Don Huffines#2022 gubernatorial candidacy

Don Huffines is a fifth-generation{{Cite web | url=https://donhuffines.com/about/ | title=About }} Texan born in Dallas on April 26, 1958. He has two older brothers, James and Ray, and an identical twin brother, Phillip. In his childhood, his brothers and he spent time assisting at their grandfather’s car dealership. Don Huffines' grandfather, James Lecil "J.L." Huffines, started the Huffines Motor Company in Denton, Texas, in 1924. The company has grown into a large network of metroplex dealerships run by Don's brother, Ray Huffines.

Huffines graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.B.A in finance.

Huffines and his wife of 35 years, Mary Catherine, have five children and ten grandchildren.

Huffines and his brother Phillip are the founders and co-owners of Huffines Communities, a real-estate company established in 1985 that is located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2019/10/04/don-huffines-dallas.html|title=Building on Inspiration: Q&A with Don Huffines, co-owner of Huffines Communities|website=BizJournals.com|last=Hethcock|first=Bill |date=October 4, 2019}}{{Cite web |title=Who We Are : Huffines Communities |url=https://huffinescommunities.com/who-we-are/ |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=huffinescommunities.com}}

Huffines is now the president and founder of Huffines Enterprises.{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.huffinesenterprises.com/about |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Huffines Enterprises |language=en-US}}

File:Don Huffines (cropped).jpg

In 2014, Huffines ran for a seat in the Texas State Senate. He challenged the incumbent of Senate District 16, Senator John J. Carona, in the Republican primary. Huffines ran to the right of Carona, claiming Carona was not a true conservative, and ultimately won the primary against him on March 4, 2014. A combined total of $6.3 million was spent by both candidates in the primary race.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

In the November 4 general election, Huffines ran unopposed.{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/Donald_Huffines|title=Donald Huffines|work=ballotpedia.org}} Huffines campaigned on the themes of term limits, school choice, funding highway construction, opposing new toll roads, cutting taxes, and teaching creationism in public schools.{{cite web|url=http://keranews.org/post/don-huffines-likely-headed-texas-senate-supports-term-limits-school-choice-creationism|title=Don Huffines, Likely Headed To Texas Senate, Supports Term Limits, School Choice, Creationism|author=Shelley Kofler|work=keranews.org| date=March 19, 2014 }}

During his time in office, Huffines authored many bills addressing Republican priorities{{Cite web|last=Rocha|first=Polo|date=2015-07-08|title=Just One Bill Among Three Freshman Senators|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2015/07/08/dallas-area-senators-sent-fewest-bills-to-abbott/|access-date=2022-02-13|website=The Texas Tribune|language=en}} and consistently voted along his party line on conservative legislation.

A Rice University Baker Institute study by political science fellow Mark Jones named Huffines the fourth-most conservative member of the 2017 Texas Senate.{{Cite web|title=The 2017 Texas Senate, from Right to Left, by Mark P. Jones|url=https://www.tribtalk.org/2017/06/19/the-2017-texas-senate-from-right-to-left/|access-date=2021-07-14|website=TribTalk}} Huffines earned a 100% score for two consecutive legislative sessions on the Texas Right to Life "pro-life scorecard"{{Cite web |title=Don Huffines Pro-Life Scorecard |url=https://www.texasrighttolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/255-171002-040753-HuffinesD2017ScorecardFinal.pdf |website=Texas Right to Life}} for his votes on pro-life policy. He earned a 97% score on the Texans for Fiscal Responsibility Index.{{Cite web |title=Don Huffines |url=https://index.texastaxpayers.com/legislators/don-huffines/2017-index |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=index.texastaxpayers.com |language=en}} And, Huffines received a 92% career rating from Young Conservatives of Texas.{{Cite web |title=Don Huffines |url=https://ratings.yct.org/legislators/don-huffines/85th-legislature |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=ratings.yct.org |language=en}} Huffines was also recognized as a "Faith & Family" champion by Texas Values Action, with a score of 98%.{{Cite web |title=2017 Faith & Family Scorecard {{!}} Texas Values ActionTexas Values Action {{!}} The Advocacy Arm of Texas Values |url=https://txvaluesaction.org/scorecard-2017/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Texas Values Action {{!}} The Advocacy Arm of Texas Values |language=en-US}}

Huffines served as Vice-Chair of the Texas Senate Border Security, Veteran Affairs, and Transportation committees. Huffines also served as a member of the Education, Business & Commerce, Intergovernmental Regulations, and Natural Resources & Economic Development committees.{{Cite web |title=Donald Huffines |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Donald_Huffines |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}

