Jerry Patterson
Encyclopedia
Jerry Emmett Patterson (born November 15, 1946), is the Commissioner of the General Land Office of Texas
and a former Texas State Senator
. He is the second Republican
since Reconstruction to serve as Land Commissioner, a post he has held since 2003. He served in the Texas State Senate (District 11) from 1993 to 1999.
As the Republican nominee for a third term in the November 2, 2010, general election, Patterson easily defeated the Democrat
Hector Uribe
, a former member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature.
Patterson has stated that he intends to run for Lieutenant Governor of Texas
in 2014. http://capitolannex.com/2011/01/15/jerry-patterson-says-he-is-considering-race-for-lt-governor
and lost by a 64% to 36% margin. The district comprised mainly blue collar areas around eastern Harris County
in cities like Pasadena
and Deer Park
.
Patterson won a shocking election to the Texas State Senate in 1992 when he upset longtime incumbent Sen. Chet Brooks with a plurality of the vote. At the time Sen. Brooks was the longest-serving member of the Texas senate. Patterson and his supporters did not know he had won until early the next morning after election day when the final precinct was tallied.
In the state senate, Patterson's became well known as a staunch conservative and had major successes including the passage of the concealed handgun law of 1995, a constitutional amendment allowing home equity lending in 1998, the state coastal management plan, and the creation of the Texas State Veterans Home Program. He has long claimed to be an advocate of individual freedom and constitutional rights. Patterson also works for veterans causes, having himself been a U.S. Marine for more than twenty years.
In March 1998, Patterson lost the Republican primary for land commissioner to David Dewhurst
, also from Houston, who left the position after a single term to become lieutenant governor
. Dewhurst led with 265,363 votes (51.2 percent). Patterson trailed with 216,250 votes (41.7 percent), and a third candidate, Don Loucks, held the remaining 36,706 votes (7.1 percent). Despite being vastly outspent by the wealthy Dewhurst (who had previously considered running for a U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico) Patterson received most of the endorsements from newspapers and grassroots organizations. Dewhurst's 51% was just slightly over the 50%+1 total to avoid a run-off election.
In the 2002 Republican primary for Texas land commissioner, Patterson defeated Kenn George
of Dallas
, a member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 108 and an assistant secretary of commerce in the administration of U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan. During the campaign George received negative publicity for campaign literature that made it appear he was a Purple Heart
recipient though he was not. Patterson was then elected land commissioner in November 2002 to succeed fellow Republican Dewhurst. Patterson polled 2,331,700 votes (53.16 percent) to Democrat David Bernsen's 1,819,365 (41.48 percent). Two other candidates shared the remaining 5.36 percent.
In 2004, Patterson headed the Texas state campaign for the re-election of George W. Bush
.
Patterson was unopposed for renomination in the 2006 Republican primary. In the general election
, he defeated the Democrat VaLinda Hathcox. The final results were as follows: 2,314,965 (55 percent) for Patterson, 1,720,985 (41 percent) for Hathcox, and 166,965 (4 percent) for Michael A. French, nominee of the Libertarian Party
.
In 2010 Patterson, again unopposed in the Republican primary, defeated former Democratic state senator and actor Hector Uribe by 61.6% to Uribe's 35.3% or 3,001,736 to 1,717,518 out of 4,867,525 votes cast. The two made news for being the only statewide general election opponents to debate each other during the 2010 campaign. Uribe and Patterson are cordial and Uribe attended Patterson's swearing-in ceremony at the Texas Capitol in January 2011. They had also previously been extras in the film The Alamo
.
. Patterson graduated from Texas A&M University
in College Station
in 1969 with a degree in history
. In 1972, he volunteered for duty in Vietnam
. He was later designated a naval flight officer in Pensacola, Florida
, and he served in Marine fighter squadrons until his retirement from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel
in 1993.
