Kyle Janek
Encyclopedia
Kyle Janek, M.D.
(born January 10, 1958),
is a former Republican
member of the Texas Senate
, having represented District 17
from 2003 until June 2, 2008. The district includes portions of Harris
, Brazoria
, Fort Bend
, Galveston
, and Jefferson
counties. Janek was not a candidate for renomination
to the state Senate in the Republican primary
held on March 4.
Janek resigned the seat, and Governor
Rick Perry
called a special election to coincide with the regular November 4 general election
to fill the two years remaining in the term. Republican Joan Huffman
, a former felony
court judge
from Houston
and Democrat
Chris Bell
, a former U.S. representative who was Perry's 2006 election opponent, led the field and went into a December 16 runoff. Huffman ultimatedly prevailed, 56-44 percent. She becomes the sixth woman serving in the state Senate.
by training, Janek has served in the Texas Legislature as a Republican since 1994. He received an M.D.
from the University of Texas Medical Branch
in Galveston
in 1983 and has since practiced medicine
. Janek is the son of former Galveston County
Commissioner Eddie Janek, Sr. He is the brother of Galveston politician
Eddie Janek, Jr., who has previously sought county office.
In 1992 Janek entered the Republican primary for Texas State Representative District 134 against two opponents, Mike Shelby and Tim Turner. Janek prevailed against Shelby, later a U.S. Attorney, in the runoff, but he lost the general election
to Democrat
Sue Schechter, even though the District was almost 60 percent Republican. In 1994, when Schechter chose not to seek re-election, Janek was elected. He served in the Texas House of Representatives until 2002, when he ran for the Texas Senate. Janek sought the seat being vacated by long time District 17 Senator J. E. "Buster" Brown
. Janek defeated attorney Gary M. Polland
in the Republican primary, and then prevailed against Democratic candidate Ronnie Ellen Harrison in the general election. He was reelected again in 2006 over a Libertarian Party
opponent.
Since being elected to the Senate, Janek has focused his legislative efforts on property tax
reform, and the sponsorship of a state program to prevent steroid
abuse among high school athletes.
press corps that Janek would be resigning his seat early to spend more time with his family. Janek told the Austin American-Statesman at the time that resignation was "a possibility" but also said "I love my job. It's not my intent."http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/legislature/entries/2007/05/02/sen_janek_might_step_down.html
On May 26, 2007, Janek placed an advertisement in a Greensheet
newspaper for a garage sale at his home in West University Place, Texas
. The ad said "Moving Saturday, May 26th" http://www.thegreensheet.com/adarchive/?adid=1688589. A few weeks later a reporter for the West University Examiner discovered that the advertisement was for Senator Janek's house. Janek confirmed that he had indeed sold his house, and claimed to be living in a "bayside home" in Galveston, which is still in District 17.
Janek told the reporter he was looking for a house with a bigger yard in either the Galveston or Fort Bend County portions of District 17. He told the paper he would be moving to one of those two counties "[b]efore school resumes."
Instead of moving to Galveston or Fort Bend, however, Janek purchased a house in Austin, where he resides. Austin is not in District 17, which prompted some to question whether Janek still met the required residency to hold an office in the Texas Senate.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/robison/5139515.html
On September 17, 2007, the Houston Chronicle
reported that Janek enrolled his children in Austin public schools at the new residence. Janek told The Chronicle that he's living by himself in a rental house in Galveston to fulfill his residency requirements, although he also claimed the move to Austin was to be closer to his family when the legislature is in session. The Chronicle's Clay Robison saw the irony of this claim, noting "The next regular session, however, is still sixteen months away, which means he will be spending a lot of time commuting — unless he has something up his sleeve he doesn't want to tell anyone about." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/robison/5139515.html Janek blamed the rumors about his own residency issues on "political consultants seeking a client," but Robison also observed that Janek "is fueling the fire" of those rumors through his actions.http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/politics_in_general/the_lege/
with Janek's endorsement, until it was discovered that Tillman also lived outside the district. Janek accordingly postponed his resignation date until Blakemore found a client, Houston businessman Austen Furse.
Janek immediately endorsed Furse in the wide-open race for the seat, which also attracted fellow Republicans Grant Harpold and Joan Huffman
and Democrat Chris Bell
. Janek also transferred $300,000 from his campaign war chest into a newly created Political Action Committee
called the "Best of Texas" PAC. According to Houston Chronicle columnist Rick Casey, the PAC was apparently created for no other purpose besides helping Furse by attacking his opponents. Allen Blakemore was chosen to administer the PAC.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/casey/6071430.html
commercial and accusations of racism against Janek and Blakemore.http://countyseat.blogspot.com/2008/10/come-out-ye-black-tans.html Blakemore was also accused of racism by several Democratic lawmakers for an ad he placed in a neighboring legislative district that depicted African-American politicians including Barack Obama
next to images of black crows, a common segregationist symbol for Jim Crow.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6073244.html http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives2/2008/10/012672.html
When Janek was pressed about the PAC's expenditures by Austin political reporter Harvey Kronberg, he claimed that the ads had already been purchased and could not be stopped. He also defended his consultant, stating "Allen Blakemore works to help Republicans, not Democrats – always has, always will."
