Raul Torres
| Raul Torres | |
 | |
| Texas State House, District 33 | |
| Former Officeholder | |
| In office | |
| 2011 - 2013 | |
| Party | Republican |
| Elections and appointments | |
| Last election | November 6, 2012 |
| First elected | November 2, 2010 |
| Term limits | N/A |
| Education | |
| Bachelor's | Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University |
| J.D. | Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University |
 | |
Contents |
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Biography
- MBA, Business, Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University - Corpus Christi, 1994
- BA, Accounting, Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University - Corpus Christi, 1991
- President, Freedom Tax Services Incorporated, present
- Owner, Raul Torres Certified Public Accountant, 1993-present
Committee assignments
2011-2012
Raul Torres served on the following Texas House of Representatives committees:
- Appropriations Committee
- Insurance Committee
- Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI. VII, & VIII, Select Committee
Issue positions
Torres discusses his positions on five key issues on his campaign site:
Oppose Tax Increases Excerpt:"As your state representative I will work to stop higher taxes. Texas already has one of the highest property taxes in the nation and raising it even higher will only destroy the business climate we’ve worked so hard to build and that has made our state stand so strong during the country’s worst economic decline since the Great Depression.
Along with that, let me also say that I will NEVER support a state income tax. Why do I mention an income tax? Because at this very moment, Texas is facing an $18 billion shortfall – $18 billion. Politicians like my liberal opponent are already planning to use this as an excuse to raise your taxes. And they will try to use this shortfall as an excuse to impose a statewide income tax on all of us."
End the Waste Excerpt:"As your voice in Austin, I will also work to eliminate wasteful spending. Even though the legislature managed to balance the state budget in the last session, spending has increased faster than inflation and the growth of population. Government at all levels must live within its means just like families across this state do everyday.
I’m an accountant and a business owner. I know how to analyze, create and work from a budget. It’s what I do every day. And I will put that knowledge and experience to work for you – to make sure your state government doesn’t spend a penny more than is absolutely necessary and that it spends every penny of your tax dollars wisely."
Create Jobs Excerpt:"I also will work to create new jobs by attracting business to our Coastal Bend region and limiting regulations that make it more difficult to do business in Texas. By coordinating economic development efforts at levels of government, we can bring new businesses to our community and help local businesses grow and expand. And by limiting regulation, we will help businesses both large and small continue to thrive."
Protect Life Excerpt:"I have earned the endorsement of Texas Alliance for Life because I believe in the sanctity of life and they recognize I am a true pro-life candidate. I believe life begins at conception and will fight to ensure that the sanctity of life is respected, protected and upheld. I support adoption as an alternative to abortion and will seek additional state funding for the “Alternatives to Abortion” fund which provides grants to social service groups that assist pregnant women considering childbirth instead of abortion."[1]
Political Courage Test
Torres did not provide answers to the 2010 Political Courage Test.
Elections
2012
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2012
Torres ran in the 2012 election for Texas State Senate, District 20. Torres ran unopposed in the May 29 primary election and was defeated by incumbent Juan Hinojosa (D) in the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.[2]
| Texas State Senate, District 20, General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Juan Hinojosa Incumbent |
61.5% | 112,629 | |
| Republican | Raul Torres | 38.5% | 70,409 | |
| Total Votes | 183,038 | |||
2010
Torres won election to the District 33 seat in 2010. He was unopposed in the March 2 Republican primary and defeated Democratic incumbent Solomon Ortiz, Jr. in the November 2 general election.[3]
| Texas House of Representatives, District 33 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Raul Torres (R)
|
12,499 | 52.5% | ||
| Solomon Ortiz Jr(D) | 11,306 | 47.49% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008 Torres was defeated by Solomon Ortiz, Jr. in the race for the 33rd District seat of the Texas House of Representatives.[4]
Ortiz raised $324,046 for his campaign while Torres raised $53,833.[5]
| Texas House of Representatives, District 33 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Solomon Ortiz, Jr. (D)
|
24,582 | |||
| Raul Torres (R) | 14,792 | |||
| Justin Garrett (L) | 2,261 | 5.43% | ||
Campaign donors
2010
Torres raised a total of $367,621 in 2010. Below are Torres's top 5 campaign contributors in the 2010 election:[6]
| Contributor | 2010 total |
|---|---|
| Texans for Lawsuit Reform | $75,000 |
| Associated Republicans of Texas | $62,000 |
| Hispanic Republicans of Texas | $61,843 |
| Seaman, Gene | $48,597 |
| Perry, Bob J. | $12,500 |
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term Raul + Torres + Texas + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
Raul Torres News Feed
- Deadly Tornadoes Reached Wind Speeds Up To 200 MPH - CBS Local
- Immigration Resolution Now Criticizes "Amnesty" - Texas Tribune
- Summer Movie Release Schedule - New York Times
- Chelsea held to 2-2 tie by Spurs in Premier League - Knoe.com
- Silver City area events April 22-28 - Silver City Sun News
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Scorecards
Empower Texans Fiscal Responsibility Index
Empower Texans produces the Fiscal Responsibility Index as "a measurement of how lawmakers perform on size and role of government issues." The index uses "exemplar votes on core budget and free enterprise issues that demonstrate legislators' governing philosophy."[7] Legislators are graded along a standard grading scale, receiving grades A through F based on their performance during the legislative session.
2011
Raul Torres received a grade of C on the 2011 Fiscal Responsibility Index.
Personal
- Grew up in Nueces County, TX
- Married 35 years to Gina Torres
- 4 children and 6 grandchildren
- Member of Brawner Parkway Church of Christ
External links
- Texas House member page
- Campaign site
- Facebook page
- Candidate Twitter Page
- Texas House GOP YouTube Channel
- Official Campaign Contributions
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2012
- Texas Tribune Profile
- Imagine Election Profile
References
- ↑ What Raul Believes
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State - 2012 Election and Candidate Information
- ↑ Official Texas Election Results
- ↑ Texas House official election results for 2008
- ↑ District 33 Texas House candidate funds, 2008
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2010 Campaign contributions
- ↑ Empower Texans, "Fiscal Responsibility Index"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Solomon Ortiz, Jr. (D) |
Texas House of Representatives District 33 2011-2013 |
Succeeded by Scott Turner (R) |
- Texas
- 2010 candidate
- House of Representatives candidate, 2010
- Republican Party
- 2010 challenger
- 2010 winner
- Former member, Texas House of Representatives
- State House incumbent retired, 2012
- 2012 challenger
- State Senate candidate, 2012
- 2012 primary (winner)
- 2012 general election (defeated)
- State House running for State Senate, 2012