In 2017, Huffines passed a bipartisan bill to end vehicle inspections. In passing the legislation, Huffines was joined by his Republican colleagues and seven Democrats. The Texas Tribune claimed that if Huffines' bill were to become law, it would eliminate the state’s vehicle safety inspection requirement for most vehicles and save about $140 million per year statewide.{{Cite web |last=Afiune |first=Giulia |date=2017-06-27 |title=Hey, Texplainer: Do I still have to get my car inspected every year? |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2017/06/27/hey-texplainer-do-i-still-have-take-my-car-inspection-every-year/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Cheshire |first=Cary |date=2017-05-05 |title=Huffines Passes Bill to End Vehicle Inspections |url=https://texasscorecard.com/state/huffines-passes-bill-end-vehicle-inspections/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Texas Scorecard |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Aguilar |first=Julián |date=2017-05-04 |title=Senate passes bill to eliminate most vehicle safety inspections |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2017/05/04/senate-passes-bill-would-eliminate-vehicle-inspection-requirement/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en}} The bill died in the Texas House without a vote on the floor.

Huffines also proposed a bill in 2017 that would have required 30% voter turnout for any bond election in Texas to be successful. At the time, most such elections drew fewer than 10% of voters to the polls. The San Antonio Express-News claimed that were Huffines' bill to become law, it would make a successful bond election nearly impossible in Texas."Bill would wreck bond elections" (opinion), San Antonio Express-News, February 26, 2017, p. F2.

Huffines is known for advocating the elimination the Dallas County Schools that allegedly mismanaged taxpayer money.{{cite web|url=https://texasscorecard.com/local/huffines-shut-rogue-bureaucracy-dallas-county-schools |title=Huffines: Shut Down 'Rogue Bureaucracy' Dallas County Schools|date=March 9, 2017 }} Six people were imprisoned after being exposed for their roles in the scheme.{{Cite web |last=Huffines |first=Don |date=2020-06-05 |title=Commentary: New Guilty Plea in Dallas County Schools Scandal Calls for Citizen Reflection |url=https://texasscorecard.com/commentary/commentary-new-guilty-plea-in-dallas-county-schools-scandal-calls-for-citizen-reflection/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Texas Scorecard |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kecseg |first=Ross |date=2016-09-01 |title=Huffines: Abolish Redundant and Costly Education Bureaucracy |url=https://texasscorecard.com/local/huffines-abolish-redundant-and-costly-education-bureaucracy/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Texas Scorecard |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Erin |date=2017-03-09 |title=Huffines: Shut Down 'Rogue Bureaucracy' Dallas County Schools |url=https://texasscorecard.com/local/huffines-shut-rogue-bureaucracy-dallas-county-schools/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Texas Scorecard |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=George |first=David |date=2019-09-04 |title=FBI Details Dallas County Bribery Scandal Over School Bus Stop-Arm Cameras |url=https://stnonline.com/special-reports/fbi-reveals-details-of-how-dallas-officials-stole-proceeds-from-stop-arm-bus-cameras/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=School Transportation News |language=en-US}}

On November 6, 2018, Huffines lost his re-election bid to Democrat Nathan M. Johnson, who was the first Democrat to win Senate District 16 in over three decades. Huffines received 45.9% of the vote.{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/nov06_331_state.htm?x=0&y=0&id=545|title=Election Returns|date=November 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=November 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110200011/https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/nov06_331_state.htm?x=0&y=0&id=545|archive-date=November 10, 2018|url-status=dead}}

Huffines remained politically active after losing his Senate re-election campaign. He was critical of Governor Greg Abbott's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically lockdowns,{{cite web |last1=Wallace |first1=Jeremy |date=22 July 2021 |title=Sen. Rand Paul wades into Texas governor's race against Abbott |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Sen-Rand-Paul-wades-into-Texas-governor-s-race-16332663.php |access-date=24 July 2021 |website=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Newspapers}} and was the first former elected official to call for the reopening of the state.{{Cite web |last=Huffines |first=Don |date=2020-04-15 |title=Commentary: Gov. Abbott is Not Leading |url=https://texasscorecard.com/commentary/commentary-gov-abbott-is-not-leading/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Texas Scorecard |language=en-US}}

