Yesterday Texas State Board of Education member George Clayton, R-Richardson, unexpectedly announced that he will not seek re-election to his seat. Clayton said he will instead seek election to the Texas House of Representatives.
Clayton won a surprise victory over longtime incumbent Geraldine “Tincy” Miller, R-Dallas, in the 2010 Republican primary for the District 12 state board seat. Religious-righters on and off the board have been critical of Clayton, who has generally voted with the board’s mainstream Republican bloc. Clayton publicly acknowledged last fall that he is gay after far-right groups like Golden Corridor Republican Women promoted a whisper campaign targeting his private life.
Clayton’s decision not to seek re-election leaves three Republicans — Miller, Pam Little of Fairview, and Gail Spurlock of Richardson — and Democrat Lois Parrott of Dallas in the race for the District 12 board seat.
Check out TFN’s SBOE election watch page for more information on candidates and board districts in the 2012 elections.
Why did you not include the seat number for the state house seat he is seeking?
The Dallas Morning News piece (linked in our post) says he will seek the District 112 House seat.
TFN doesn’t seem to have done a spread on Parrott yet. Poking Google turns up a 2001 Dallas Observer piece that makes her candidacy sound like a Democratic sacrificial goat. Unless her character has developed significantly since then, I’d suspect she might be a genuinely divisive member; Slightly Sensible Party, but possibly more of a liability than an asset for the Sensible faction.
I’d presently order Miller and Little as less Silly than Spurlock, but a tossup between them.