is married to the former Nadine Nayfa, a native of Sweetwater in west Texas. She is of Lebanese descent. His children are Thomas, Jr. and Christi. Thomas, Jr., and his wife, the former Laura Parker, have a son, Thomas Russell, 3d. Craddick holds undergraduate and graduate business degrees from Texas Tech. He lists his occupation as sales representative for Mustang Mud, an oilfield supply company, although he also is a real estate speculator and developer.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Sandberg, Lisa, Peggy Fikac. "Speaker's job may hang on vote rules: Some say Craddick would lose if balloting is done in secret", Houston Chronicle, 2007-01-06, p. B1. Retrieved on January 11, 2007. “Many political watchers say a secret ballot would give House members cover to orchestrate a coup against the incumbent Craddick, and not suffer political fallout (bad committee assignments) if they fail.”
- ^ a b Sandberg, Lisa, Peggy Fikac. "Craddick re-elected speaker after Pitts bows out", Houston Chronicle, 2007-01-10. Retrieved on January 11, 2007.
- ^ There was one vacancy in the 150-member chamber, and Craddick abstained.
[edit] External link
- Official biography at the Texas House of Representatives website.
| Preceded by Frank Cahoon |
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 70 (Midland) 1969–1973 |
Succeeded by Hilary B. Doran, Jr. |
| Preceded by Ace Pickens |
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 68 (Midland) 1973–1983 |
Succeeded by Dudley Harrison |
| Preceded by Pete Laney |
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 76 (Midland) 1983–1993 |
Succeeded by Nancy McDonald |
| Preceded by Nolan Robnett |
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 82 (Midland) 1993 – present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Pete Laney |
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives 2003 – present |
Incumbent |
| Speakers of the Texas House of Representatives |  |
|---|---|
| Crump • Brown • Branch • Crump • Bourland • Perkins • Henderson • Keenan • Dickson • Runnels • Bee • W. Taylor • Locke • M. Taylor • Buckley • Darnell • Buckley • M. Taylor • Burford • Evans • Sinclair • M. Taylor • Bryan • Bonner • Cochran • Reeves • Gibson • Foster • Pendleton • Alexander • Milner • Cochran • Smith • Dashiell • Sherrill • Prince • Neff • Seabury • Love • Kennedy • Marshall • Rayburn • Terrell • Woods • Fuller • Thomason • Thomas • Seagler • Satterwhite • Bobbitt • Barron • Minor • Stevenson • Calvert • Morse • Leonard • Daniel • Gilmer • Reed • Manford • Senterfitt • Lindsey • Carr • Turman • Tunnell • Barnes • Mutscher • Slider • Price • Daniel, Jr. • Clayton • Lewis • Laney • Craddick |
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Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1943 births | People from Midland, Texas | Living people | Texas politicians | Members of the Texas House of Representatives | Speakers of the Texas House of Representatives | Texas Tech University alumni | Texas Republicans | Businesspeople | Speakers of state Houses of Representatives | Texas politician stubs