On May 10, 2021, Huffines announced that he would challenge Abbott in the 2022 Republican primary for governor of Texas.{{Cite web|last=Svitek|first=Patrick|date=2021-05-10|title=Republican former state Sen. Don Huffines launches primary challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/10/don-huffines-texas-greg-abbott/|access-date=2021-07-14|website=The Texas Tribune|language=en}} As a candidate, Huffines campaigned on shutting down the Texas Border, exposing voter fraud, eliminating property taxes, and ending abortion.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-12 |title=Texas Issues {{!}} Don Huffines For Governor : Don Huffines For Governor |url=https://donhuffines.com/issues/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212075425/https://donhuffines.com/issues/ |archive-date=February 12, 2022 }} The Don Huffines Campaign had 12 field offices across the state, over 70 people on payroll, and raised over $20 million dollars.{{Cite web |title=Donald Huffines - Texas Candidate |url=https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/candidate/donald-huffines |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Transparency USA}}

In a widely circulated video on Twitter, Huffines accused Abbott of using tax dollars to "promote transgender sexual policies to Texas youth".{{Cite web |title=It’s offensive to see @GregAbbott_TX use our tax dollars to advocate for transgender ideology. This must end |url=https://twitter.com/DonHuffines/status/1432789978090807296 |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}} Huffines criticized the Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) website, a state agency overseen by Governor Abbott, pointing out it encourages children to "express their identities."{{Cite web |last=Waltens |first=Brandon |date=2021-08-31 |title=Texas State Agency 'Celebrates' Transgender Youth, Promotes LGBT Organization |url=https://texasscorecard.com/state/texas-state-agency-celebrates-transgender-youth-promotes-lgbt-organization/ |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Texas Scorecard |language=en-US}} This webpage was promptly taken down within minutes of Huffines' initial video.{{Cite news |date=2021-10-14 |title=Texas Removed an L.G.B.T.Q. Resource Page After a Candidate Complained (Published 2021) |language=en |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/us/politics/don-huffines-greg-abbott-lgbtq.html |access-date=2023-08-19}} Huffines took a victory lap claiming credit for the move.{{Cite news |last=Scherer |first=Jasper |date=October 12, 2021 |title=Prompted by Abbott challenger, Texas agency removes webpage with suicide hotline for LGBTQ youths |work=The Houston Chronicle |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Prompted-by-Abbott-primary-challenger-Texas-16525826.php}}

Huffines is credited with pushing Abbott to the right on a variety of issues. The Texas Signal wrote that Huffines is "the most dangerous man in Texas," writing that he has been "effective at pushing Abbott to the right on a plethora of issues including vaccine mandates."{{Cite web |last=Coggins |first=Jessica Montoya |date=2021-10-14 |title=Don Huffines is the most dangerous man in Texas |url=https://texassignal.com/don-huffines-is-the-most-dangerous-man-in-texas/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Texas Signal |language=en-US}} On October 15, 2023, Democratic Senator Nathan Johnson, who defeated Huffines in 2018, tweeted "I don’t understand how Don Huffines is running state policy. I beat him."{{Cite web |title=I don’t understand how Don Huffines is running state policy. I beat him.|url=https://twitter.com/NathanForTexas/status/1449165016377274370?s=20 |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}}

Huffines declined to fire a staffer who had previously worked for far-right conspiracy website InfoWars and who had ties to the white nationalist movement; in a statement, Huffines said that he had over 70 people on payroll and that his campaign would not engage in "cancel culture".{{Cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/20/don-huffines-staffer-white-nationalist-ties/|title=Texas GOP gubernatorial candidate says he won't fire staffer tied to white nationalist movement|first=Emily|last=Hernandez|date=January 20, 2022|website=The Texas Tribune}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jake-colglazier-don-huffines-white-nationalist-texas_n_61e85e95e4b01f707dabb37c|title=Texas Candidate For Governor Won't Fire Staffer With White Nationalist Ties|date=January 19, 2022|website=HuffPost}}

On March 1, 2022, Huffines lost the Republican primary, placing third with 12% of the vote against Abbott.{{cite web |last1=Svitek |first1=Patrick |title=Greg Abbott, Beto O'Rourke easily win gubernatorial primaries, setting up November race |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/01/texas-governor-greg-abbott-election/ |website=The Texas Tribune |access-date=21 September 2022 |language=en |date=2 March 2022}} In his concession statement, Huffines celebrated "driving the narrative", writing that he forced Governor Abbott to "deliver real conservative victories" on policy such as the Texas Heartbeat Act, Constitutional Carry, and protecting children from "abusive transgender transitioning".{{Cite web |title=Official statement from Don Huffines|url=https://twitter.com/DonHuffines/status/1498834644921458691?s=20 |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}}

