Elton Bomer
Encyclopedia
Elton L. Bomer is an insurance executive and a retired American politician
from Montalba
near Palestine
, the seat
of Anderson County
in eastern Texas
.
member of the Texas House of Representatives
from Palestine
, the seat of Anderson County in East Texas.
In 1994, Bomer managed a visit to Palestine for the Republican
gubernatorial candidate, George W. Bush
gubernatorial campaign at the request of Bomer's friend and Bush's campaign strategist Karl Rove
. In his memoir entitled Courage and Consequence: My Life As a Conservative in the Fight, Rove describes Bomer as a "hard-working, thoughtful Democrat [who was] not fond of Ann Richards
[Bush's unsuccessful gubernatorial opponent] because he thought that she was not willing to get her hands dirty on tough issues."Rove recalls that years later Bomer told him that he had read about Bush's intention if elected governor to "reform education, juvenile justice, . . . and tort laws."
Bomer left the House in 1995 though he had been reelected in 1994 when Bush offered him the appointment as state insurance commissioner. In 1999, Bush named Bomer as Texas Secretary of State, an appointed office which handles state election matters and public documents and whose occupants over the years included even Stephen F. Austin
. Bomer remained Secretary of State until Bush left office in December 2000. Bush's gubernatorial successor, his fellow Republican Rick Perry
, invited another Democrat to become Bomer's successor as secretary of state, then State Representative Henry R. Cuellar of Laredo
in South Texas
, who in 2004 was elected to the United States House of Representatives
, where he remains.Bomer's successor in House District 11 was Todd Staples
, the first Republican to hold the seat in the 20th century. In 2006, after a stint in the Texas Senate
, Staples was elected state agriculture commissioner, a position to which he was easily reelected in 2010.
In 1999, as Bush was preparing to seek 2000 Republican presidential nomination, Bomer assisted him with the purchase of the Prairie Chapel Ranch
near Crawford
, Texas. According to Bomer, "image" was not a consideration in the acquisition of the property in McLennan County
. "One thing I can tell you for sure: there were no public relations considerations when he bought that ranch. He purchased it as a great weekend getaway, a place to go on vacation, a place where he could do some fishing." Bomer conceded that while the Crawford ranch has PR value: "It portrays to the people of the country who [GWB] really is, and that is someone who is close to the land and loves the outdoors sincerely. . . . I think people like to know that he's a regular fellow, not a stuffy aristocrat that wants to stay behind closed doors in air conditioning."
In 2003, Bomer gave the maximum $2,000 per person allowed to the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign.
in Houston, Texas.
From 2004 to 2006, Bomer was a business and government affairs consultant in the Austin
office of the Gardere Wynne Sewall law firm. In 2006, Bomer was named president of four insurance companies, American Reserve, Liberty Bankers, Mid-Continent Preferred, and Winnfield Life. The companies are linked through the Dallas
-based Heritage Guaranty Holdings Group.In 2011, Bomer was still president of two of the four companies, the Winnfield and Mid-Continent Preferred life insurance companies.
On June 5, 1964, Bomer married the former Virginia Maxine Roco, known as Ginny Bomer (November 10, 1925–December 1, 2001). Mrs. Bomer was a Houston native, a drum major at John H. Reagan High School, and a teen solo performer in the Jimmy Dorsey
band. She had also modeled for the Nieman Marcus department store in Houston before she became an office administrator for an insurance company. She is buried at the Texas State Cemetery
in Austin, where he too will be interred upon his death, a prerogative of state legislators and their spouses.
On May 1, 2011, Clifford "Cliff" Bomer, formerly of Athens
, Texas, one of two children of Elton and Virginia Bomer, was named the president of the East Texas National Bank in Palestine. Clifford Bomer is a graduate of Texas A&M University
.Elton Bomer is a director of the bank.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Montalba
Montalba, Texas
Montalba is an unincorporated community in central Anderson County, Texas, United States. It lies along State Highway 19 northwest of the city of Palestine, the county seat of Anderson County. Its elevation is 427 feet...
near Palestine
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
, the seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Anderson County
Anderson County, Texas
Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 55,109. Its county seat is Palestine. Anderson county was organized in 1846, and is named in honor of Kenneth L. Anderson who had been Vice President of the Republic of Texas.-Geography:According to the...
in eastern 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...
.
