Brown Fighting To Keep District 4 Seat
By KELLY PREW
Staff Writer
Rep. Betty Brown, R-Athens, is seeking a sixth term of office in 2008, but she'll first have to win the 4th Legislative District seat against challenger Wade Gent.
Staff Writer
Rep. Betty Brown, R-Athens, is seeking a sixth term of office in 2008, but she'll first have to win the 4th Legislative District seat against challenger Wade Gent.
With 73 of 74 precincts reporting, Rep. Brown in front of Gent, 52 percent to 48 percent.
This primary marks the second time the two have faced off to represent Henderson and Kaufman counties in the Texas House.
According to the Texas Secretary of State Web site, Rep. Brown was leading 8,688 votes to Gent's 8,034, out of 16,722 voters.
While waiting for final results, Rep. Brown and her campaign team were in good spirits.
"We're just waiting it out," said campaign manager Jordan Berry.
And Gent was at his office with supporters, keeping hopes high.
"Hopefully the people will see through the Austin politics Betty Brown has brought to Henderson and Kaufman counties," Gent said. "We'll have to see what happens."
Illegal immigration was a key campaign issue for both Rep. Brown and Gent, but Gent also focused on property taxes.
Gent criticized Rep. Brown for supporting illegal immigration because she voted for a bill that made it easier for longtime Texas residents, including illegal immigrants, to apply for in-state tuition.
Brown said she supported the bill several years ago, but stipulations included in the bill stated that the resident must have attended at least four years of high school.
When the issue resurfaced in the last legislative session, she changed her vote to "no."
Her solution to the immigration problem is re-introducing her voter ID bill that once passed in the House, but failed in the Senate.
Brown also wants to focus on strengthening frivolous lawsuit reform.
"Wade Gent feels like we need to turn that back," Rep. Brown said earlier in the campaign. "We're just now seeing results from the reforms. Doctors are returning to our state because insurance is more affordable."
Rep. Brown was appointed vice chair of the Redistricting Committee and to the Local Consent Calendars Committee for the 80th Legislature. She served as chairman of Budget Oversight for the Agriculture and Livestock Committee in the 78th, 79th and 80th Legislatures, a position that places her on the Appropriations Committee.
She also serves as a member of several community and church organizations in both counties.
Gent holds a business degree from Texas Tech. He currently serves as the associate municipal judge for the city of Forney and as the attorney for the cities of Scurry and Rosser.
He was a charter member of the Kaufman County Republican Men's Club and now serves as president of the Kaufman County Young Republicans.
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