In June 2022, Huffines launched the Huffines Liberty Foundation. The mission of the Huffines Liberty Foundation is to advance the cause of liberty, prosperity, and virtue in the State of Texas by educating citizens so they may hold their elected officials accountable.{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://huffinesliberty.com/about |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Huffines Liberty Foundation |language=en-US}}

The Foundation focuses on "common sense liberty principles" of individual rights, fiscal restraint, personal responsibility, limited government, and social conservatism. The think-tank has released over 15 white papers since October 2022.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-14 |title=Issues |url=https://huffinesliberty.com/issues |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Huffines Liberty Foundation |language=en-US}}

During the 88th Legislative Session in 2023, Huffines actively wrote commentary pieces in the Dallas Morning News and Houston Chronicle about the Foundation's plan to eliminate property taxes in Texas.

In June 2023, Governor Greg Abbott called a special session to eliminate property taxes,{{Cite web |title=Governor Abbott Announces Second Special Session Agenda |url=https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-announces-second-special-session-agenda |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=gov.texas.gov |language=en}} a priority of both the Don Huffines Campaign and Huffines Liberty Foundation. Democratic Senator Nathan Johnson, who defeated Huffines in 2018, tweeted a photo of Governor Abbott's special session announcement and wrote "STILL don’t understand how Don Huffines is running state policy. I beat him (5-1/2 years ago)."{{Cite web |title=STILL don’t understand how Don Huffines is running state policy. I beat him (5-1/2 years ago).|url=https://twitter.com/NathanForTexas/status/1674188377275375616?s=20 |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}} Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick also credited Huffines for continuing to influence state policy on property tax elimination.{{Cite web |title=This plan was put together by a guy who just spent $10 million to get about 8% of the vote to run against Abbott," Patrick says, taking aim at @DonHuffines|url=https://twitter.com/bradj_TX/status/1666154645805203471?s=20 |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}}

On March 7, 2025 Huffines announced his candidacy for the recently vacant Texas Comptroller position. If elected, he said, “I will DOGE Texas by exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in government to increase efficiency and put every penny we save into property tax relief.”

Huffines has announced the endorsement of Vivek Ramaswamy, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, Congressman Brandon Gill, Congressman Keith Self, Rafael Cruz, and Texas Right to Life PAC.{{Cite web |title=Endorsements |url=https://donhuffines.com/endorsements/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Don Huffines For Comptroller |language=en-US}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=2022 Texas gubernatorial election republican primary results{{cite web |title=Candidate Information |work=Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott |access-date=December 17, 2021 |url=https://candidate.texas-election.com/Elections/getQualifiedCandidatesInfo.do}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Greg Abbott (incumbent)|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=1,299,059|percentage=66.48%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Allen West|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=239,557|percentage=12.26%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Don Huffines|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=234,138|percentage=11.98%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Chad Prather|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=74,173|percentage=3.80%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Ricky Lynn Perry|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=61,424|percentage=3.14%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Kandy Kaye Horn|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=23,605|percentage=1.21%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Paul Belew|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=11,387|percentage=0.58%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Danny Harrison|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=10,829|percentage=0.55%}}

{{Election box total no change|votes=1,954,172|percentage=100%}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=Texas's 16th State Senate District General Election, 2018}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Nathan Johnson|votes=159228|percentage=54.13}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=Don Huffines (incumbent)|votes=134933|percentage=45.87}}

{{Election box total no change|votes=294161|percentage=100.0}}

{{Election box gain with party link no change|winner=Texas Democratic Party|loser=Republican Party of Texas}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title=Texas Republican primary election, 2014: Senate District 16{{cite web|url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe |title=2014 Republican Party Primary Election |accessdate=March 4, 2014 |publisher=Office of the Secretary of State (Texas) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109062336/http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe |archivedate=January 9, 2014 }}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party= Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Don Huffines

| votes = 25,141

| percentage = 50.64

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party= Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = John Carona (incumbent)

| votes = 24,509

| percentage = 49.36

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title=Texas Republican general election, 2014: Senate District 16

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party= Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Don Huffines (unopposed)

| votes = 106,546

| percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box end}}

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Category:1958 births

Category:21st-century members of the Texas Legislature

Category:Businesspeople from Texas

Category:Living people

Category:McCombs School of Business alumni

Category:People from Greenville, Texas

Category:Politicians from Dallas

Category:Republican Party Texas state senators