State Rep. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, will be the newest member of the Texas Senate after winning the Aug. 5 special election runoff over state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands. Creighton won by a margin of 7,846 votes, according to unofficial results.
Creighton received 15,215 votes, totaling about 67.4 percent of the vote, while Toth garnered 7,369, or about 32.6 percent. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Creighton, who has a background in business and law, said his district office will be established quickly in preparation for the January Texas legislative session.
"We have much work to do," he said. "I am excited to go to work on behalf of Senate District 4."
Creighton said it is important that he focuses on making sure that local communities are prepared to work together going into the legislative session in January because there are only five months every two years to accomplish the work needed.
"My office is going to be established quickly to make sure that we can handle the needs of the district," he said.
With the race for District 4 now over, Creighton said border security, limiting federal government overreach and job creation will be key issues during the upcoming legislative session.
"A top priority of mine [is] making sure that our international border is safe and secure," Creighton said. "I am very interested in making sure that Texas does everything [it] can in promoting our economy, and job creation is also a top priority going into the legislative session."
Toth said a wide disparity in campaign funding was difficult for his campaignto overcome.
"I think you can run a grass-roots campaign and get outspent 3-to-1, but you can't get outspent 10-to-1," Toth said. "Along the way we met a lot ofgreat people, and we put a wonderful team together. I felt like we raised some really good issues, and I wish Brandon all the best."
Campaign finance reports each candidate filed with the Texas Ethics Commission show Creighton raised $213,587, and Toth raised $13,895 for their respective runoff election campaigns.
Toth, who represents District 15 in the Texas House of Representatives, said he will work for his constituents until his term expires in 2015 and will be receptive to new opportunities in the future.
"Our office has done some great work to help constituents across House District 15—everything from insurance issues to criminal justice issues," Toth said. "When that door closes we will look for the next door to open; that is always the way it has been in my life."
Creighton and Toth were two of four candidates vying for the position during the May 10 election, which resulted in the Aug. 5 runoff. The other candidates included The Woodlands Township Director Gordy Bunch and former senator Michael Galloway.
Creighton will be filling the unexpired term of former state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, who resigned from the seat in Oct. 2013.
Williams was first elected to the Senate District 4 seat in November 2002 and was re-elected in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Williams was later hired at the Texas A&M University system to serve as its vice chancellor of federal and state relations.
