Seeking his fifth two-year term, State Rep. Brooks Landgraf is emphasizing Texas-Mexico border security and his West Texas origins as he aims to help end the state’s reliance on the Robin Hood funding system and standardized testing in the schools in next year’s legislative session.
He had raised $100,353 by year-end and had $243,756 in cash on hand.
Representing the 81st Legislative District in Austin, Landgraf says last year’s statewide redistricting deleted Andrews County and added Loving County to the district, which also includes Ector, Winkler and Ward counties, although the winner of the March 1 Republican Primary will keep representing Andrews through the rest of this year.
“I’m very proud of the work I have done representing Odessa and West Texas in general and I will be talking about my record and the work we need to continue doing,” the attorney said. “We invested $2.9 billion in border security at the state level because the Biden administration has been derelict in its duties there.
“We in the state also have to do what we can to fix our (electric) grid and continue to kill the Green New Deal proposals that would be very harmful to the oil and gas industry.”
Asked what has gone badly for him during the past two years, Landgraf said his biggest disappointment has been his inability to end standardized testing and the Robin Hood system in which money is taken from well-funded school districts and given to poorer ones.
“Robin Hood has put an unacceptable burden on teachers and students here in the Permian Basin and I will fight to take away our reliance on standardized testing as the main measure of accountability for the public schools.”
Along with helping to bolster border security, Landgraf said he has been gratified as chairman of the House Environmental Regulation Committee to squash numerous Green New Deal-related bills and to back highway funding.
“Before I took office in 2015, the state’s average annual transportation infrastructure spending in the Basin was $51 million and during the three years since I was appointed to the transportation committee, it has averaged $361 million a year,” he said.
Landgraf says his West Texas roots have helped him as a legislator.
“I’m proud to be from a West Texas ranching family that has been here for five generations,” Landgraf said. “So I’m from Odessa. I’m really of West Texas. I know the values that we are raised to have and the honest approach to life that we have. I have West Texas in my veins and I’m proud to take the values that West Texas has given me to serve the people of West Texas.”
Notwithstanding the brickbats that come with life in politics, Landgraf said his fighting spirit motivates him to continue.
“I still have that passion in my belly to serve and candidly, I have become a very effective legislator, based on my ability to get things done, and have used those abilities for the good of the people of West Texas,” he said. “I have been visiting with hundreds of West Texans on their doorsteps in the last few weeks and they have continued to give me ideas and inspire me to keep serving them.
“They have placed their trust in me to be their representative and I feel that connection with the people more than I ever have. There is still more work to be done and I will continue serving them as long as they are willing to bring me back.”
Landgraf’s biggest backers are the A&M Political Action Committee of Austin with $5,000, Tyler Barcena of Odessa with $5,000, Sondra Eoff of Odessa with $10,000, the Speaker Dade Phelan Campaign of Beaumont with $18,600; Rival Energy Services of Pyote with $5,000; and Collin Sewell of Odessa with $5,000;
Other contributors include Arnold Public Affairs, Austin, $250; Edward Barcena, Odessa, $2,000; Bobby Barlow, Odessa, $75; Roger Becker, Odessa, $500; Bill Beene, Odessa, $100; Larry Bell, Odessa, $2,000; Steve and Denise Brannan, Odessa, $250; Teresa Burnett, Monahans, $250; Judy Calloway, Odessa, $100; Margaret Carpenter, Odessa, $100; Centerpoint Energy PAC, Houston, $1,000; Rep. Chris Paddie Campaign, Marshall, $2,500; John Cook, The Woodlands, $2,000.