Patterson resides in Austin
and has four children: twins Samantha and Cole, born in 2004, and, from a previous marriage, Emily Patterson and Travis Patterson. Emily Patterson is a graduate of the South Texas College of Law
and works for the OSCE
as a Human Rights Officer in Kosovo
. Travis Patterson graduated from Texas A&M University
in College Station
, where he was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant. He has served on active duty as a Marine attack helicopter
pilot
.
. "Each year, we select one person who performs outstanding work in furthering the goals of our organization, namely, the promotion of Texas history education and the strengthening of Texas Independence Day as a day of celebration for all Texans," said Harvey L. Ford, III, board president of Celebrate Texas.Ford said that Patterson has shown "dramatic leadership" by promoting such projects as the "Save Texas History map conservation initiative" and weekly radio features which accent state history.
The association was formed in 1949. The group seeks to help states maximize earnings from trust lands and share information regarding natural resource management in the American West.
and Comptroller Susan Combs
.
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...
and a former Texas State Senator
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...
. He is the second 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...
since Reconstruction to serve as Land Commissioner, a post he has held since 2003. He served in the Texas State Senate (District 11) from 1993 to 1999.
As the Republican nominee for a third term in the November 2, 2010, general election, Patterson easily defeated the Democrat
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...
Hector Uribe
Hector Uribe
Hector Uribe is a former Democratic member of the Texas Senate, District 27 and a past candidate for Texas Land Commissioner....
, a former member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature.
Patterson has stated that he intends to run for Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the...
in 2014. http://capitolannex.com/2011/01/15/jerry-patterson-says-he-is-considering-race-for-lt-governor
Political career
In 1984 Patterson ran for the a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas' 25th congressional district. He faced freshman Democratic Rep. Mike AndrewsMichael A. Andrews
Michael Allen Andrews was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. He was elected as a Democrat to the 98th United States Congress and the five succeeding Congresses. He served from January 3, 1983, until January 3, 1995...
and lost by a 64% to 36% margin. The district comprised mainly blue collar areas around eastern Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
in cities like Pasadena
Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 17th-largest in Texas, and 162nd largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston....
and Deer Park
Deer Park, Texas
Deer Park is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city is located in Harris County and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Deer Park was 32,010....
.
Patterson won a shocking election to the Texas State Senate in 1992 when he upset longtime incumbent Sen. Chet Brooks with a plurality of the vote. At the time Sen. Brooks was the longest-serving member of the Texas senate. Patterson and his supporters did not know he had won until early the next morning after election day when the final precinct was tallied.
In the state senate, Patterson's became well known as a staunch conservative and had major successes including the passage of the concealed handgun law of 1995, a constitutional amendment allowing home equity lending in 1998, the state coastal management plan, and the creation of the Texas State Veterans Home Program. He has long claimed to be an advocate of individual freedom and constitutional rights. Patterson also works for veterans causes, having himself been a U.S. Marine for more than twenty years.
In March 1998, Patterson lost the Republican primary for land commissioner to David Dewhurst
David Dewhurst
David Dewhurst is the 41st and current Lieutenant Governor of Texas, serving under Governor Rick Perry since January 21, 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Texas Land Commissioner from 1999 to 2003. Dewhurst announced on July 18, 2011, that he was running for the...
, also from Houston, who left the position after a single term to become lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
. Dewhurst led with 265,363 votes (51.2 percent). Patterson trailed with 216,250 votes (41.7 percent), and a third candidate, Don Loucks, held the remaining 36,706 votes (7.1 percent). Despite being vastly outspent by the wealthy Dewhurst (who had previously considered running for a U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico) Patterson received most of the endorsements from newspapers and grassroots organizations. Dewhurst's 51% was just slightly over the 50%+1 total to avoid a run-off election.
In the 2002 Republican primary for Texas land commissioner, Patterson defeated Kenn George
Kenn George
Kenneth S. George, known as Kenn George , is a self-employed businessman in Dallas, Texas, who served from 1999-2003 as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 108, which covers the heart of Dallas County. He left the legislature in an unsuccessful bid for Texas land...
of 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...
