David J. Porter
Encyclopedia
David Jerome Porter a Certified Public Accountant
, is a member of the Texas Railroad Commission. Formerly in a private CPA practice in Midland
in Midland County, Porter has since relocated to Giddings
in Lee County, Texas
.
, Washington near Olympia
, where his parents resided while his father was in the United States Army
. He graduated with honors in 1977 from the Church of Christ
-affiliated Harding University
in Searcy
in White County
near Little Rock
, Arkansas
. He and his wife, the former Cheryl Jenkins, a dietitian
, resided in Midland
for more than twenty-five years prior to their relocation to Giddings, where in 2004 they had purchased rural property. In 2009, their daughter, Jennifer P. Brown, and husband, Ryan, had their first child.
Porter passed the CPA exam on his first attempt in November 1977. He became a Texas CPA in 1981, the same year that he moved to Midland. His CPA practice is concentrated on accounting and tax services to petroleum and natural gas producers, royalty owners, oil field service companies, and other small businesses and individuals. He has also assisted numerous Republican candidates and conservative organizations comply with campaign finance disclosure and tax compliance regulations.
From 1989-1991, Porter served on the elected Midland Hospital District Board. A political conservative, Porter was affiliated with William F. Buckley's Young Americans for Freedom
and the College Republicans while attending Harding. He has worked in various Republican campaigns at all levels, has been a delegate to county and state Republican conventions, and a precinct chairman in Midland and then Lee counties.
He served as a deacon at Fairmont Park Church of Christ in Midland and is now affiliated with the Giddings Church of Christ. He was an officer in the Midland Junior Chamber and is a member of Junior Achievement
, Toastmasters International
, and the National Rifle Association
. He is a member of the interest groups Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, the Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association, the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
. Professionally, he is affiliated with the Texas Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.
, a former county judge of Taylor County
who previously resided in Abilene
. Carrillo was seeking his second full term on the commission, having originally been appointed by Governor
Rick Perry
to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Tony Garza
of Brownsville
, who became the United States Ambassador to Mexico
.
Porter went on to win handily the general election
held on November 2, 2010. He garnered 2,875,744 votes (59.4 percent) to 1,753,625 (36.2 percent) for the Democrat Jeff Weems, a Louisiana
native and an oil and gas lawyer from Houston
. Another 138,707 votes (2.9 percent) were cast for Libertarian
Roger Gary. The Green Party
nominee, Art Browning, received the remaining 72,143 votes (1.5 percent).
Porter's colleagues on the Railroad Commission are Elizabeth Ames Jones
of San Antonio
and Barry Smitherman of Houston
, both original Perry appointees to the panel.
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
, is a member of the Texas Railroad Commission. Formerly in a private CPA practice in Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
in Midland County, Porter has since relocated to Giddings
Giddings, Texas
Giddings is the county seat of Lee County, Texas, United States situated on the intersection of U.S. Highways 77 and 290, east of Austin. Its population was 5,105 at the 2000 census. The city's motto is "Giddings Texas: Experience Hometown Hospitality"....
in Lee County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Background
Porter is a native of Fort LewisJoint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington near Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, where his parents resided while his father was in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He graduated with honors in 1977 from the Church of Christ
Church of Christ
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...
-affiliated Harding University
Harding University
Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, in the United States, about north-east of Little Rock. It is a private liberal arts Christian university associated with the Churches of Christ. The university takes its name from James A...
in Searcy
Searcy, Arkansas
Searcy is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,663. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of White County...
in White County
White County, Arkansas
White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 77,076. The county seat is Searcy. White County is Arkansas's 31st county, formed on October 23, 1835, from portions of Independence, Jackson, and Pulaski counties and named for Hugh Lawson White, a...
near Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. He and his wife, the former Cheryl Jenkins, a dietitian
Dietitian
Dietitians supervise the preparation and service of food, develop modified diets, participate in research, and educate individuals and groups on good nutritional habits. The goals of dietitians are to provide medical nutritional intervention, and to obtain, safely prepare, serve and advise on...
, resided in Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
for more than twenty-five years prior to their relocation to Giddings, where in 2004 they had purchased rural property. In 2009, their daughter, Jennifer P. Brown, and husband, Ryan, had their first child.
Porter passed the CPA exam on his first attempt in November 1977. He became a Texas CPA in 1981, the same year that he moved to Midland. His CPA practice is concentrated on accounting and tax services to petroleum and natural gas producers, royalty owners, oil field service companies, and other small businesses and individuals. He has also assisted numerous Republican candidates and conservative organizations comply with campaign finance disclosure and tax compliance regulations.
From 1989-1991, Porter served on the elected Midland Hospital District Board. A political conservative, Porter was affiliated with William F. Buckley's Young Americans for Freedom
Young Americans for Freedom
Young Americans for Freedom is a 501 non-profit organization and is now a project of Young America's Foundation. YAF is an ideologically conservative youth activism organization that was founded in 1960, as a coalition between traditional conservatives and libertarians...
and the College Republicans while attending Harding. He has worked in various Republican campaigns at all levels, has been a delegate to county and state Republican conventions, and a precinct chairman in Midland and then Lee counties.
He served as a deacon at Fairmont Park Church of Christ in Midland and is now affiliated with the Giddings Church of Christ. He was an officer in the Midland Junior Chamber and is a member of Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement or JA or JA Worldwide is a non-profit youth organization that was founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and senator Winthrop M. Crane. JA focuses on educating kids in K-12 about the free enterprise system...
, Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills...
, and 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...
. He is a member of the interest groups Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, the Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association, the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting genetic diversity among rare breeds of livestock...
. Professionally, he is affiliated with the Texas Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.
2010 election
In the March 2 Republican primary, Porter, with little previous political experience, unseated Railroad Commissioner Victor G. CarrilloVictor G. Carrillo
Victor G. Carrillo is the chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, a petroleum, natural gas, and pipeline regulatory body on which he has served since his initial appointment in February 2003 by Governor Rick Perry...
, a former county judge of Taylor County
Taylor County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 126,555 people, 47,274 households, and 32,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 138 people per square mile . There were 52,056 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile...
who previously resided in Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
. Carrillo was seeking his second full term on the commission, having originally been appointed by Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Tony Garza
Tony Garza
Antonio Oscar "Tony" Garza, Jr. , an American lawyer and former county judge in Texas, was the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 2002 to 2009.-Early life and education:...
of Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, who became the United States Ambassador to Mexico
United States Ambassador to Mexico
The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett became the first U.S. envoy to Mexico in 1825. The rank...
.
Porter went on to win handily the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
held on November 2, 2010. He garnered 2,875,744 votes (59.4 percent) to 1,753,625 (36.2 percent) for the Democrat Jeff Weems, a Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
native and an oil and gas lawyer from Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Another 138,707 votes (2.9 percent) were cast for 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...
Roger Gary. The Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
nominee, Art Browning, received the remaining 72,143 votes (1.5 percent).
Porter's colleagues on the Railroad Commission are Elizabeth Ames Jones
Elizabeth Ames Jones
Elizabeth Ames Jones is one of the three members of the elected Texas Railroad Commission, a regulatory body that oversees the oil and natural gas industries in Texas — as opposed to railroads, as its name suggests...
of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
and Barry Smitherman of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, both original Perry appointees to the panel.