One of the most expensive House races in Texas saw a relatively low level of turnout compared to other races throughout the state. But when the dust settled, former Lubbock County GOP Chair Carl Tepper had bested personal injury attorney David Glasheen for House District (HD) 84.
Tepper topped Glasheen by about 1,400 votes Tuesday night, winning both election day and early vote totals in the tiny geographical district that encompasses a portion of downtown Lubbock, including Texas Tech University.
“I’m humbled to have been chosen by the voters of State Representative Dist 84 entirely within Lubbock County. It was a tough race but in retrospect it was a good vetting process for the voters and me,” Tepper said after the victory.
“I intend to meet the high expectations that the voters have set for me and expect to be accessible and thoughtful throughout my tenure. I give all the glory to God and want to thank my family and so many old friends and new dear friends.”
One of the big issues in this race is the Permanent University Fund (PUF) — a pot of money from oil and gas taxes divvied out to schools in the University of Texas and Texas A&M University systems. Texas Tech, the district’s flagship school, does not receive any PUF money and legislators are grappling with how to ensure the university can reap the benefits of some of the money made from its area.
Tepper had the support of many established officials in the area, boasting endorsements from Governor Greg Abbott, state Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), and state Reps. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) and John Frullo (R-Lubbock).
HD 84 is currently Frullo’s seat but the incumbent decided to forgo re-election this year.
Glasheen’s base of support came from the pockets of his and his father’s personal injury law practice.
Having won the primary, Tepper’s path through November is easier than most of his Republican peers. No Democrat filed and Tepper will be unopposed in the general election.
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Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson is a senior reporter for The Texan and an Ohio native who graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2017. He is an avid sports fan who most enjoys watching his favorite teams continue their title drought throughout his cognizant lifetime. In his free time, you may find Brad quoting Monty Python productions and trying to calculate the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.