, a 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 108 and an assistant secretary of commerce in the administration of U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan. During the campaign George received negative publicity for campaign literature that made it appear he was a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
recipient though he was not. Patterson was then elected land commissioner in November 2002 to succeed fellow Republican Dewhurst. Patterson polled 2,331,700 votes (53.16 percent) to Democrat David Bernsen's 1,819,365 (41.48 percent). Two other candidates shared the remaining 5.36 percent.
In 2004, Patterson headed the Texas state campaign for the re-election of 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....
.
Patterson was unopposed for renomination in the 2006 Republican primary. In the general election
Texas general election, 2006
The 2006 Texas General Election was held on Tuesday, 7 November 2006, in the U.S. state of Texas. Voters statewide elected the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of the General Land Office, Commissioner of Agriculture, and one Railroad...
, he defeated the Democrat VaLinda Hathcox. The final results were as follows: 2,314,965 (55 percent) for Patterson, 1,720,985 (41 percent) for Hathcox, and 166,965 (4 percent) for Michael A. French, nominee of the Libertarian Party
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...
.
In 2010 Patterson, again unopposed in the Republican primary, defeated former Democratic state senator and actor Hector Uribe by 61.6% to Uribe's 35.3% or 3,001,736 to 1,717,518 out of 4,867,525 votes cast. The two made news for being the only statewide general election opponents to debate each other during the 2010 campaign. Uribe and Patterson are cordial and Uribe attended Patterson's swearing-in ceremony at the Texas Capitol in January 2011. They had also previously been extras in the film The Alamo
The Alamo (2004 film)
The Alamo is a 2004 American war film about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. The film was directed by Texan John Lee Hancock, produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Mark Johnson, and distributed by Touchstone Pictures....
.
Background
Patterson was born to Jerry Patterson and the former Georgia Lee Scheaffer in HoustonHouston, 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 ...
. Patterson graduated from 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...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
in 1969 with a degree in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. In 1972, he volunteered for duty in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He was later designated a naval flight officer in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, and he served in Marine fighter squadrons until his retirement from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
in 1993.
Patterson resides in 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...
and has four children: twins Samantha and Cole, born in 2004, and, from a previous marriage, Emily Patterson and Travis Patterson. Emily Patterson is a graduate of the South Texas College of Law
South Texas College of Law
South Texas College of Law is a private American Bar Association accredited law school and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools...
and works for the OSCE
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
as a Human Rights Officer in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. Travis Patterson graduated from 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...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
, where he was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant. He has served on active duty as a Marine attack helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
.
Patterson honored
On June 5, 2007, Patterson was named "Texan of the Year" by Celebrate Texas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising public awareness of Texas historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. "Each year, we select one person who performs outstanding work in furthering the goals of our organization, namely, the promotion of Texas history education and the strengthening of Texas Independence Day as a day of celebration for all Texans," said Harvey L. Ford, III, board president of Celebrate Texas.Ford said that Patterson has shown "dramatic leadership" by promoting such projects as the "Save Texas History map conservation initiative" and weekly radio features which accent state history.
Western States Land Commissioners Association
In August 2007, Patterson was named president of the Western States Land Commissioners Association, an organization that consists of 23 states that together manage 447000000 acres (1,808,946.4 km²) of land, mineral right properties, and land beneath navigable waterways.The association was formed in 1949. The group seeks to help states maximize earnings from trust lands and share information regarding natural resource management in the American West.
Campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Texas
In July 2011 Patterson announced that he would run for lieutenant governor of Texas in 2014. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/politics/7661489.html The incumbent LtGov, David Dewhurst, had early announced that he is running for the U.S. Senate in 2012. Other potential opponents Patterson may face in the 2014 Republican primary are Agriculture Commissioner Todd StaplesTodd 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...
and Comptroller Susan Combs
Susan Combs
Susan Combs is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Texas, currently serving as the state's Comptroller of Public Accounts....
.