State representative candidates face local citizens

Education funding, standardized testing, and water planning were among the top issues discussed by the candidates hoping to serve Donley County in the Texas House of Representatives at a local Republican forum last week.

Rep. Jim Landtroop of Plainview, former representative Gary Walker of Plains, Mac Smith of Pampa, and Ken King of Canadian each introduced themselves and stated their reasons for running for office before a crowd of sixty people at the Bairfield Activity Center Thursday night, February 23.

Mr. King took the floor first and said he was born and raised in Canadian where he is now involved in the oil and gas business and serves as president of both the Canadian school board and the Hemphill County Appraisal District board. He said he became interested in running for office after the last legislative session where it became apparent to him that most members of the Legislature do not understand school finance.

Mr. Smith was born and raised in Pampa and is also involved in the oil business. He said several neighbors encouraged him to run after Rep. Warren Chisum announced that he would not be seeking re-election. He said he felt like Texas needs people in the Legislature who know what it’s like to grow up in a small town and that his philosophy is that government should stay out of people’s way.

Rep. Landtroop is currently serving as a State Representative from Plainview, and Donley County is moving into his district when the new boundaries get final approval by the courts. He is a State Farm Insurance agent and says he understands making a payroll and living within a budget. He said he ran for office promising not to raise taxes, and he was named the fourth most conservative legislator in the last session. He pointed to a bill requiring voters to show photo identification and changes made to eminent domain as some of the items he was proud to have sponsored.

Mr. Walker lives in Plains and served four terms in the State House of Representatives, being first elected in 1994. He came to the Texas Panhandle in 1986 and served four years as the first manager of the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District before taking a similar position in Yoakum County. He said water and agriculture are what he knows best and that public education is important. He also said he will not work much on “social issues.”

Water issues were the first topic brought up by the citizens in attendance. Mr. Walker said the state.