Mitch Thames
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Mitch Thames (Republican Party) ran for election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 25. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2020.
Thames completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Thames grew up in Mobile, Alabama. He graduated from Troy State University in 1970. His professional experience includes serving as the president and CEO of the Bay City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.[1]
Organizations
As of his 2020 campaign, Thames was affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Member, Matagorda County Economic Development Center
- Member, Gulf Coast Alliance of Chamber of Commerce Executives
- Treasurer, Lower Colorado River Basin Coalition
- Past district governor, Lions Club International
- Past chair, Texas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
- Past board member, Texas Association of Business.
- Past president, Matagorda County Economic Development Center
- Founder, Mid Coast Educational Industrial Alliance
Elections
2020
See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Texas House of Representatives District 25
Cody Vasut defeated Patrick Henry in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 25 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Cody Vasut (R)  | 71.6 | 48,492 |
 | Patrick Henry (D) | 28.4 | 19,261 | |
| Total votes: 67,753 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 25
Cody Vasut defeated Ro'Vin Garrett in the Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 25 on July 14, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Cody Vasut | 69.4 | 7,401 |
| Ro'Vin Garrett | 30.6 | 3,259 | ||
| Total votes: 10,660 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 25
Patrick Henry advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 25 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patrick Henry | 100.0 | 5,835 |
| Total votes: 5,835 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 25
Ro'Vin Garrett and Cody Vasut advanced to a runoff. They defeated Troy Brimage, Rhonda Seth, and Mitch Thames in the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 25 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ro'Vin Garrett | 28.6 | 6,710 | |
| ✔ | | Cody Vasut | 22.2 | 5,210 |
| Troy Brimage | 21.1 | 4,951 | ||
| Rhonda Seth | 19.6 | 4,587 | ||
 | Mitch Thames | 8.5 | 1,985 | |
| Total votes: 23,443 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mitch Thames completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Thames' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a family man and have worked hard all my life to provide for my family. I have 3 kids and 6 grandkids with my beautiful wife of 35 years, Carolyn. Carolyn and I get up every day thinking about how to better our community and what roles we can take to improve the lives of the families just starting out. I have seen firsthand what we need and how to make the changes happen.
- Our Windstorm Insurance keeps increasing and there is oversight with our appraisal process.
- Most importantly, our schools, including our teachers and our students, need our support. Our local teachers aren't paid enough and our students are walking out unprepared for the workforce.
- I don't have to spend valuable time in office playing catch up and learning how to be a State Rep. I already know and I am already working hard for my community.
I have a record a mile long of how I have worked for our community. I am a past Chair of the Texas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. I am a past board member of the Texas Association of Business. I am a current board member and past President of the Matagorda County Economic Development Center. I created the Mid Coast Educational Industrial Alliance and I am a member of the Gulf Coast Alliance of Chamber of Commerce Executives. I am the current Treasurer of the Lower Colorado River Basin Coalition. I want to continue to fight and work for Texas Families in my role as your State Representative.
The main issues I see in our area are based around the lack of support for Texas families. Our Windstorm Insurance keeps increasing and there is oversight with our appraisal process. We need equitable water rights from the Brazos and Colorado Rivers for our rural farmers and business owners. Most importantly, our schools, including our teachers and our students, need our support. Our local teachers aren't
I look up to my grown, adult children. They each lead such happy, productive lives and are raising amazing children. I know it sounds weird to admire my children, but I'm amazed at them. They look the lessons we gave them and turned into amazing adults.
7 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders
Communication and openness. You have to represent your constituents in your district and advocate for their needs and rights.
I am an effective leader, a great listener, and I have the innate ability to feel comfortable in whatever room I am in.
Leadership is the highest responsibility for someone elected to this office. Your one job is to represent your district, as Pete Laney once said, and so many are relying upon you to be a leader and do what the district needs.
I would like to leave a legacy of an effective communicator and one that fought hard for my district.
I remember watching the moon landing around the kitchen table with my family. I was 12 years old at the time.
My first job was a pool cleaner at Holiday Inn in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I had it for two years during high school, while playing football.
7 Habits of a Highly Effective Leader
I love anything from Old Crow Medicine Show and Jimmy Buffett.
I am learning to listen more than I talk, which has always been a struggle. I love hearing what others have to say and will continue to work on this issue.
The difference between the two is that there are more representatives than senators. Representatives are more hyper local, whereas senators encompass a larger area. Representatives are more likely to know their area better than senators, so both need to work together and communicate the needs for their districts.
I think it is important for state legislators to have experience in their community and experience in how the government works.
The greatest challenges lie in our budget issues and our rainy day fund. We need to be investing our rainy day fund to add revenue to the budget. We need to keep the increases in our education budget and the raises for the teachers and staff. We need to make sure we are investing in our infrastructure and transportation for our rural areas.
The ideal relationship is cohesive and includes communication.
Absolutely. It doesn't matter what your values are or what your legislation is if you can't get it passed. You have to communicate and work with your fellow legislators to pass the right legislation for your district. Communication is key.
I want to be on the Appropriations Committee, County Affairs, and the Agriculture Committee
Absolutely. The party leadership is vital to the legislature and to the future of the Republican team.
Pete Laney, Wayne Christen and Tom Uher are mentors of mine. I will model my term like theirs.
No. My focus is hyper local and to help my community on this level.
