KAUFMAN, Texas—A former member of the Texas House is asking voters to send him back to Austin so he can rejoin the fight to pass conservative reforms.
During his one term in Austin, few legislators could boast of being more conservative than Stuart Spitzer. A surgeon by trade, Sptizer was an aggressive advocate for grassroots citizens on just about every issue—earning perfect marks on the Fiscal Responsibility Index and equally high scores from Texas Right to Life and the Young Conservatives of Texas.
But despite his sterling record, Spitzer fell short in his re-election campaign—defeated by State Rep. Lance Gooden (R—Forney), who he’d dispatched to win the seat.
This past Fall, Spitzer had announced his plan to run again setting up what would have been their fourth matchup against each other in the House District 4 Republican primary. Rather than face Spitzer again, however, Gooden decided to try to parlay his Texas House seat for one in the US House and announced his campaign for Congress.
Now Spitzer doesn’t face a rematch, he faces a feeding frenzy.
Since Gooden jumped ship, three candidates have jumped in—Keith Bell, Earl Brunner, and Ashley McKee—making a runoff election between Sptizer and one of the three significantly likely. On the campaign trail, Spitzer touts his conservative record in office as he seeks to return to the Texas House.
“I’m the only one campaigning right now with a record. It’s a conservative record, and it’s one that I’m proud of,” says Spitzer. “I’ve led with my convictions in Austin and voters know that if they send me back I’m going to head back to the frontlines and fight for them.”
Voters do know Spitzer’s convictions. They also know his work ethic and dedication to earning their vote. Despite being sidelined from his surgical practice and forced to walk with a cane due to his multiple sclerosis, Spitzer has knocked on over three thousand doors in House District 4 with the assistance of an Airwheel scooter, something similar to a Segway.
“It’s certainly something that gets folks’ attention, I’ve even raced a few kids,” laughed Spitzer.
Though Spitzer enjoys a large advantage in terms of cash, name ID, and volunteers, earning more than 50 percent of the vote outright will still be a tall order for him given the crowded field.
A safe Republican district composed of Henderson and Kaufman Counties, should Spitzer win the Republican Party primary election in March or a runoff election in May he will be favored to win the seat in November.
This article is part of Texas Scorecard’s “On the Trail Tour” series. To view more field reports on campaigns across the state of Texas, visit our website here.
Zach Maxwell contributed to this report.
