The race to replace former District 17 State Sen. Kyle Janek is getting crowded in a hurry, with Harris County Republican precinct chair Grant Harpold announcing his candidacy for the seat.
Harpold made his announcement at the quarterly meeting of the Harris County Republican Party. Harpold has lived in District 17 since 1992 and was first elected chair of precinct 175 in Braes Heights in the late 1990s.
Harpold said he was running to bridge a “disconnect” between Austin and traditional republican conservatives in the district.
“My desire to run stems in part from an apparent disconnect between some in Austin and the rest of us who are conservative and still work and pay taxes,” Harpold said in announcing his candidacy. “Low taxes and less government are bedrocks for conservative Republicans. The recent legislation increasing taxes on businesses violated those principles, and we need to fix that legislation.”
As his campaign progresses, Harpold said he will be unveiling plans to solve the over-taxation problem, as well as economic, immigration and educational issues facing Texas.
Harpold’s campaign treasurer is former Harris County Attorney Michael Fleming.
Janek officially resigned last week. He had announced in January he was planning to resign, saying he wanted to spend more time with this family.
West University Place resident and former George H.W. Bush administration appointee Austen Furse has also officially announced he was running for the District 17 seat.
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