David Farabee
Encyclopedia
David Lee Farabee is a former Democratic
member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 69 (Wichita
and Archer
counties). His father, Ray Farabee
, is a retired attorney in Austin, Texas
, and a former Democratic state senator from the Wichita Falls
and West Texas
area, having served from 1975-1988.
in his youth, an accomplishment which eluded his father. He graduated from Wichita Falls High School
and then obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Midwestern State University
there. He and his wife, the former Terri Nan Salmon, have three children, Worth, Nancy, and Russell R. Farabee. He is active in the United Methodist Church. He is a former president of the Wichita Falls Optimist Club.
His late mother, Helen J. Farabee
, is the namesake of the state mental health facility in Wichita Falls, Graham
, and Quanah
, Texas. The senior Farabee left the state Senate after thirteen years to become general counsel for the University of Texas System. Farabee's father-in-law, Bill Presson, is a Republican commissioner in Wichita County. When Democratic state legislators fled to Ardmore, Oklahoma
in 2003 to prevent a House quorum
regarding congressional redistricting
, many of Farabee's constituents were said to have been particularly aware for perhaps the first time that he is a Democrat.
-leaning districts in the Texas House that was represented at this time by a Democrat. Wichita Falls Mayor
Lanham Lyne defeated a Democrat named Michael L. Smith, 74-26 percent, to win Farabee's seat in the November 2 general election. Farabee himself had estimated that a Democrat expecting to hold the seat would need to raise at least $250,000.
In 1998, Farabee was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in District 69 when the Democratic incumbent
, John Hirschi, did not seek reelection. He defeated the Republican Ronald S. Buffum (born 1945), then of Wichita Falls, 14,207 (56.1 percent) to 11,130 (43.9 percent).
Republicans left Farabee unopposed in 2008, and the Democrat garnered more than 58 percent of the vote in 2006 against a Libertarian
and a Republican, Shirley Craft, who had also lost to Farabee in 2004. State Representative Mark Strama
, an Austin
Democrat, said that his party can win District 69. He recalled that in 2006 the Democrats held the West Texas
state House seat vacated by former Speaker
Pete Laney
. Joe Heflin
, the county judge in Crosbyton
, narrowly defeated a young Republican insurance
agent from Plainview
named Jim Landtroop
, who had considerable support from the state's GOP
leaders. Landtroop rebounded in 2010 to deny Heflin a third term in the legislature.
Farabee is a member of the Energy Resources and State Affairs committees in the Texas House. In 2005, he supported the position of National Abortion Rights Action League on abortion
55 percent of the time; in 2007, NARAL rated him 0 percent. IN 2008, he was voted "A+" by the National Rifle Association
. In 2001, he was rated 100 percent by the NAACP. In 2009, he was rated 17 percent by conservative Phyllis Schlafly
's Eagle Forum
, but the same organization rated him 68 percent in 2007. The interest group Texans for Fiscal Responsibility rated Farabee 38 percent in 2009.
Prior to his legislative service, Farabee was an at-large member of the Wichita Falls City Council from 1989-1993. He is a partner of Boley-Featherston Insurance Agency in Wichita Falls.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from District 69 (Wichita
Wichita County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 131,664 people, 48,441 households, and 32,891 families residing in the county. The population density was 210 people per square mile . There were 53,304 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...
and Archer
Archer County, Texas
Archer County is a county located in the US state of Texas, and was formed in 1858 from Fannin County. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2005, the population estimate is 9,095, up from 8,854 in 2000. Its county seat is Archer City. Archer is named for...
counties). His father, Ray Farabee
Ray Farabee
Kenneth Ray Farabee, known as Ray Farabee , is a retired attorney in Austin, Texas, who served as a Democratic member of the Texas State Senate from Wichita Falls from 1975 to 1988. He is credited with the authorship of 245 Senate bills that became law during his 13-year tenure. In 1985, he was the...
, is a retired attorney in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, and a former Democratic state senator from the Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
and West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
area, having served from 1975-1988.
Personal life
Farabee was an Eagle ScoutEagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
in his youth, an accomplishment which eluded his father. He graduated from Wichita Falls High School
Wichita Falls High School
Wichita Falls High School or WFHS is a public school in Wichita Falls, Texas . It is part of the Wichita Falls Independent School District and is one of the district's three high schools....
and then obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Midwestern State University
Midwestern State University
Midwestern State University is a public liberal arts college in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
there. He and his wife, the former Terri Nan Salmon, have three children, Worth, Nancy, and Russell R. Farabee. He is active in the United Methodist Church. He is a former president of the Wichita Falls Optimist Club.
