Paul Bettencourt

Paul Bettencourt
Majority Leader of the Texas Senate
In office
January 26, 2016 – January 12, 2021
Preceded byKelly Hancock
Succeeded byLarry Taylor
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 13, 2015
Preceded byDan Patrick
Tax Assessor-Collector of Harris County
In office
1999–2009
Preceded byCarl Smith
Succeeded byLeo Vasquez
Personal details
Born
Paul David Bettencourt

(1958-10-20) October 20, 1958 (age 66)
Harris County, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseSusan Sladic
Children2
EducationTexas A&M University (BS)
Signature

Paul David Bettencourt (born October 20, 1958) is an American politician and businessman based out of Houston, Texas, who serves as a Republican member of the Texas State Senate from District 7. On January 13, 2015, he succeeded state Senator Dan Patrick of Houston, who successfully ran for Lieutenant Governor of Texas.

Political career

Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector

From 1998 to early in 2008, Bettencourt was the Tax Assessor-Collector of his native Harris County, the third largest county in the United States.

Bettencourt won reelection in 2000, 2004, and 2008.[1]

The Democratic Party and plaintiffs filed suit and requested a temporary restraining order against the Voter Registrar Bettencourt after the 2008 election, asking a Federal Judge to block the counting of 7000+ provisional ballots from the November 2008 election.[2] However, the temporary restraining order was denied by the Judge. All 7000+ provisional ballots were reviewed by Election Officials, and either rejected or accepted and then electronically counted.[3][4][5]

Texas State Senate

2014 election

Bettencourt ran for the Texas State Senate in 2014 again enlisted the help of top Republican Strategist Allen Blakemore.[6][7]

Tenure

Bettencourt has also warned of serious pension liability problems in Texas and has proposed long-term market-based reforms which he claims will not impact those nearing retirement and have already paid significantly into the pension systems.[8]

2018 reelection

Tenure

He authored a bill that the Texas Senate passed in 2019 that would move bond, debt and tax elections to the November general elections and limit the length of propositions.[9]

Radio host

Bettencourt is a conservative talk radio host on KSEV, owned by his predecessor Dan Patrick.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Cumulative Report Official" (PDF). HarrisVotes. November 2, 2004. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
  2. ^ "Democrats sue Bettencourt over votes for Harris Judges". Houston Chronicle. November 12, 2008.
  3. ^ "The Battle over Provisional Ballots". 2 on the Beat. November 12, 2008.
  4. ^ "Paul Bettencourt plans to resign". 2onthebeat.wordpress.com. December 6, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  5. ^ Liz Austin Peterson (December 24, 2008). "Vasquez takes charge of Harris County tax office: Commissioners vote 4-1 to fill recent vacancy". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  6. ^ "Endorsements". paulbettencourt.com. 28 June 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  7. ^ "General election returns, November 4, 2014". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  8. ^ "Future shock," San Antonio Express-News, April 16, 2017, p. F2.
  9. ^ "Bill would move bond elections". Wylie News. Wylie, Texas. May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  10. ^ Malewitz, Jim; Walters, Edgar (July 27, 2017). "Radio Made Dan Patrick Powerful in Texas. And it's Helping Him Stay that Way". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
Texas Senate
Preceded by Member of the Texas Senate
from the 7th district
2015–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Majority Leader of the Texas Senate
2016–2021 		Succeeded by