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TPEA PAC Endorses Conroe Businessman Frank Denton for Texas Senate
State Employees Poised to Play Pivotal Role in Election
AUSTIN, Texas (January 16, 2006) – Through its political action committee, EMPACT, the Texas Public Employees Association (TPEA) today endorsed Conroe businessman Frank Denton for the Texas Senate in 2006.
Denton is seeking the Republican nomination in Senate District 3, which covers 16 East Texas counties. Palestine state Sen. Todd Staples is vacating the seat to run for Texas Agriculture Commissioner.
“TPEA is endorsing Frank Denton for the Texas Senate because he understands the importance of state employees and he recognizes the value they bring to the job each and every day. As a businessman, he knows Texas cannot be successful without a well-trained, well-paid workforce,” said TPEA Executive Director Gary W. Anderson.
With about 300,000 general state government and higher education employees in Texas, Anderson said the state workforce is a formidable constituency that will play a pivotal role in the Senate District 3 election.
“About 20,000 state employees live in the 254,000 households that make up SD 3, which means there is roughly one state employee for every 12 homes throughout the district. Senate District 3 contains 12 Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities, a state school in Lufkin, a state hospital in Rusk and other state facilities. The compensation, health care, and retirement issues facing state employees affect a lot of pocketbooks in East Texas,” Anderson said.
Denton is the former vice chairman of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation after being twice appointed by Gov. Perry to the six-member commission that licenses and regulates 20 different industries and occupations in Texas. He resigned his position to run for the Texas Senate.
Frank, a Conroe businessman, was born and raised in Palestine and has lived in East Texas his entire life. For more than 25 years he worked in the timber industry and was responsible for 40 manufacturing plants employing 4,000 people in seven southern states. During this time, he also owned his own small business.
He was formally on the board of directors of the Texas Association of Business and a member of its executive board while chairing their small business committee. He is active in numerous civic groups. He and his wife, Connie, have two married children and four grandchildren, and are members of the First United Methodist Church in Conroe.
Established in 1946, TPEA is a 15,000-member, non-union, professional trade association, and it is the oldest and largest legislative advocacy group representing current and retired state employees.