Craig Goldman

Craig A. Goldman
Texas State Representative from District 97 (Tarrant County)
Incumbent
Assumed office January 8, 2013
Preceded by	Mark M. Shelton
Personal details
Born	1968 Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Auryn B. Goldman
Parents	Ronald J. and Carol A. Goldman
Residence	Fort Worth, Texas
Alma mater	University of Texas at Austin
Occupation	Real estate businessman
Religion	Jewish

Craig A. Goldman (born 1968)^[1] is a real estate businessman from his native Fort Worth, Texas, who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 97 in Tarrant County.^[2]

First elected in 2012, Goldman is seeking a third two-year term in the general election scheduled for November 8, 2016.^[3] He faces Democrat Elizabeth Tarrant who supported Bernie Sanders in the Presidential Primary.

Background

Goldman's family has lived in Fort Worth for now five generations. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin where he was a member of the ZBT fraternity and Silver Spurs. After college, he was for five years a member of the staff of Republican then U.S. Senator Phil Gramm and later was employed by U.S. Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas' 5th congressional district. A lifelong Republican, he has worked to elect members of his party to office in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and nationwide as well through Straight Talk America, a political action committee founded by U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona, of which Goldman was once the executive director. He also worked in the McCain presidential campaign in 2008.^[1]

Goldman is a partner in two real estate investment companies in Fort Worth. For some ten years, Goldman was vice president of a family-owned business, Ronnie's Fine Wines and Specialty Foods on Hulen Street in Fort Worth, named for his father, Ronald J. Goldman (born c. 1942).^[1][3]

Goldman is a former board member of Cowtown Executives Association, the Tarrant County College Foundation and the Women's Center of Tarrant County. In 2001, he graduated from the civic training school "Leadership Fort Worth".^[1]

Goldman is Jewish;.^[4] His wife is Auryn B. Goldman.^[3]

Political life

Craig first ran for the state House in a special election held in November 2007 to fill the seat vacated by the resignation on August 15 of that year of Republican Representative Anna Mowery. He polled 2,947 votes (16.7 percent), a fourth-place finish,^[5] and was hence eliminated from contention in the runoff election on December 18. In that contest the Democrat Dan Barrett defeated Republican Mark M. Shelton, a pediatrician from Fort Worth, 52-48 percent.^[6]

After less than a year in office, Barrett was unseated as representative by Mark Shelton in the general election on November 4, 2008.^[7] After two terms as representative, Shelton did not seek re-nomination in 2012; instead he ran a strong but unsuccessful race for the District 10 seat in the Texas State Senate, held by Wendy R. Davis, the 2014 Democratic gubernatorial nominee against Republican Greg Abbott.^[8] Shelton is again seeking the District 10 Senate seat that Davis vacated in her unsuccessful gubernatorial bid. In the May 27 runoff election, Shelton was defeated by the conservative activist Konni Burton of Colleyville, who carried the endorsement of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.^[9]

Goldman hence entered the Republican primary; with 6,333 votes (54.7 percent), he defeated two opponents, Susan Todd, with 4,143 votes (35.8 percent), and Chris Hatch, who finished third with 1,105 (9.5 percent).^[10] Goldman then defeated the Democrat, Gary Allen Grassia (born c. 1975) of Fort Worth, in the general election on November 6, 38,139 (59.4 percent) to 24,159 (37.6 percent). Another 1,873 votes (2.9 percent) went to the Libertarian Party nominee, Rodney Lynn "Rod" Wingo (born c. 1947) of Fort Worth.^[11]

Representative Goldman serves on the House committees of (1) Land and Resource Management and (2) Special Purpose Districts.^[3]

In October 2016, Goldman wrote a letter to voters critical of his Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Tarrant's, atheism stating, "I am asking for your support this November to send me back to Austin and continue to represent you and your values. My Democrat opponent is a self-proclaimed atheist. This is who the Democrat party is backing as their nominee, and I am certain my opponent does not have does the values you want to represent you in Austin." ^[12]

Legislative positions

A pro-life legislator, Goldman supported the ban on abortion after twenty weeks of gestation; the measure passed the House, 96-49. He co-sponsored companion legislation to enhance the medical and licensing requirements of abortion providers.^[13] These issues brought forth an unsuccessful filibuster in the state Senate by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wendy R. Davis of Fort Worth.^[14] The Texas Right to Life Committee rated Goldman 78 percent favorable.^[15]

Goldman opposed the bill to establish a taxpayer-funded breakfast program for public schools; the measure passed the House, 73-58. He supported legislation to provide marshals for school security as a separate law-enforcement entity. Goldman co-sponsored the successful bill to extend the franchise tax exemption to certain businesses. He voted against adoption of the biennial state budget, which passed in the House, 118-29. Goldman voted against the bill to prohibit texting while driving, which nevertheless passed the House, 97-45. He voted to require testing for narcotics of those individuals receiving unemployment compensation. He voted against the "equal pay for women" measure, which nevertheless passed the House, 78-61.^[13] He shepherded through the legislature HB 2717, which exempted traditional African hair braiders from cosmetology licensing requirements; the bill was signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June, 2015.^[16]

Goldman supported the measure to forbid the state from engaging in the enforcement of federal regulations of firearms. He co-sponsored legislation to allow college and university officials to carry concealed weapons in the name of campus security. He voted to reduce the time required to obtain a concealed-carry permit. He backed the redistricting bills for the state House and Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Goldman voted against term limits for certain state officials.^[13]

Interest group ratings

In 2013, Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, managed in Texas by Cathie Adams, a former state chairman of the Texas Republican Party, rated Goldman 98 percent favorable, one of the highest rankings from the organization. The Young Conservatives of Texas scored him similarly 92 percent. The Texas League of Conservation Voters rated him 43 percent. The interest group, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, founded by Michael Quinn Sullivan, rated him 94 percent; the Texas Association of Business, 73 percent. The National Rifle Association scored him 92 percent.^[15]

References

1. "Rep. Craig Goldman, District 97 (R-Fort Worth)". Texas Directory. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
2. "Craig Goldman". Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
3. "Craig Goldman's Biography". votesmart.com. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
4. "Goldman, fifth generation Jewish Texan, up for State Rep. seat". Texas Jewish Post, November 1, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
5. "Special Election, State Representative District 97, November 6, 2007". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
6. "Special Runoff Election, State Representative District 97, December 18, 2007". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
7. "General election returns, House District 97, November 4, 2008". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
8. "Craig Goldman Announces for State Representative, November 9, 2011". Tarrant County Republican Party. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
9. "Texas Senate Candidate Konni Burton to Start Runoff Campaign with Ted Cruz". breitbart.com. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
10. "Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
11. "General election returns, House District 97, November 6, 2012". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
12. Hemant Mehta, "Texas House Candidate: Don’t Vote for My Opponent Because She’s a Self-Proclaimed Atheist”
13. "Craig Goldman's Voting Records". votesmart.org. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
14. M. Fernandez (June 25, 782013). "Filibuster in Texas Senate Tries to Halt Abortion Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)
15. "Craig Goldman's Ratings and Endorsements". votesmart.org. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
16. P. Gupta (June 10, 2015). "This Woman Fought for 20 Years to Change the Rules for Hair Braiding in Texas. This Week She Scored a Major Victory.". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved June 11, 2015.