Political life
From 1981 to 1985, and again from 1991 to 1995, Bomer was a DemocraticDemocratic 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 Palestine
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
, the seat of Anderson County in East Texas.
In 1994, Bomer managed a visit to Palestine for the Republican
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...
gubernatorial candidate, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
gubernatorial campaign at the request of Bomer's friend and Bush's campaign strategist Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
. In his memoir entitled Courage and Consequence: My Life As a Conservative in the Fight, Rove describes Bomer as a "hard-working, thoughtful Democrat [who was] not fond of Ann Richards
Ann Richards
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...
[Bush's unsuccessful gubernatorial opponent] because he thought that she was not willing to get her hands dirty on tough issues."Rove recalls that years later Bomer told him that he had read about Bush's intention if elected governor to "reform education, juvenile justice, . . . and tort laws."
Bomer left the House in 1995 though he had been reelected in 1994 when Bush offered him the appointment as state insurance commissioner. In 1999, Bush named Bomer as Texas Secretary of State, an appointed office which handles state election matters and public documents and whose occupants over the years included even Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
. Bomer remained Secretary of State until Bush left office in December 2000. Bush's gubernatorial successor, his fellow Republican 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...
, invited another Democrat to become Bomer's successor as secretary of state, then State Representative Henry R. Cuellar of Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
in South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
, who in 2004 was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, where he remains.Bomer's successor in House District 11 was Todd Staples
Todd Staples
Douglas Todd Staples is the current Republican Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture. Prior to his election in 2006 as Agriculture Commissioner, he had been a member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature and formerly served on the city council in Palestine, Texas.Staples was...
, the first Republican to hold the seat in the 20th century. In 2006, after a stint in the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
, Staples was elected state agriculture commissioner, a position to which he was easily reelected in 2010.
In 1999, as Bush was preparing to seek 2000 Republican presidential nomination, Bomer assisted him with the purchase of the Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch is a 1,583 acre ranch in unincorporated McLennan County, Texas, located seven miles northwest of Crawford. The property was acquired by President George W...
near Crawford
Crawford, Texas
Crawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
, Texas. According to Bomer, "image" was not a consideration in the acquisition of the property in McLennan County
McLennan County, Texas
McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. In 2000, its population was 213,517; in 2008 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population to be 230,213. Its seat is Waco. The county is named for Neil McLennan, an early settler....
. "One thing I can tell you for sure: there were no public relations considerations when he bought that ranch. He purchased it as a great weekend getaway, a place to go on vacation, a place where he could do some fishing." Bomer conceded that while the Crawford ranch has PR value: "It portrays to the people of the country who [GWB] really is, and that is someone who is close to the land and loves the outdoors sincerely. . . . I think people like to know that he's a regular fellow, not a stuffy aristocrat that wants to stay behind closed doors in air conditioning."
In 2003, Bomer gave the maximum $2,000 per person allowed to the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign.
Business and personal life
Bomer graduated from the University of HoustonUniversity of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
in Houston, Texas.
From 2004 to 2006, Bomer was a business and government affairs consultant in the 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...
office of the Gardere Wynne Sewall law firm. In 2006, Bomer was named president of four insurance companies, American Reserve, Liberty Bankers, Mid-Continent Preferred, and Winnfield Life. The companies are linked through the Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
-based Heritage Guaranty Holdings Group.In 2011, Bomer was still president of two of the four companies, the Winnfield and Mid-Continent Preferred life insurance companies.
On June 5, 1964, Bomer married the former Virginia Maxine Roco, known as Ginny Bomer (November 10, 1925–December 1, 2001). Mrs. Bomer was a Houston native, a drum major at John H. Reagan High School, and a teen solo performer in the Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
band. She had also modeled for the Nieman Marcus department store in Houston before she became an office administrator for an insurance company. She is buried at the Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War...
in Austin, where he too will be interred upon his death, a prerogative of state legislators and their spouses.
On May 1, 2011, Clifford "Cliff" Bomer, formerly of Athens
Athens, Texas
Athens is a city in Henderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,710. It is the county seat of Henderson County. According to the Texas Legislature, Athens is the "Original Home of the Hamburger"...
, Texas, one of two children of Elton and Virginia Bomer, was named the president of the East Texas National Bank in Palestine. Clifford Bomer is a graduate of Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
.Elton Bomer is a director of the bank.