His late mother, Helen J. Farabee
Helen J. Farabee
Helen Jane Rehbein Farabee, known as Helen J. Farabee , was a 20th century advocate of improved mental health and human services in Texas. She was the first wife of State Senator Ray Farabee , an attorney originally from Wichita Falls...
, is the namesake of the state mental health facility in Wichita Falls, Graham
Graham, Texas
Graham is a city in north central Texas. It is the county seat of Young County, and as of the 2010 Census had a population of 8,903.-History:...
, and Quanah
Quanah, Texas
Quanah is a city in and the county seat of Hardeman County, Texas, United States, northwest of Fort Worth, and a few miles from the Oklahoma-Texas state line...
, Texas. The senior Farabee left the state Senate after thirteen years to become general counsel for the University of Texas System. Farabee's father-in-law, Bill Presson, is a Republican commissioner in Wichita County. When Democratic state legislators fled to Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore is a business, cultural and tourism city in and the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 24,283, while a 2007 estimate has the Ardmore micropolitan statistical area totaling 56,694 residents...
in 2003 to prevent a House quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
regarding congressional redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
, many of Farabee's constituents were said to have been particularly aware for perhaps the first time that he is a Democrat.
Legislative career
In 1998, Farabee won his seat, then considered one of the most RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-leaning districts in the Texas House that was represented at this time by a Democrat. Wichita Falls Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Lanham Lyne defeated a Democrat named Michael L. Smith, 74-26 percent, to win Farabee's seat in the November 2 general election. Farabee himself had estimated that a Democrat expecting to hold the seat would need to raise at least $250,000.
In 1998, Farabee was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in District 69 when the Democratic incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
, John Hirschi, did not seek reelection. He defeated the Republican Ronald S. Buffum (born 1945), then of Wichita Falls, 14,207 (56.1 percent) to 11,130 (43.9 percent).
Republicans left Farabee unopposed in 2008, and the Democrat garnered more than 58 percent of the vote in 2006 against a Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
and a Republican, Shirley Craft, who had also lost to Farabee in 2004. State Representative Mark Strama
Mark Strama
Thomas Mark Strama is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 50th District since his election in 2004...
, an Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
Democrat, said that his party can win District 69. He recalled that in 2006 the Democrats held the West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
state House seat vacated by former Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Pete Laney
Pete Laney
James E. "Pete" Laney is a U.S. Democratic Party politician from West Texas. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives for 34 years from Hale Center . Laney served as Speaker for ten years from 1993 to 2003, a record matching that set by his predecessor, fellow Democrat Gibson D...
. Joe Heflin
Joseph P. Heflin
Joseph Paul Heflin, known as Joe Heflin , is a departing Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 85 in the South Plains...
, the county judge in Crosbyton
Crosbyton, Texas
Crosbyton is a city in and the county seat of Crosby County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,874 at the 2000 census. Crosbyton is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, narrowly defeated a young Republican insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
agent from Plainview
Plainview, Texas
Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
named Jim Landtroop
Jim Landtroop
James Franklin Landtroop, Jr., known as Jim Landtroop , is a businessman from Plainview, Texas, who is an in incoming Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 85 in the South Plains. In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Landtroop handily unseated two-term...
, who had considerable support from the state's GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
leaders. Landtroop rebounded in 2010 to deny Heflin a third term in the legislature.
Farabee is a member of the Energy Resources and State Affairs committees in the Texas House. In 2005, he supported the position of National Abortion Rights Action League on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
55 percent of the time; in 2007, NARAL rated him 0 percent. IN 2008, he was voted "A+" by the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
. In 2001, he was rated 100 percent by the NAACP. In 2009, he was rated 17 percent by conservative Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis McAlpin Stewart Schlafly is a Constitutional lawyer and an American politically conservative activist and author who founded the Eagle Forum. She is known for her opposition to modern feminism ideas and for her campaign against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment...
's Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC. The Eagle Forum has been primarily focused on social issues; it describes...
, but the same organization rated him 68 percent in 2007. The interest group Texans for Fiscal Responsibility rated Farabee 38 percent in 2009.
Prior to his legislative service, Farabee was an at-large member of the Wichita Falls City Council from 1989-1993. He is a partner of Boley-Featherston Insurance Agency in Wichita Falls.