CPAs Win Midterm Elections - Web CPA

Friday, 05 November 2010 00:00

Six Texas-based CPAs won elections on Tuesday for seats ranging from the U.S. House of Representatives to the Texas Railroad Commission, while other CPAs around the country both won and lost.  Congressman Mike Conaway, a 61-year-old CPA from Midland and former presiding officer of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, won the U.S. House District 11 seat over Democrat James Quillian, garnering 81 percent of the vote. He has been serving in Congress since 2005 and this will be his fourth term. Conaway was recently presented with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy Public Service Award.

Midland CPA and Texas Society of CPAs member David Porter garnered key business group endorsements, defeating Democrat Jeff Weems, 51, a Houston lawyer for Texas Railroad Commissioner, with 60 percent of the vote. The Texas Railroad Commission has responsibility for promoting and regulating the oil and gas industries in Texas.

In the Texas legislature, other TSCPA winners included incumbents John Otto of House District 18 and Angie Chen Button of House District 112, who both won handily with 90 and 83 percent of the vote, respectively. A new House member, Charles Perry of House District 83, ran unopposed in the general election.

These CPAs join TSCPA member Sen. Tommy Williams of Senate District 4 as members of the 82nd Texas Legislature. CPA Raul Torres was also elected in House District 33, defeating the incumbent.

Conaway isn't the only CPA in Congress. Four other CPAs won their re-election bids and two more CPAs were elected on Tuesday, according to the Journal of Accountancy. John Campbell, R-Calif.; Lynn Jenkins, R-Kansas; Collin Peterson, D-Minn.; and Brad Sherman, D-Calif.; all won re-election to the House.

Two more CPAs won election to their first term in Congress: Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., and Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, who both beat Democratic incumbents in the House.

Not all CPAs were successful in their campaigns. Republican Joseph DioGuardi lost against Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.., who held onto her U.S. Senate seat. (DioGuardi's daughter Kara also recently lost her job as an "American Idol" judge, but has landed a spot as a judge on a new reality TV series, "Going Platinum.") In the House, Gerry Connolly, D-Va., appears to have beaten back a challenge from Republican nominee and former CPA Keith Fimian, although a recount is pending in the close race. Fimian had beaten another former CPA, Pat Herrity, in a primary race for the Republican nomination. CPA Phil Liberatore was also bested in the California Republican primaries for a congressional seat earlier this fall.