Tracy Ogden King (born November 9, 1960) is an American politician and hearing aid specialist from Uvalde, who has been a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 80th district since 2005. Beginning in January 2023, the revised District 80 includes the counties of Dimmit, Frio, Uvalde, Atascosa, Zavala, and some of Webb County outside Laredo.[1] He is the only Anglo Democrat from a heavily rural district.[citation needed] By contrast, there were eighty-five Anglo Democrats in the House in 1985[citation needed], eighty-three in 1987, with fifty-six of those from primarily rural areas.[citation needed] King was initially elected to Texas House of Representatives as a representative of the 43rd district on November 8, 1994, when he unseated the one-term Democrat-turned-Republican incumbent Pedro G. Nieto. King received 15,072 votes (61.8 percent) to Nieto's 9,321 (38.2 percent)[citation needed]. With his 2023 victory, King has been elected to a total of fifteen two-year terms.

Tracy Ogden King
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 80th district
Assumed office
January 11, 2005
Preceded byTimoteo Garza
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 43rd district
In office
January 10, 1995 – January 14, 2003
Preceded byPedro G. Nieto
Succeeded byIrma Lerma Rangel
Personal details
Born (1960-11-09) November 9, 1960 (age 63)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCheryl Baker
Children2
Residence(s)Uvalde, Uvalde County, Texas
Alma materSouthwest Texas Junior College
Texas A&M University
OccupationHearing aid specialist, politician

Background

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King graduated from Carrizo Springs High School in Carrizo Springs, the county seat of Dimmit County, Texas. He then attended Southwest Texas Junior College, and Texas A&M University at College Station, from which he received his Bachelor of Science in agricultural engineering. In 1983, King was employed by the Beltone Hearing Aid Center in San Antonio, which served sixteen counties in southwestern Texas. King purchased the Beltone center in 1987 and sold it in 2008. King and his wife, the former Cheryl Baker, originally from Hondo, the county seat of Medina County, have two children, Katelyn Marie King and Clayton Baker King. King is a former trustee of the First United Methodist Church. He is a past president of the Uvalde Kiwanis Club. He is a former president of the Texas Hearing Aid Association. In the house, King currently serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, member of the Energy Resources Committee, and is Chairman of the House Water Caucus.[citation needed]

Election of 2012

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King won renomination in the Democratic primary election held on May 29, 2012. King said that he opposes state tax increases and will pursue ways to improve the business climate in south Texas. In the primary, King faced Jerry Garza (born 1976), a former two-term member from District 3 of the Webb County Commissioner's Court, also a former television reporter for KGNS-TV, the NBC affiliate in Laredo, and a former faculty member at Laredo Community College. Garza had sought to become the second Democrat from Laredo in the state House. Through April 18, 2012, King amassed $74,350 in campaign contributions, compared to $4,800 for Garza. Only 15 percent of King's contributions came from within District 80, but he did receive a contribution from wealthy Laredo businessman Steve LaMantia. Garza said that most of King's contributions came from lobbyists and political action committees beyond the district. After he defeated Garza in the primary, King ran unopposed in the November 6, 2012, general election.[citation needed]

Electoral history

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Year Type of Election % of Votes Won
2022 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[2]
2022 Democratic Party Primary Election 100.00 (unopposed)[2]
2020 General Election
2020 Democratic Party Primary Election
2018 General Election
2018 Democratic Party Primary Election
2016 General Election
2016 Democratic Party Primary Election
2014 General Election 89.59[3]
2014 Democratic Party Primary Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2012 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2012 Democratic Party Primary Election 59.66[3]
2010 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2010 Democratic Party Primary Election
2008 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2008 Democratic Party Primary Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2006 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2006 Democratic Party Primary Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2004 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2004 Democratic Primary Election
2000 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
2000 Democratic Party Primary Election 63.82 [3]
1998 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
1998 Democratic Primary 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
1996 General Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
1996 Democratic Party Primary Election 100.00 (unopposed)[3]
1994 General Election 61.79[3]
1994 Democratic Primary Election 51.97[3]
1992 Democratic Primary Runoff Election Lost 48.61[3]
1992 Democratic Primary Election Runoff 34.55[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Tracy O. King". Texas Legislators: Past & Present. Texas Legislative Reference Library.
  2. ^ a b "Texas Rep. Tracy King". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "State Rep. Tracy King - Election info". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016 – via The Wayback Machine.
Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 80 (Batesville & Uvalde)
2005—present
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 43 (Uvalde)
1995–2003
Succeeded by