The "Best of Texas" PAC's strategy appeared to backfire on election day as Furse finished a distant fourth place in the crowded field. Huffman and Bell advanced to a runoff, where Huffman was ultimately elected.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(born January 10, 1958),
is a former 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...
member of 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...
, having represented District 17
Texas Senate, District 17
District 17 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Senator Kyle Janek announced his resignation on May 29, 2008. Governor Rick Perry called for a special...
from 2003 until June 2, 2008. The district includes portions of Harris
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...
, Brazoria
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...
, Fort Bend
Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452, while the 2010 U.S...
, Galveston
Galveston County, Texas
Galveston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 291,309. Its county seat is Galveston. League City is the largest city in Galveston County in terms of population; between...
, and Jefferson
Jefferson County, Texas
Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Texas, United States. As of 2000, the population was 252,051. Its county seat is Beaumont, and it is named for the former U.S...
counties. Janek was not a candidate for renomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
to the state Senate in the Republican primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
held on March 4.
Janek resigned the seat, and 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...
called a special election to coincide with the regular November 4 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...
to fill the two years remaining in the term. Republican Joan Huffman
Joan Huffman
Joan J. Huffman is a former felony court judge in Houston, Texas, and an incoming Republican member of the 31-member Texas State Senate from District 17, which includes a portion of populous Harris County. Huffman will also be the sixth currently serving female member of the chamber...
, a former felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
court judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
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 ...
and 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...
Chris Bell
Chris Bell
Chris Bell may refer to:*Chris Bell , singer-songwriter and guitarist of the band Big Star*Chris Bell , former Congressman and 2006 candidate for Governor of Texas...
, a former U.S. representative who was Perry's 2006 election opponent, led the field and went into a December 16 runoff. Huffman ultimatedly prevailed, 56-44 percent. She becomes the sixth woman serving in the state Senate.
Biography
An anesthesiologistAnesthesiologist
An anesthesiologist or anaesthetist is a physician trained in anesthesia and peri-operative medicine....
by training, Janek has served in the Texas Legislature as a Republican since 1994. He received an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from the University of Texas Medical Branch
University of Texas Medical Branch
The University of Texas Medical Branch is a component of the University of Texas System located in Galveston, Texas, United States, about 50 miles southeast of Downtown Houston...
in Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
in 1983 and has since practiced medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. Janek is the son of former Galveston County
Galveston County, Texas
Galveston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 291,309. Its county seat is Galveston. League City is the largest city in Galveston County in terms of population; between...
Commissioner Eddie Janek, Sr. He is the brother of Galveston politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
Eddie Janek, Jr., who has previously sought county office.
In 1992 Janek entered the Republican primary for Texas State Representative District 134 against two opponents, Mike Shelby and Tim Turner. Janek prevailed against Shelby, later a U.S. Attorney, in the runoff, but he lost 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...
to 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...
Sue Schechter, even though the District was almost 60 percent Republican. In 1994, when Schechter chose not to seek re-election, Janek was elected. He served in the Texas House of Representatives until 2002, when he ran for the Texas Senate. Janek sought the seat being vacated by long time District 17 Senator J. E. "Buster" Brown
J. E. "Buster" Brown
James Edward Brown, known as J. E. "Buster" Brown , is an attorney and lobbyist in Austin, Texas, who served from 1981 to 2002 as a Republican member of the Texas State Senate from District 17, based in Brazoria, Fort Bend, and part of Harris counties, south and west of Houston...
. Janek defeated attorney Gary M. Polland
Gary M. Polland
Gary Michael Polland is a Houston, Texas, attorney who is the former elected chairman of the Harris County Republican Party and the publisher of the Texas Conservate Review, which he issues periodically on the Internet. From 2001-2006, the politically conservative Polland cohosted with the...
in the Republican primary, and then prevailed against Democratic candidate Ronnie Ellen Harrison in the general election. He was reelected again in 2006 over a 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...
opponent.
Since being elected to the Senate, Janek has focused his legislative efforts on property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
reform, and the sponsorship of a state program to prevent steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
abuse among high school athletes.
Resignation controversy
In the spring of 2007, rumors began appearing in the AustinAustin, 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...
press corps that Janek would be resigning his seat early to spend more time with his family. Janek told the Austin American-Statesman at the time that resignation was "a possibility" but also said "I love my job. It's not my intent."http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/legislature/entries/2007/05/02/sen_janek_might_step_down.html
On May 26, 2007, Janek placed an advertisement in a Greensheet
Greensheet
Greensheet is a local community newspaper based in Houston, Texas with local offices in Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Ft. Worth, Texas and Austin, Texas. The newspaper was founded in March 1970. Greensheet currently has 20 print editions in Texas. 12 in Houston, Texas; 4 in Dallas, Texas; 3 in...
newspaper for a garage sale at his home in West University Place, Texas
West University Place, Texas
West University Place, often called West University or West U for short, is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and southwestern Harris County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population of the city was 14,211...
