Drew Springer Explained

Drew Springer
State Senate:Texas
District:30th
Preceded:Pat Fallon
Term Start:January 6, 2021
State House1:Texas
District1:68th
Preceded1:Rick Hardcastle
Succeeded1:David Spiller
Term Start1:January 8, 2013
Term End1:January 6, 2021
Birth Date:27 October 1966
Birth Name:Drew Alan Springer Jr.
Party:Republican
Residence:Muenster, Texas, U.S.
Education:University of North Texas (BS)

Drew Alan Springer Jr. (born October 27, 1966)[1] is an American businessman and politician serving as a Republican member of the Texas Senate who represents District 30.

Springer announced on November 7, 2023 that he would not seek re-election in 2024 and would spend more time focused on managing the family money management firm.[2]

Education

Springer graduated from Weatherford High School in 1985. He then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of North Texas.[3]

Career

A businessman, Springer is a former controller of a railcar company. He thereafter was a manager of three companies with a total of more than 1,000 employees. In 2005, he joined his father in business in the financial services industry.[4]

Springer was first elected in 2012 when the incumbent Republican, Rick Hardcastle of Vernon,[5] stepped down after fourteen years in office because of multiple sclerosis.[6] Springer was appointed to the Agriculture and Livestock and the Land and Resource Management committees.

It initially appeared that Springer had lost the 2012 Republican primary election in a heavily rural district, when his chief opponent, Trent McKnight, finished with 49 percent of the vote.[7] However, in the runoff election on July 31, with backing from two eliminated candidates in the primary, Springer topped McKnight, 8,434 (56.4 percent) to 6,521 (43.6 percent).[8] Springer was unopposed in the 2012 general election in his heavily Republican district.

Springer noted that McKnight is a former Democrat who had never voted in a Republican primary election until his own race in 2012. The winner in eighteen of the twenty-two counties, McKnight blamed his loss on a high turnout in Cooke County, where there was also a competitive election for sheriff, and low participation in the counties in which McKnight led in the primary, despite the high-profile U.S. Senate primary between David Dewhurst and Ted Cruz. In addition to Cooke, Springer won in neighboring Montague as well as Garza and Floyd counties.[9]

Springer represented the district 68th of the Texas House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021.[10] The district, the second largest in the state in terms of square miles, includes a wide swath of twenty-two counties.[11] [12]

In 2013, Springer joined the large Republican majority in the Texas House in enacting H.B. 2 to restrict abortion. Springer co-sponsored the legislation.[13] The legislation was subsequently struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt.[14]

Personal life

He and his wife, Lydia, who married in 1991, have three children. They reside in Muenster, Texas.

References

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Drew Alan Springer. texastribune.org. July 18, 2013.
  2. Svitek, Patrick. State Sen. Drew Springer will not seek reelection in 2024, Texas Tribune, November 7, 2023.
  3. Web site: Representatives. Texas House of. Texas House of Representatives. September 18, 2020. www.house.texas.gov.
  4. Web site: Weatherford grad takes his seat as state legislator, February 1, 2013. July 18, 2013. Weatherford Democrat.
  5. Web site: Rick Hardcastle. lrl.state.tx.us. July 18, 2013.
  6. Web site: Stem cells for Texas Representative Rick Hardcastle. YouTube. September 22, 2013.
  7. Web site: Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012 . elections.sos.state.tx.us . July 18, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140109062336/http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe . January 9, 2014 .
  8. Web site: Texas Republican runoff primary returns, July 31, 2012 . elections.sos.state.tx.us . July 18, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140109062336/http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe . January 9, 2014 .
  9. Web site: Springer takes office in Tuesday surprise. Enrique Rangel. August 1, 2012. Amarillo.com. July 18, 2013.
  10. Web site: State Rep. Springer announces district tour July 30. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, July 16, 2013. July 18, 2013.
  11. Web site: Doug McDonough, "Drew Springer wins Texas House District 68 nomination," August 1, 2012. August 2012. myplainview.com. July 18, 2013.
  12. Web site: Drew Springer Jr.. lrl.state.tx.us. July 18, 2013.
  13. Web site: Texas HB2 | 2013 | 83rd Legislature 2nd Special Session.
  14. Adam Liptak, Supreme Court Strikes Down Texas Abortion Restrictions, The New York Times (June 28, 2016).