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| Texas House of Representatives District 97 | ||
| Current incumbent | Craig Goldman  | |
| Population | 169,901 | |
| Race | 63.2% White, 32.4% Black/Hispanic, 4.4% Other | |
| Ethnicity | 81.0% Not Hispanic, 19.0% Hispanic | |
| Voting age | 77.8% age 18 and over | |
Texas' ninety-seventh state house district is represented by Republican Representative Craig Goldman.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 168,901 civilians reside within Texas' ninety-seventh state house district. Texas state representatives represent an average of 167,637 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 139,012 residents.
Members of the Texas House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session (January).
To be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be:
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $7,200/year | $190/day. Set by the ethics commission. |
When calculating a legislators' pension, their normal salary is artificially inflated to $125,000. This goes back to 1981, when lawmakers linked their salaries to those of state judges. Since then, they raised judges' salaries while removing the caps on their own pensions, pushing the maximum benefit up to 100% of a judge's salary.
In 2011, this resulted in an average state employee pension of $17,526 annually. The maximum pension a legislator can earn is $125,000, of which Rep. Tom Craddick (R) will be the first to qualify for when he retires. .
If there is a vacancy in the house, the Governor must call a special election to fill the vacant seat. A Governor's proclamation to a special election must be delivered to local elections authorities representing the vacant seat no later than 36 days before the scheduled election.
The Secretary of State can declare a candidate duly elected in a special election if there is no opposition.
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff is scheduled for May 26, 2020. The filing deadline was December 9, 2019.
Incumbent Craig Goldman (R) defeated Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin (D) and Rod Wingo (L) in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Craig Goldman (R) |
53.2
|
35,171 |
|
|
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin (D) |
44.9
|
29,665 | |
|
|
Rod Wingo (L) |
1.9
|
1,289 | |
|
|
Total votes: 66,125 |
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin (D) |
100
|
7,628 |
|
|
Total votes: 7,628 |
Incumbent Craig Goldman advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Craig Goldman (R) |
100
|
9,714 |
|
|
Total votes: 9,714 |
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.
Incumbent Craig Goldman defeated Elizabeth Tarrant and Patrick Wentworth in the Texas House of Representatives District 97 general election.Texas House of Representatives, District 97 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Craig Goldman Incumbent |
57.23% | 39,537 | |
| Democratic | Elizabeth Tarrant | 39.11% | 27,019 | |
| Libertarian | Patrick Wentworth | 3.66% | 2,531 | |
| Total Votes | 69,087 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
Texas House of Representatives, District 97 Democratic Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elizabeth Tarrant |
78.03% | 6,963 | |
| Democratic | Andrew T. McKernon | 21.97% | 1,960 | |
| Total Votes | 8,923 | |||
Texas House of Representatives, District 97 Republican Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | |
|---|---|---|
| Republican | Craig Goldman Incumbent (unopposed) |
Elections for all 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. Those candidates who did not receive 50 percent or more of the vote in their party primary on March 4 faced an additional May 27 primary runoff. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013. Incumbent Craig Goldman was unopposed in the Republican primary. Goldman defeated Rod Wingo (L) in the general election.
Texas House of Representatives, District 97 General Election, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Craig Goldman Incumbent |
81.6% | 27,977 | |
| Libertarian | Rod Wingo | 18.4% | 6,295 | |
| Total Votes | 34,272 | |||
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 29, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. Craig Goldman (R) defeated Gary Grassia (D) and Rod Wingo (L) in the general election. Goldman defeated Susan Todd and Chris Hatch in the Republican primary election. Grassia was unopposed in the Democratic primary election.
Texas House of Representatives, District 97, General Election, 2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Craig Goldman |
59.4% | 38,139 | |
| Democratic | Gary Grassia | 37.6% | 24,159 | |
| Libertarian | Rod Wingo | 2.9% | 1,873 | |
| Total Votes | 64,171 | |||
Texas House of Representatives District 97 Republican Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Craig Goldman |
54.7% | 6,333 |
| Susan Todd | 35.8% | 4,143 |
| Chris Hatch | 9.5% | 1,105 |
| Total Votes | 11,581 | |
From 2002 to 2014, candidates for Texas House of Representatives District 97 raised a total of $2,953,509. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $147,675 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, Texas House of Representatives District 97
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $225,354 | 2 | $112,677 |
| 2012 | $553,447 | 4 | $138,362 |
| 2010 | $170,428 | 1 | $170,428 |
| 2008 | $1,563,632 | 5 | $312,726 |
| 2006 | $300,984 | 3 | $100,328 |
| 2004 | $57,710 | 2 | $28,855 |
| 2002 | $64,054 | 2 | $32,027 |
| 2000 | $17,900 | 1 | $17,900 |
| Total | $2,953,509 | 20 | $147,675 |