. The ad said "Moving Saturday, May 26th" http://www.thegreensheet.com/adarchive/?adid=1688589. A few weeks later a reporter for the West University Examiner discovered that the advertisement was for Senator Janek's house. Janek confirmed that he had indeed sold his house, and claimed to be living in a "bayside home" in Galveston, which is still in District 17.
Janek told the reporter he was looking for a house with a bigger yard in either the Galveston or Fort Bend County portions of District 17. He told the paper he would be moving to one of those two counties "[b]efore school resumes."
Instead of moving to Galveston or Fort Bend, however, Janek purchased a house in Austin, where he resides. Austin is not in District 17, which prompted some to question whether Janek still met the required residency to hold an office in the Texas Senate.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/robison/5139515.html
On September 17, 2007, the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
reported that Janek enrolled his children in Austin public schools at the new residence. Janek told The Chronicle that he's living by himself in a rental house in Galveston to fulfill his residency requirements, although he also claimed the move to Austin was to be closer to his family when the legislature is in session. The Chronicle's Clay Robison saw the irony of this claim, noting "The next regular session, however, is still sixteen months away, which means he will be spending a lot of time commuting — unless he has something up his sleeve he doesn't want to tell anyone about." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/robison/5139515.html Janek blamed the rumors about his own residency issues on "political consultants seeking a client," but Robison also observed that Janek "is fueling the fire" of those rumors through his actions.http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/politics_in_general/the_lege/
2008 election
Janek finally resigned his seat in June 2008, but the decision also ignited a controversy of its own. The resignation was intentionally timed to fall after the Texas uniform election date to fill legislative vacancy, ensuring that the seat would remain vacant until the November 2008 general election. This decision was offered as a favor to Janek's former political consultant Allen Blakemore, who was having trouble recruiting a successor client to run for the District 17 seat. Blakemore initially planned to run former Houston Oilers star Spencer TillmanSpencer Tillman
Spencer Tillman is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Houston Oilers and San Francisco 49ers.-College Football:...
with Janek's endorsement, until it was discovered that Tillman also lived outside the district. Janek accordingly postponed his resignation date until Blakemore found a client, Houston businessman Austen Furse.
Janek immediately endorsed Furse in the wide-open race for the seat, which also attracted fellow Republicans Grant Harpold and Joan Huffman
Joan Huffman
Joan J. Huffman is a former felony court judge in Houston, Texas, and an incoming Republican member of the 31-member Texas State Senate from District 17, which includes a portion of populous Harris County. Huffman will also be the sixth currently serving female member of the chamber...
and Democrat Chris Bell
Chris Bell
Chris Bell may refer to:*Chris Bell , singer-songwriter and guitarist of the band Big Star*Chris Bell , former Congressman and 2006 candidate for Governor of Texas...
. Janek also transferred $300,000 from his campaign war chest into a newly created Political Action Committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
called the "Best of Texas" PAC. According to Houston Chronicle columnist Rick Casey, the PAC was apparently created for no other purpose besides helping Furse by attacking his opponents. Allen Blakemore was chosen to administer the PAC.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/casey/6071430.html
Allegations of racism
The "Best of Texas" PAC waged a negative campaign against Furse's opponent Joan Huffman. One mail piece featured mug shot photographs that were mostly of African Americans and Hispanics, prompting comparisons to the infamous Willie HortonWillie Horton
William R. "Willie" Horton is an American convicted felon who, while serving a life sentence for murder, without the possibility of parole, was the beneficiary of a Massachusetts weekend furlough program...
commercial and accusations of racism against Janek and Blakemore.http://countyseat.blogspot.com/2008/10/come-out-ye-black-tans.html Blakemore was also accused of racism by several Democratic lawmakers for an ad he placed in a neighboring legislative district that depicted African-American politicians including Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
next to images of black crows, a common segregationist symbol for Jim Crow.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6073244.html http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives2/2008/10/012672.html
When Janek was pressed about the PAC's expenditures by Austin political reporter Harvey Kronberg, he claimed that the ads had already been purchased and could not be stopped. He also defended his consultant, stating "Allen Blakemore works to help Republicans, not Democrats – always has, always will."
The "Best of Texas" PAC's strategy appeared to backfire on election day as Furse finished a distant fourth place in the crowded field. Huffman and Bell advanced to a runoff, where Huffman was ultimately elected.
2006
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
External links
- Senate of Texas - Senator Kyle Janek official TX Senate website
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Kyle Janek (TX) profile
- Follow the Money - Kyle Janek