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April 29, 2016      11:32 AM

Another try for Rockwall County in battle for retiring Rep. Scott Turner's seat

Business candidate Holland has stronger and broader fund raising base; Keating promises to be the same kind of legislator as his backers Leach, Sanford, and Shaheen

Editor’s note: Following the original publication of this story, Sen. Van Taylor, who supports Keating, wished to weigh in. We of course welcomed his thoughts and this story has been updated to include them – SB

North Texas’ House District 33 was carved out during decennial redistricting to accommodate the growth of both Collin and Rockwall Counties. According to the most recent US Census data, Rockwall County’s population has grown 16 percent between April 2010 and July 2015. But the county still shares legislative seats with a portion of neighboring Collin County. Collin County is a well-known Tea Party hot bed, and the home base for Rockwall’s state senator, Van Taylor, R-Plano, and all of House District 33 represented by outgoing Rep. Scott Turner, R-Frisco.

In the 2012 Republican primary, which effectively determines the race in this conservative district, Turner faced a challenge from Jim Truitt, the current mayor of the city of Rockwall. Turner won by almost 60 percent of the vote and went onto win the general election with 85 percent and no Democratic opponent.

Turner, a two-term representative with no significant legislative track record, mounted an unsuccessful challenge to Speaker Joe Straus in an expensive bid to preside over the lower chamber in the 8th legislative session. Backed by groups aligned with Tim Dunn’s Empower Texans, Turner received 19 votes to Straus’ 127.

After Turner announced his retirement last year, the open seat race was a chance for the burgeoning Rockwall County to finally have a representative to call its own.

By James Russell