Also, Donna Cox, Odessa, $150; James Cox, Odessa, $150; Paul Crump, Odessa, $500; Betty Dale, Odessa, $500; Vivian Dugger, Plano, $500; Nicholas Engel, Odessa, $100; J.D. Faircloth, Frisco, $250; Gary Felker, Odessa, $500; Ford Motor Co. Civic Action Fund, Dearborn, Mich., $750; J. Nicholas Fowler, Odessa, $1,000; Friends of Jim Murphy, Houston, $1,000; G. Barham Operating, Odessa, $100; Brian Gibson, Wink, $50; Richard Gillham, Odessa, $250; Vicki Greenfield, Monahans, $100; Barbara Hall, Odessa, $100; Gary Haner, Odessa, $2,500; Elizabeth Harvey, Odessa, $2,000.
Also, Judith Hayes, Odessa, $250; Henderson LTM Enterprises, Odessa, $1,000; Barbara Hogan, Odessa, $500; Melanie Hollmann, Odessa, $250; Greg Holly, Monahans, $1,000; IBAT PAC, Austin, $500; INDEPAC, Austin, $1,000; Gary Johnson, Odessa, $250; Erin Jordan, Monahans, $500; Grace King, Odessa, $100; Gene Kirby, Odessa, $100; Mark Knox, Odessa, $200; Edna Kruger, Odessa, $100; John Landgraf, Odessa, $1,000; Stephanie Latimer, Odessa, $250; Janet Lawrence, Odessa, $500; Irene LeMarr, Odessa, $200; David Lee, Odessa, $18; Larry Lee, Odessa, $500.
Also, Lindsey Lee, Odessa, $18; Lloyd Gosselink, Rochelle & Townsend, Austin, $1,000; Sue McDonald, Odessa, $100; McGuire Woods Federal PAC Fund, Richmond, Va., $250; Dee Melton, Odessa, $25; Michel Real Estate, Kermit, $250; Darin Mitchell, Kermit, $50; Doris Moore, Odessa, $100; Trinidad Moralez, Odessa, $500; Alex Ortega, Odessa, $50; Royce Overcash, Odessa, $100; Ovintiv USA PAC, Denver, $2,000; Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, Austin, $250; Jerry Phillips, Kermit, $100; Mike Podzemny, Odessa, $250; Clay Pope, Austin, $1,500; Donald Pradon, Odessa, $1,000; Pete Pyzsrowski, $100.
Also, Robert Randolph, Weatherford, $100; Amanda Renfroe, Odessa, $18; Marquita Rizo, Odessa, $10; Randy Rohlfs, Boerne, $41; Ron Lewis & Associates, Austin, $500; Chad and Natalie Sandell, Odessa, $100; Lloyd Sanders, Odessa, $10; Tom Schlegel, San Antonio, $50; Richard Sivalls, Odessa, $2,500; Kevin Slater, Odessa, $1,000; Joan Smith, Monahans, $100; David Speer, Wink, $18; Mike Sterling, Odessa, $1,000; Targa Resources Corp., Houston, $1,000; Texas Association of Health Underwriters PAC, Cranford, N.J., $500.
Also, Texas Chemical Council, Austin, $1,000; Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND, Waco, $1,000; Texas House Republican Caucus PAC, Austin, $2,500; Texas Medical Association PAC, Austin, $500; Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Austin, $1,000; The Chickasaw Nation, Ada, Okla., $2,500; Toby Tripp, Odessa, $250; Jane Triplett, Odessa, $250; Ted Tuminowski, Odessa, $2,500; UPSPAC, Atlanta, Ga., $2,500; USAA Employee PAC, San Antonio, $2,000; Union Pacific Corp. Fund for Effective Government, Washington, D.C., $1,500.
Also, UnitedHealth Group PAC, Washington, $1,000; Ronnie Vaughn, Brownwood, $200; Walmart Inc. PAC for Responsible Government, Bentonville, Ark., $1,000; Waste Management Employees Better Government Fund, Washington, $2,000; Shirley West, Odessa, $50; Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC, Austin, $500; Brian Whytlaw, Odessa, $500; Bill Wight, Odessa, $100; John Wilkins, Odessa, $500; Hope Williams, Kermit, $200; Randy Wilson, Odessa, $100; Brenda Worthen, Odessa, $1,000; and Randy Yarbrough, Odessa, $100.
