With collective assistance from five Texas IAFF affiliates, State Representative Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) was elected to the state Senate with 68 percent of the vote in a runoff special election.
The special election was called after then Senator Tommy Williams vacated his seat in order to take a position with Texas A&M University. Four candidates – Creighton, Steve Toth, Gordy Bunch and Michael Galloway – ran in the May 10 election, which resulted in a call for the August runoff between Creighton and Toth.
“Creighton is a conservative, but he has always been willing to listen and even fought for us regarding some negative pension proposals in the state legislature,” says Conroe Local 2731 President John Riddle, who helped organize the efforts. “Because of his support the members of our local and the members of Baytown Local 1173, Beaumont Local 399, The Woodlands Local 3846 and Port Arthur Local 397 joined together to endorse him.”
Members from each of the locals were actively involved in encouraging area voters to cast their ballot for Creighton. “It should be noted that our members not only worked in their own communities, but also crossed over into each other’s jurisdictions which proved to be very effective,” says Riddle.
Creighton will serve out the remaining two years of Williams’ term before he will be up for re-election.