Absolutely. Texas families are faced with way too many expenses. It is incredibly disturbing to hear that fixed income young families are struggling to pay their bills and feed their families. We need to protect these families that live along the gulf coast.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
Current members of the Texas House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Dustin Burrows
Representatives
District 1
Gary VanDeaver (R)
District 2
Brent Money (R)
District 3
Cecil Bell (R)
District 4
Keith Bell (R)
District 5
Cole Hefner (R)
District 6
Daniel Alders (R)
District 7
Jay Dean (R)
District 8
Cody Harris (R)
District 9
Trent Ashby (R)
District 10
Brian Harrison (R)
District 11
Joanne Shofner (R)
District 12
Trey Wharton (R)
District 13
Angelia Orr (R)
District 14
Paul Dyson (R)
District 15
Steve Toth (R)
District 16
Will Metcalf (R)
District 17
Stan Gerdes (R)
District 18
Janis Holt (R)
District 19
Ellen Troxclair (R)
District 20
Terry Wilson (R)
District 21
Dade Phelan (R)
District 22
Christian Manuel (D)
District 23
Terri Leo-Wilson (R)
District 24
Greg Bonnen (R)
District 25
Cody Vasut (R)
District 26
Matt Morgan (R)
District 27
Ron Reynolds (D)
District 28
Gary Gates (R)
District 29
Jeffrey Barry (R)
District 30
A.J. Louderback (R)
District 31
Ryan Guillen (R)
District 32
Todd Hunter (R)
District 33
Katrina Pierson (R)
District 34
District 35
Oscar Longoria (D)
District 36
Sergio Munoz (D)
District 37
Janie Lopez (R)
District 38
Erin Gamez (D)
District 39
Armando Martinez (D)
District 40
Terry Canales (D)
District 41
Robert Guerra (D)
District 42
Richard Raymond (D)
District 43
J.M. Lozano (R)
District 44
Alan Schoolcraft (R)
District 45
Erin Zwiener (D)
District 46
Sheryl Cole (D)
District 47
Vikki Goodwin (D)
District 48
Donna Howard (D)
District 49
Gina Hinojosa (D)
District 50
James Talarico (D)
District 51
District 52
Caroline Harris (R)
District 53
Wesley Virdell (R)
District 54
Brad Buckley (R)
District 55
Hillary Hickland (R)
District 56
Pat Curry (R)
District 57
Richard Hayes (R)
District 58
Helen Kerwin (R)
District 59
Shelby Slawson (R)
District 60
Mike Olcott (R)
District 61
District 62
Shelley Luther (R)
District 63
Ben Bumgarner (R)
District 64
Andy Hopper (R)
District 65
Mitch Little (R)
District 66
Matt Shaheen (R)
District 67
Jeff Leach (R)
District 68
David Spiller (R)
District 69
James Frank (R)
District 70
Mihaela Plesa (D)
District 71
Stan Lambert (R)
District 72
Drew Darby (R)
District 73
Carrie Isaac (R)
District 74
Eddie Morales (D)
District 75
Mary Gonzalez (D)
District 76
Suleman Lalani (D)
District 77
Vincent Perez (D)
District 78
Joseph Moody (D)
District 79
Claudia Ordaz (D)
District 80
Don McLaughlin (R)
District 81
Brooks Landgraf (R)
District 82
Tom Craddick (R)
District 83
Dustin Burrows (R)
District 84
Carl Tepper (R)
District 85
Stan Kitzman (R)
District 86
John Smithee (R)
District 87
Caroline Fairly (R)
District 88
Ken King (R)
District 89
Candy Noble (R)
District 90
Ramon Romero (D)
District 91
David Lowe (R)
District 92
Salman Bhojani (D)
District 93
Nate Schatzline (R)
District 94
Tony Tinderholt (R)
District 95
Nicole Collier (D)
District 96
David Cook (R)
District 97
John McQueeney (R)
District 98
District 99
Charlie Geren (R)
District 100
Venton Jones (D)
District 101
Chris Turner (D)
District 102
Ana-Maria Ramos (D)
District 103
Rafael Anchia (D)
District 104
Jessica Gonzalez (D)
District 105
Terry Meza (D)
District 106
Jared Patterson (R)
District 107
Linda Garcia (D)
District 108
Morgan Meyer (R)
District 109
Aicha Davis (D)
District 110
Toni Rose (D)
District 111
Yvonne Davis (D)
District 112
Angie Button (R)
District 113
Rhetta Bowers (D)
District 114
John Bryant (D)
District 115
District 116
Trey Fischer (D)
District 117
Philip Cortez (D)
District 118
John Lujan (R)
District 119
Elizabeth Campos (D)
District 120
District 121
Marc LaHood (R)
District 122
Mark Dorazio (R)
District 123
Diego Bernal (D)
District 124
Josey Garcia (D)
District 125
Ray Lopez (D)
District 126
Sam Harless (R)
District 127
District 128
Briscoe Cain (R)
District 129
Dennis Paul (R)
District 130
Tom Oliverson (R)
District 131
Alma Allen (D)
District 132
Mike Schofield (R)
District 133
Mano Deayala (R)
District 134
Ann Johnson (D)
District 135
Jon Rosenthal (D)
District 136
John Bucy (D)
District 137
Gene Wu (D)
District 138
Lacey Hull (R)
District 139
District 140
Armando Walle (D)
District 141
District 142
Harold Dutton (D)
District 143
Ana Hernandez (D)
District 144
Mary Perez (D)
District 145
District 146
Lauren Simmons (D)
District 147
Jolanda Jones (D)
District 148
Penny Shaw (D)
District 149
Hubert Vo (D)
District 150
Valoree Swanson (R)
Republican Party (88)
Democratic Party (62)
